A few weeks ago we drove out to Walla Walla to do a little early spring release wine tasting. At one beautiful winery, Abeja, we were blown over by the fine wines as well as the food offered at their autumn celebration. Chef Pascal Sauton from Portland, Oregon’s Carafe Bistro prepared a dish so delectable we returned the following day for another tasting (well, five actually). The small plate that had the four of us nearly begging for more was the Lamb Spare Ribs with Kabocha Squash Puree and Hibbits Ranch Walnut Pesto. <Gasp!> Allow me a moment to compose myself…

It was a tender, fatty (oh yes, you want this fat) section of rib that had been slow roasted until the meat was falling off the bone, served atop a subtly sweet puree of kabocha (a Japanese pumpkin), then drizzled with a delicious earthy walnut pesto.

Thank.God.I.Eat.Meat!! Pure Heaven, I tell you, pure Heaven.

I’m sure I can’t do justice to Chef Sauton, but I’m going to do my darndest and try to whip this up at home.

Lamb Spare Ribs, Kabocha Puree & Walnut Pesto

Lamb ribs, cut into thirds (about 3″ in length)
1 kabocha squash
Olive oil
Fresh parsley, chopped
Raw walnuts
Walnut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
*optional: crushed garlic and lemon zest

Slow roast the ribs until meat starts to pull away from the bone.

To make the kabocha puree: Cut the kabocha into 2 inch pieces, remove seeds. Place onto a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 40-60 minutes in a 400 degree oven or until tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Once cool enough to touch remove outer green skin and place in a food processor. Puree the squash mixture until smooth.

To make the walnut pesto: Roast walnuts in a 350 degree oven until golden, turning frequently. Pulse in a food processor until in small pieces, but careful not to create a paste. Add chopped parsley, drizzle in walnut oil and pulse until a medium-moist consistency is reached. You don’t want it too pasty or too dry. For added flavor toss in some crushed garlic and lemon zest.

Serve ribs on top on the puree and spoon the pesto over the top. You will not be disappointed.

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Unless you have some fancy-schmancy dinner party planned, I find it best to go to the farmer’s market with nary a menu in mind, and let the recently harvested fruits and veggies dictate what I’ll be serving. Coming home with my fresh loot, I spread everything on the counter, take a step back, and look at colors and textures. Then, it all starts to come together.

When food is this fresh I don’t mess around with too many ingredients. I prefer the natural flavors and aromas of the food to reach their full glory all on their own, without much coaxing from me. When I saw the beautiful golden and red beets, tender fingerling potatoes, fragrant fennel, and the deep green and orange of the Japanese pumpkin, Kabocha, I got giddy with grilling glee!

Slowly roasting vegetables releases their natural sugars, creating a delicious caramelization that marry all their glorious earthy flavors into one beautiful dish.

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
Use as much or as little of each vegetable, or add your own market picks. The beauty of roasting is there are no rules!

Golden beets
Red beets
Fennel
Red onion
Fingerling potatoes
Kabocha (or acorn squash)

Clean and top the beets and, along with the fingerling potatoes, drizzle with olive oil. Roast whole at 400 degrees until softened, but not completely cooked (about 30 minutes). Remove from the oven and carefully peel the beets, then cut in half. You can leave the fingerlings whole, and slice lengthwise in half before serving, or halve them and continue roasting (both ways are delish!)

Quarter the fennel and red onion lengthwise, and cut the kabocha into 1/2 inch wedges.

Toss all the veggies in a bowl and drizzle enough olive oil to sufficiently coat. Then, add a big splash of balsamic vinegar, a couple hearty pinches of Kosher salt, a few good turns of fresh ground black pepper, and a small sprig of fresh rosemary. Let roast another 30-40 minutes, turning every so often to get an even roast.

Go to your local farmer’s market this weekend and let us know what you created!

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• Perfect Scrambled Eggs
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