It was an unseasonably warm late March afternoon when I decided to poke around in my garden.  Crouching down, sans gardening gloves, I began clearing the residual dried leaves from fall. The usual cast of reliable herbs: rosemary, thyme, and mint, pulled through the mild winter. The true testament of the uncharacteristically warm season was the bright green bunch of parsley poking through the crackling remnants of last season—the constant of nature, the warmth of the sun on my back, evoking a sense of renewal.

With the first crocus that bursts through the soil welcoming Spring, the voice  in my head says, “Hope Springs Eternal.” The phrase is part of a poem written by Alexander Pope in the 1700s and intends to convey that man cannot know God’s purposes (or the universe if that’s your belief), and he cannot complain about his position in the Great Chain of Being, and that “ whatever is, is right.” For me, this means keeping Faith and Optimism no matter how difficult the situation, even though we don’t know why, because it is in our very nature as human beings to do so.

                              Frenched Rack of Lamb with Garden Herbs

Ingredients:

2 Frenched lamb rib racks (each rack around 1 ½ - 2pounds, having 7 -8 ribs.)

4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons of fresh chopped mint

4 cloves minced garlic

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Olive oil

Directions:

1.      Score the fat on top of the lamb with a sharp knife. Rub the mixture of rosemary, thyme, mint, and garlic into the lamb.  Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Place in a zip-lock bag and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Place the bag in a bowl and marinate refrigerated overnight or on the kitchen counter for 1 ½ hours.

2.      Bring the refrigerated lamb to room temperature for up to 1 1/2 hours before cooking.

3.      Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

4.      Wrap the bones in foil so they do not burn, place in a roasting pan lined with foil fat side up.

5.      Roast the two racks of meat at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Then lower the heat and to 300 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes longer depending on the desired doneness. The ideal way to serve the lamb is rare to medium-rare. Using an instant-read meat thermometer is the best way to check, with the temperature at 125 degrees for rare or 135degrees for medium-rare.

6.      Let rest for 10 minutes and then slice ribs in between the bones to serve.

Inspirations:

a.      This marinade is also excellent as a marinade for beef, pork, chicken, and vegetables.

b.      Use the marinade for making your favorite Kebabs on the grill.

c.      It is a wise and useful investment to purchase a  quality, instant-read thermometer. No matter how tasty the marinade, nothing is worse than improperly cooked meat or fish. Click the link on the blog titled “Utensils” for my recommendation and purchase information.

d.      Start planning your spring plantings, summer will be here before you know it.

More printable recipes at www.theothersideofthespatula.com