My pride and joy
I made this lamb following Jamie Oliver’s (one of my kitchen gods) slow cooked lamb recipe. See the similarities between the pictures?
OK, missed out on the fancy rosemary, but I thought they would get burned so it’s tucked into the lamb. I also didn’t grow any leeks this year and the recipe forgot to mention halved cherry tomatoes, for the fancy look.
Apart from that, all the veg (and the rosemary) is mine, even the lamb. I probably feel more maternal towards my veg than my lambs. The veg I grew from seed, watered daily, supported and helped them grow. Funnily enough I could always see those cutesy lambs born last April ending up in my roasting tin. I absolutely refused to name them, I will not eat something with a first name. There is one my and my girls hand fed with a bottle, that one will definitely not end up in my roasting tin. There is so much real life I can take.
Despite of all the city girl sensibilities I carry, I can’t help but feel such pride that I could create a meal with my own hands. Of course it sounds ridiculous for anyone that grew up or is living on a farm, my husband included, but for someone that spent her days in orderly parks and seeing more cars than cows, it’s wonderful.
And as with any new born gardener, I just can't believe that people do not grow some of their own produce. Fine, no one is asking you to dig up the flower bed and start rows of spuds and cabbage. What I don't get is why people do not grow the hardiest, cheapest and easiest thing of all...herbs. A windowsill and a few pretty pots would do, there is no need to invest in a polytunnel. There are only two things to think about, watering and planting more seeds in time, so that you have a continuous supply. Actually three things, the herbs look so pretty in the windowsill I just forget to use them.
