Being able to relax and cook your food outdoors over an open flame is such a treat. Its one of the best things about summer!
Corn and tomatoes are at their peak right now and we are picking tomatoes from our garden every weekend. I chose this menu to highlight both of those ingredients.
I became aware of Lava Lake lamb when I saw a woman in Citarella doing a demo of these lamb chops. I love it when a meal is delicious, eco-conscious, and easy to prepare, so these really caught my attention. I bought these Lava Lake lamb chops because I believe that eating grass-fed, all-natural meat is so much better for you. These lambs have never been given hormones or antibiotics and have never been placed in feed lots.
GRILLED LAMB CHOPS:
8 Grass-fed Lava Lake lamb chops
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
Combine all of the ingredients above and marinate the lamb chops for at least 30 minutes. Grill them for about three minutes per side, to a perfect medium rare.
They were so juicy and flavorful….lots of mmms and ahhhhs at my table.
Along with the lamb, I served grilled sweet corn with a chipotle aioli and a tomato salad with watercress, basil, fresh mozzarella, and a balsamic vinaigrette. At this time of year I eat as much corn as possible..its just so sweet. And the adobo sauce from the chipotles is smoky and spicy…it marries perfectly with the crunchy sweetness of the corn.
When I’m out in the Hamptons, I buy my corn from my favorite vegetable stand, Pike Farms.
SWEET CORN WITH CHIPOTLE AIOLI:
8 ears of corn
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chiles
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 minced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Mexican spice mix
Peel the husk down on the corn and remove the silk underneath, but leave the husks attached. Soak the corn in water for 10 minutes.
Combine in a bowl the mayonnaise, adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic cloves, smoked paprika, and Mexican spice mix.
Grill the corn about 7 minutes, then roll over onto the other side and grill 7 minutes more.
Remove the husk and slather with the chipotle aioli….then listen to the sounds of lip smacking enjoyment…Serve with plenty of napkins!!
