This week, we find ourselves on the southern shore of beautiful Flathead Lake in Polson, Montana, nestled at the foothills of the Mission Mountains. It's easy to see why this million dollar scenery coupled with a small-town atmosphere makes this a beautiful place to visit year round! One of Montana's most fertile farming and agricultural areas, nothing less than local Roast Leg of Lamb and Root Vegetables would do!
This week, Allrecipes cook, Darlis is whipping up a Roast Lamb with Root Vegetables. Additionally, in her house, lamb is served with a delicious, Flathead Cherry Compote, so that's on the menu as well. All in all, this is a fairly simple recipe to throw together. Simply mix together the rub ingredients and apply generously to the lamb. The leg of lamb is then placed on a bed of root vegetables in a roasting pan. The root vegetables are fresh from the garden, cleaned, and then cut in half when necessary. Then, it's all placed in the oven to cook to perfection! Add some Flathead Cherry Compote and finish it all off with a homemade apple pie, you've found yourself heaven!
View the Roasted Lamb with Root Vegetables
View the Flathead Cherry Compote
Because lamb lacks the marbling that beef and pork often have, the meat will tend to become dry and taste "gamier" if overcooked. Cooking lamb to an internal temperature of 145°F to 150°F degrees yields a lamb with rosey pink meat that's still moist and tender.
Lamb is flavorful enough on its own that it doesn't need much seasoning, but conversely, lamb's flavor is robust enough that it pairs beautifully with any number of boldly flavored seasonings. Some additions that complement lamb well are rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme, lemon zest, cumin, coriander, mint and garlic.
Season the lamb however you like but don't salt it until just before cooking, as salt can draw moisture out of the meat.
Allrecipes cook, Darlis, grew up on a wheat farm and cattle ranch, and country-style cooking was a big part of my growing up and learning to cook.
"In the years since, however, I rarely cook any of the staples from my childhood, opting for healthier and more international dishes. Cooking for my two youngest children, who are both picky eaters, is my biggest cooking challenge."
As delicious as this lamb and vegetables was, Darlis would admittedly much rather bake than cook.
"Cooking everyday meals feels like a chore, but baking is a joy and a stress-reliever. I like to cook if I'm trying out a new recipe with interesting ingredients or learning new techniques."
Well, regardless of how you slice it, Darlis does a great job in the kitchen, both roasting and baking and does not leave her family wanting for healthful, delicious grub!
"I came from a real tough neighborhood. In the local restaurant I sat down and had broken leg of lamb." ~ Rodney Dangerfield
When it comes to lamb people either love it or go to extreme lengths to make it taste like anything else except lamb. Lamb typically isn't the strong flavored meat that was sold many years ago. I personally love the flavor of lamb and this trip was going to push the sliding scale up a bit further. When I first met up with Allrecipes' cook Darlis, we got started right away making a rub for the leg of lamb. Also, since the vegetables were straight from the ground, they didn't have the polished sheen of the grocery aisles so I got started cleaning them up. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
After placing the lamb and vegetables in the oven, we headed over to Glenwood Farms to meet sheep rancher, Will Tusick (Too-sick) and his dog, Robbie. Glenwood Farm is a 100-head sheep operation specializing in Coopworth and Coopworth Suffolk cross sheep that produce grass fat natural lamb and premium spinning fleeces. They also grow food for friends and family, ourselves included as the root vegetables in the recipe came from this soil. After introductions, Will trilled out a hundred year old sheep call, slowly convincing the sheep across the field to head our way, rapidly picking up speed. Robbie helped a little but was perhaps a bit off his game due to our presence. After a bit of history and education, we thanked Will and headed out to see the beautiful landscape of Polsin, Montana.
Simply put, Polsin is beautiful It lies in a natural amphitheater at the south end of Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. The broad, sweeping Mission Valley south of Polson is bordered by the rugged, snow-capped Mission Mountains. Just south of here, visitors can see large herds of bison, elk, deer, antelope and barn sheep at the National Bison Range at Moiese. Just an hour away is the majestic Glacier National Park. If I had a choice, I would have stayed here for another week, but it was time to head back to the kitchen and eat!
Walking in the door, the smell of the roasting lamb, garlic, and rosemary was out of this world. Sitting down to eat, Darlis' husband, Dan, started cutting generous slabs of meat. Adding some vegetables and Darlis' Flathead Cherry Compote, this was good eating! The lamb was perfectly cooked, melting in my mouth! As you might note, I would have been completely comfortable eating this entire leg myself! Finishing off lunch with Darlis' specialty, homemade pie, I was in a food coma.
As they say, all good things must come to an end, and we needed to head back to the airport in nearby Kalispell, Montana. Nevertheless, I fell in love with Polson, Montana, and I will surely be back!
P.S. As a bit of a detour, we were pleasantly surprised to discover Darlis' daughter Azia and the Polson Pirates Cheer Squad had a surprise for us! Heading over to the football field, the squad braved single diget temperatures to perform an Allrecipes cheer! All I can say is "Well done! Well done!"
Glacier National Park
Visitor information on the Motor City, the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Mission Mountain Winery
Mission Mountain Winery is a family owned winery located on the west shore of beautiful Flathead Lake, in Dayton Montana. The initial vineyard was started 24 years ago and the Winery's first vintage was 1984.
Home | All Videos | Shows | About Us | Contact Us
