no pressure…!

Today, I’m not bragging about me.  I’m bragging about my kid!  And this is a post about the art of food, not jewelry or painting.

Many years ago, when we moved to our acreage, my FIL brought us 6 bred ewes for our barn.  We wanted to have some “chores” for the kids to learn about life and responsibilities.  For a number of years, we kept the ewes and bred them and had new lambs every spring.  So cute!  People began asking us if we ever had them processed and if we would sell lamb.  We eventually began to feed the lambs to slaughter weight and did just that, keeping some for ourselves and selling the rest to friends however they wanted them butchered and cut.

Eventually, our oldest son took charge of all the work and decisions related to the lambs and it became his business, Onion Creek Lamb.  By the end of high school, he was up to buying almost 50 lambs, raising and selling them to individuals and restaurants in the area.  He’s been very successful in tapping into the “locally grown” food trend.

This boy is now a freshman in college, again has 40 lambs and is intent on growing his business.  This summer, he asked me if I would be willing to cook a dinner for his Chef customers.  Now, I love to cook, and we entertain often in our home.  I’ve cooked dinners for visiting colleagues and other university bigs.  I’ve hosted fundraisers for political friends…  I’ve got a pretty good system down in the kitchen and dining room we designed and remodeled several years ago.

So, while cooking for Chefs might be intimidating to some, I took up the challenge.  Afterall, they’re just people.  Really nice guys actually.  And we had a great time.  He ended up getting 3 chefs to attend, several of their family members, his custom butcher and his wife, and our family.

The purpose of the evening was to showcase his lamb products.  And all the recipes were my own inventions.  Included were Scallops with Lamb Bacon, Greek Pizza, Lamb and Summer Veggies over Bulgur Pilaf, Lamb Sliders with feta and Carmelized Onions, and Leg of Lamb with Pecans and Mint with Raspberry Sauce.  Here are some pictures…

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If you like lamb, and you’re in Central Iowa, check out his website.  If I’ve made you hungry, visit the Cafe where lamb is on the current menu.

Blesssings,

Patti