A Culinary Field Trip to the Winter Farmers Market

One chilly Saturday morning a few weekends ago, I set off on one of my personal culinary missions. This particular excursion was to the Mount Hope Winter Farmers Market in Bristol, Rhode Island, in search of a unique ingredient that I haven’t cooked with, or eaten before. Priding myself on being an experienced home chef, and a personal chef to my dear husband of nearly seven years, I do enjoy a good challenge in the kitchen now and again. 

Now, for those of you who haven’t set aside some time on a Saturday morning to visit this Farmers Market, you really should, and here’s why.  This indoor Farmers Market is held every Saturday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to noon, weather permitting, in a big, oversized barn on the picturesque grounds of Mount Hope Farm in Bristol.  Most weekends at the Market, you can also enjoy listening to local musicians, such as the folk group, Sundial, while you browse.

The Market hosts a bevy of local farmers and artisans, who are all there for one purpose, to sell their quality goods.  Is it more expensive than shopping at your local market?  Yes.  Is it worth the trip?  Most definitely.  You will find local goods ranging from fresh baked croissants, seafood, winter produce, jellies, salsas, honey, and hand cut soaps, just to name a few.

In the far corner of the Market, I stumbled upon a lovely woman named Martha, representing Windmist Farm , which is located in Jamestown.  Martha was there selling the Farm’s naturally raised beef, pork, chicken, lamb and goat right out of a big, white cooler.  In speaking with Martha, I told her about my mission, and she pulled out something from the cooler I hadn’t seen nor eaten before: lamb neck.  Now I know what most of you must be thinking, but bear with me here.  To prepare this lamb neck, Martha told me that you would basically prepare it in the same manner as you would any other shank, such as beef shank, veal shank, or lamb shank.  I purchased my six pieces of lamb neck, and was off!

On my drive home while pondering my recent purchase, two words came to mind, “braise” and “ragu”.  Now, ragu by definition, is simply a meat sauce that is typically served with pasta, usually containing ground beef, tomatoes, onions, celery, carrots, white wine and other seasonings.  Because I was going to use lamb, which has a bolder flavor than beef, I made a few adjustments, and here’s what I came up with:

Recipe: Winter Farmer Market Lamb Neck Ragu
makes 4 to 6 servings  

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 pieces of lamb neck (a little over a pound)
• 1 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes (I always use San Marzano tomatoes, because I find them sweeter and less acidic than the rest, and opt to crush them with my hands)
• 2 cups of dry red wine (in this case, I used a Blackstone Red Blend, which worked perfectly)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 4 springs of fresh thyme
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

After patting the lamb neck dry, salt and pepper each piece on both sides.  Brown the lamb in oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat on all sides until deep brown in color.

Remove the lamb to a platter, reduce heat to medium, and add the onion and carrot.  Cook until onion is translucent, about five minutes.

Return the lamb to your pot, and cover with approximately 2 cups of wine, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.  Turn up the heat and bring wine to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cover.  Simmer the lamb for 4 hours, turning the lamb occasionally.  Add more wine or water if you see that the liquid starts to get too low. 

At the end of 4 hours, the lamb should be falling apart.  Remove the lamb to a platter and shred the meat off the bone, using two forks.  Discard the bones and set the shredded lamb meat aside. 

Smash the tomatoes in your hands, one by one, and add directly into the pot.  Once all the tomatoes are added, increase the heat to a slight boil, then turn back to a very low simmer. 

At this point, add back the shredded lamb and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.  Stir, taste, and season with more salt and pepper if needed.    This dish is great for a Sunday dinner or to serve at a dinner party, as it can be made the day before. 

If you are making this dish the day before you are going to serve it, let it cool completely and then refrigerate.  The next day, bring your ragu to room temperature, place back on the stovetop and heat slowly on medium-low.  Serve over your favorite pasta, or rice if preferred. 

For those of you who haven't prepared a ragu before, this sauce will be more flavorful the next day, as the ingredients will have had a chance to meld together. My culinary mission was a complete success!

The interesting ingredient of lamb neck, allowed my husband and I to enjoy a gourmet dinner (with plenty of leftovers) at a fraction of the cost of what we would pay at any fine dining establishment.

Note:  When visiting the Mount Hope Winter Farmers Market, remember to always stay green and help the environment.  Don’t forget your reusable shopping bags!