Greek-Style Grill Pan Rack of Lamb with Artichoke Feta Risotto

Greek-Style Grill Pan Rack of Lamb with Artichoke Feta Risotto

Yesterday I immersed myself in French Quebecois culture and spent a glorious warm, sunny afternoon lakeside at Festival de L'Erable. The maple syrup festival is put on by the Francophone Society every year here in the valley. It was all the more remarkable since this brought back memories of growing up in the eastern provinces where the sugar bush is a part of tradition. Living in the west the pleasure was fleeting but an excellent way to welcome Spring. I sampled poutine, French Canadian Habitant pea soup and enjoyed the colourful busker artists and multi-cultural musical entertainment. They even had maple taffy which is little more than maple syrup cooled down on snow. This is a special treat, a reminder from my childhood growing up in Southern Ontario, where they would pour maple syrup into the snow and then wrap the cooled syrup around a stick; something that is rare to experience in this day and age. A trip to the sugar bush was always the first harbinger of Spring.

Okanagan Native Ring Dancer

This morning I also attended their pancake breakfast with tender baked ham, maple flavoured baked beans and of course pancakes with heavy doses of maple syrup and entertainment. It is still early in the season so we are only just beginning to reap the rewards of our home gardens with tender peas and shoots of asparagus. In warmer Mediterranean climates such as Greece I imagine farm markets to be overflowing with seasonal vegetables such as baby artichokes to welcome Spring.

Quebecois Buskers

Wandering down by the lake had me daydreaming of a Spring a few years ago when I spent some magical time in the Greek isles as well as wandering ancient pathways through Epirus and Thessaly. The bustling university town of Ioannina south of Athens lies on a rocky promontory overlooking Lake Pamvotis where our ladies stayed in an ancient guest house within the fortress walls. The ancient city was punctuated by mosques and minuets whose reflections, along with the snowy peaks of the Pindos mountains, appeared in the calm water of this inland lake.

We took a short boat ride to its peaceful islet Nissa, or "island' where nightingales still sing and fishermen mend their nets. The whitewashed village, founded in the late 16th century allows no outside vehicles so is seemingly centuries away; a welcome escape from the outside world. With its neat houses and flower trimmed courtyards, pine-edged paths, runaway chickens, and reed-filled backwater it was the perfect place to relax, have lunch and visit some of the monasteries. The most remarkable of these is Pandelimonos where the Turkish Ali Pasha was finally killed after hiding out for two years. Anyone knowing Greek history will realize the significance.  The restaurants advertise dishes with ingredients culled from the lake such as frogs legs, eel, crayfish and turtles.

Lake Pamvotis

Here in Canada's melting pot of cultures is one of the only places where we can relish in French Canadian cuisine in the morning and savour Greek cuisine in the afternoon without batting an eye. As I wandered the quaint roads of this tiny Greek island I saw artichokes so prolific they were tumbling out from almost every garden onto the streets. Until that time I had never seen an artichoke other than at the grocery store. Artichokes are one of the stars of Greek Spring, cooked up in countless ways in dozens of delicious regional recipes all over Greece. The idea for this risotto with a Greek twist comes from Diane Kochilas and takes its cue from the many pilaffs enriched with plenty of Greek feta cheese. I served it with a Greek-style rack of lamb marinated for a few hours or overnight in the Holy Grail of Greek cuisine lemon, oregano and olive oil. Since it was such a beautiful day I wanted a quick method of cooking the lamb without compromising on flavour or tenderness. A grill pan was the answer for a quick sear so as not to turn on the oven. Now I am off for a bike ride. Don't you just love these Spring days!!!

**Artichoke Feta Risotto**

by Diane Kochilas

4 fresh artichokes, cleaned so that only the heart remains

Juice and grated zest of 1 small lemon

5 tablespoons extra virgin Greek olive oil

1 tablespoon butter 

3 scallions, finely chopped

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 ½ cups Greek glasé rice or Italian Arborio

6 – 8 cups hot vegetable stock

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup crumbled Greek feta

½ cup snipped fresh dill

Salt and pepper to taste

Clean the artichokes: remove all the outer leaves and scrape out the choke with a teaspoon. Trim the stem. Cut the artichoke hearts into quarters. Place in a bowl of cold water mixed with the lemon juice. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook the scallions, onion, and garlic for about 8 minutes, until soft. Add the rice and toss to coat in the oil. Add the cup of wine and reduce by half. Add the hot broth 1 cup at a time, starting with the first ladle full. When the rice has absorbed the first ladle full of liquid, add the second ladle full, stirring all the while.  Continue adding hot broth one ladle at a time until the rice is cooked but al dente.

While the rice is cooking, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a separate skillet. Remove the artichokes from the lemon water and pat dry with paper towels. Saute in the oil until browned, softened but al dente. Season with a little salt and pepper.

About 5 minutes before removing rice from heat, add the artichokes. Stir in the dill and lemon zest and all but 2 tablespoons of the crumbled feta. Continue cooking the risotto until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice tender but toothsome. Remove and spread onto a platter. Sprinkle with remaining feta and serve.

Serves 4 

** Greek- Style Grill Pan Rack of Lamb**

1 (1 1/2-pound) French-cut rack of lamb (8 ribs)

a handful of Greek oregano

the juice of half a lemon

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup of olive oil

Combine the oregano, lemon juice and minced garlic cloves to form a paste.  Apply paste liberally to the rack of lamb ensuring it's massaged in really well.  Leave the lamb to marinate for a few hours but  overnight is even better.  Bring lamb to room temperature. 

Place lamb on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes, turning once or until a thermometer registers 145° (medium-rare) to 160° (medium). Let stand 5 minutes before slicing into chops. Serve lamb with risotto.

Serves 4

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