Beekman 1802 - Garden Party Recipe Contest Winner

by Brent Ridge, Posted Oct 23rd 2009 @ 11:00AM

Lamb stew. Photo: Brent Ridge.

Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell are the farmers and innovators behind Beekman 1802, a 200-year-old estate and farm in upstate New York. We'll be running recipes, photos and tales from the farm as their crops come into season.

Last month we concluded America's Oldest, Largest Garden Party by asking all of you to submit the best recipe you've concocted from ingredients from your own garden.

We were overwhelmed with all of the culinary talent out there, and we had to turn to our friend, celebrity chef and gardener Alice Waters, to help us choose the best of the best.

The recipe that emerged victorious was a succulent (and some might even say sexy) lamb stew that's just perfect for chilly autumn weekends.

Lamb Stew

Olive oil
1 pound stewing lamb, cut in chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Hungarian hot wax pepper, seeded and chopped finely
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped finely
2 cups yellow tomato sauce
8 to 9 small onions (1-inch diameter), peeled and halved
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 small cinnamon stick
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Heat an ovenproof casserole pot on top of the stove. Coat the bottom with olive oil, and once oil is hot, brown the lamb pieces well. Remove the lamb from the pot and lower the heat.

Add the chopped onions and peppers and cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Next, add the small onion halves and garlic and cook a little longer. Stir in tomato sauce.

Return the lamb to the pot, add the cinnamon stick and let cook gently in oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the cinnamon stick and serve with rice or oven-roasted potatoes. (We opted to serve over barley.)

Congratulations to winner Susan Loube!

To see all of the other fabulous entries, visit us at Beekman 1802.

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