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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I really want to like healthy bread. Especially the types that I refer to as “bird seed” bread: spelt, sprouted wheat, uber-whole grain packed with nuts and seeds and everything short of wood pulp. All the 60’s-organic-hippy-healthiness you’d ever want, just like my mom used to make. They all sound and look so good, each slice looking like it’ll supply you with about a week’s worth of fiber, but too often they are just dry and crumbly. “Care for a bit of cardboard?”

But I recently discovered one of the best “bird seed” breads I’ve ever had. Dave’s Killer Bread. My favorite is a mini-loaf called Peace Bomb. It’s made of whole sprouted wheat and packed with a “good seed” mix consisting of flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, unhulled sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and some other yummy stuff to hold it together. Now you know why I call it bird seed bread. It’s dense, moist and deliciously chewy. No sign of cardboard in this bread!

An interesting bit about Dave is that he’s an ex-con. When I first heard that I thought that was where the “killer” part came in, but no, killer in this case means really good. While in the clink for other unsavory practices he has taken no lives. Here’s a quote from the package of his Peace Bread:

“I was a four time loser before I realized I was in the wrong game. Fifteen years in prison is a pretty tough way to find oneself. It’s been said that adversity introduces a man to himself; a whole lot of suffering has transformed an ex-con into an honest man who is doing his best to make the world a better place…one loaf of bread at a time.”

Now that’s what I call redemption.

Check out this brief mini-documentary about Dave and his Portland, Oregon-area bakery on YouTube.

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