Local meals happen all the time here. Okay, well about 90% of the time. I generally post these for challenges, but there is no challenge going on and this one was so sweet. I owe it all to some serendipitous (or was it fortuitous—you decide) discoveries on the foraging trail. The impromptu feast included:

• lamb chops from Sepe Farm, Sandy Hook, CT. Served medium-rare by grilling them 2-3 minutes a side to an internal temperature of 140°, then five minutes of rest.
  
• spinach from Holbrook Farm, sauteed in olive oil with spring garlic from Riverbank Farm. Spring garlic is regular garlic, but harvested early. It doesn’t have a bulb yet. Its shape is somewhere between a scallion and a leek, but the flavor is all garlic.
• biscuits made from Wild Hive Farm and Micro Mill whole wheat flour, lard from Butcher’s Best Market made from Rowland Farm hogs, buttermilk from Stone Wall Dairy (yes, I made butter). We slathered these with Ronny Brook Farm Dairy butter.
  
• applesauce, defrosted, made right here from Blue Jay Orchards Macouns, 9/2009.
  
• Cabernet Franc from Hopkins Vineyard. (They said it would go well with lamb and they were right!)

Yummmmm… I’m not much of a lamb eater. I was surprised at how tender and flavorful it was, not gamey as people say. I guess I’ve never had it cooked properly before! Isn’t local food great!