Felted Flower Countdown - 7 Days to Go + Lamb Curry with Old Friends Farm Turmeric

Today is the last day of the Amherst Farmers Market. It is the day to stock up on all those beautiful farm-raised veggies from all our vendor friends. I'm going to be picking up a bit of fresh ginger from Old Friends Farm which I will keep in the freezer. Missy and Casey also grow a bit of turmeric. Crazy huh? Didn't you think it only came as powder from the spice aisle? Here's what the roots look like.

With it, I'll be making some lamb curry. I must admit, curried meat dishes are not something that The Farmer nor I were ever served as a child. It took our first visit to a visit to an Indian restaurant in Great Britain in 1980 to learn how lovely they are. The Brits are so lucky to have Indian fare on every street corner in every small town, aren’t they? 

The closest Indian restaurant to our farm is 30 minutes away so I had to teach myself how to make my own lamb curry.  And much to my amazement, it wasn’t hard - it just took a visit to the spice aisle at the food coop to stock up on some spices that weren’t in my American spice cabinet.

Grating fresh turmeric

 There's nothing quite like a pot of curry simmering on the stove when you walk in the door. What a fabulous aroma! This is my basic curry recipe which will serve 4 people. Double it if want leftovers or something for the freezer. I have given dry spice measurements for the turmeric knowing that most of you won't be able to get fresh roots.

Lamb Curry

2 Tablespoons olive oil       

1 large onion, chopped

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. lamb shoulder roast or shoulder chops - bone-in or 1 pound stew meat

9 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced   

1 large knob fresh ginger - grated (2 Tablespoons grated)

1 Tablespoon ground cumin       

1 small knob turmeric - grated or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 Tablespoon paprika           

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cloves               

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 pods green cardoman       

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste (if you want it spicy)

1 small 14 oz. can tomatoes       

1 teaspoon salt

Brown the onions and the lamb in the oil. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, paprika, nutmet, cloves, cinnamon, cardoman pods, coriander and optional cayenne pepper and brown for a couple of minutes, taking care not to burn.  Add the tomatoes, salt and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and immediately then turn down to low. Simmer on the top of the stove over low heat for 2 to 3 hours or until the meat is falling apart and off the bone.

If you have time, let the curry sit to let the flavors develop. Serve over basmati rice or rice pilaf. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Flower Countdown - 7 Days til Launch!

Here's your first preview of the Felted Flowers Pattern which is launching in 7 days. I've really gone overboard with this pattern! It's been hard not to reveal all the fun things I've been knitting, felting and photographing. Here's my kitchen table with Sunflower Coasters. How fun! 

Keep stopping back each day - I will show you a new project that will be featured in the Felted Flower Pattern which will be available next Friday November 25th - just in time for quick gift knitting.