2015 Lambing season

Sure was a brief lambing season this year with only 7 ewes to lamb out.  We ended up with 12 lambs, all born alive.  3 singles, 3 sets of twins, and 1 triplet.   4 ewes, 8 rams, with 5 white and 7 natural colored.  Would have liked more ewe lambs and fewer singles, but the lambs we have are quite nice and all healthy.

Our first lambs of the season.  The 2 on the left are twin sisters from Oakley.
The big guy on the right is Elvis, a single from Bethlehem.  

Kipling finished up our lambing season with a set of 3 ram lambs.

April sunset

Sweet Black Lamb

1 lb. lamb stew meat pieces, or kabobs

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

¼ cinnamon stick

1 cardamom

2 cloves

¼ star anise

½ tablespoon cumin powder

½ tablespoon fennel powder

½ tablespoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon tamarind juice

Spice paste

• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1½ teaspoons garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon ginger, minced
• 2 dried chilies, soaked in warm water

1. Blend all the spice paste ingredients
2. Over medium high heat, saute the spice blend, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and star anise until fragrant
3. Add cumin, fennel and coriander powder and stir to combine
4. Add lamb and cook until no longer pink
5. Add dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, brown sugar and tamarind juice, mixing well
6. Simmer over medium low heat until the sauce thickens
7. Dish and serve hot

Southwestern Rabbit Salad

1# boneless rabbit strips
3 T Italian Dressing
Large head of Romaine 15 oz.
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large orange bell pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups corn (fresh or frozen, thawed)
5 green onions
Optional: avocado

{Dressing}
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 avocado (or 1/2 cup plain vegan yogurt or Greek yogurt)
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime), more to taste
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt

 Place rabbit in quart baggie with italian dressing, marinate at least 2 hours or overnight in frig.  Then pour into sauce pan and saute' until meat is no longer pink.  Set aside to cool

Making the dressing:
Puree all ingredients in a food processor/blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Making the salad:
Finely chop romaine, bell pepper, tomatoes, avacado and green onions.Place all ingredients, including cooled rabbit, in a large bowl and stir to combine. Toss with dressing.

Italian Style Meatloaf

2 lb. ground lamb

1 yellow onion, diced

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1 large tomato, diced

1 red pepper, diced

2 eggs, beaten

4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

2 cups Italian breadcrumbs

1½ cups dry Parmesan

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper to taste

Marinara Sauce

• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1½ tablespoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Over medium high heat, saute onions and garlic until fragrant
2. Add red pepper, tomato and Italian seasoning, sweating the vegetables until liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Set aside
3. In a separate pan over medium high heat, saute garlic until fragrant then add in tomato sauce. Crumble in the beef bouillon cube and mix well
4. Season with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes
5. Combine ground lamb, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, eggs, ½ cup marinara sauce, vegetables, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Form into a loaf using your hands, mixing all the ingredients thoroughly
6. Coat the top of the loaf with the remaining marinara sauce and spread evenly using the back of a spoon and top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese
7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F in the middle of the meatloaf. Let it stand for 10 minutes before cutting
8. Dish and serve hot

RABBIT FRIED RICE

1# rabbit strips, cut into bite sized pieces
cornstarch
3 cups cooked white rice
3 tbs sesame oil
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)
1 small onion, chopped
1tsp minced garlic
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup soy sauce

Coat rabbit pieces lightly with cornstarch.
On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add rabbit, stir fry until until no longer pink.
Add the peas carrots mix, onion and garlic. Stir fry until tender.
Lower the heat to medium low and push the mixture off to one side, then pour your eggs on the other side of skillet and stir fry until scrambled.
Now add the rice and soy sauce and blend all together well.
Stir fry until thoroughly heated. Try adding some chopped green onion.