Pastiera di Grano + The Only Other Rack I Love More Than My Own

*This piece was originally written in April of 2010 before I knew how to take photos and when I cooked feverishly and from the heart to relive every meal I ate as a child and transformed as an adult

Today is Easter Sunday - and I’m also approaching the one year anniversary of my re-constructed rack. So, it was only right to share tonight’s dinner with Channon - as she’s one of the many women who was there when I needed help the most. My boobs are tops, in my book, but they’re not meant for glazing or roasting.
So, the only other rack for me is - you guessed it - that of a lamb. Give it to me pink, and let me suck on the bones until there’s no flavor left.  Then, let me go in for one more gnaw - just to be sure I didn’t miss a stray bit of meat. At Easter, lamb was our thing, and I waited all year for it. Kinda how a kid waits for Santa Clause, that’s how I waited for lamb. My grandma used to prepare some part of the lamb.  I don’t know what cut it was, to be honest, but it was good.  Good would be an understatement. And at 29, I can still picture juicy pieces of goodness, stewing in a roasting pan with potatoes in the oven.

I’d be sitting in church, in some baby blue or heinous, bright colored, floral print dress (that was too tight on me) - fantasizing about Easter dinner. I was 7 and I had fantasies about food. And, I’m guesstimating age here, but in my 7th or 8th year of life,  my parents thought it would be motivational to help me lose weight by giving me a fruit basket - instead of a real candy filled Easter basket. I vividly remember walking out of my bedroom and into the dining room - where I saw three large, pastel colored cellophane wrapped baskets perfectly placed on the table.

I could only see the back of the baskets.

I ran behind the dining room table, knocked on Louie and Tommy’s bedroom door and told them to come out.

Together, we raced back to the dining room table (fyi: the dining room table was literally located right in front of our bedrooms - so all of this knocking and racing took about 10 seconds)  and assumed our positions in front of our baskets, respectively.

Big name cards told us where to stand:

THOMAS 
LOUIS
TINA

Tommy and Louie tore theirs open in eager fulfillment of a candy coated dream. Giant baskets filled with Reese’s eggs, Butterfinger minis, assorted Hershey’s minis, jelly beans, Starbursts … I could go on …

But me. Well, I got Delmonte fruit cups, Welch’s fruit snacks and whole oranges.

So, of course I was sitting in church thinking about food.

FRUIT CUPS … IN AN EASTER BASKET!

This morning, I had fruit for breakfast - but that was my own choice. And, although I’m not making my grandma’s lamb (that’s still untouchable - at this point) I will glaze a rack.bI will drink wine. I will make her grain pie. I did cheat by using jarred wet wheat and a ready made shell. But it was easier and just as delicious as my memory allowed it to be.

Rosemary Dijon Glazed Rack Of Lamb

*adapted from Ina Garten 

1 T. rosemary
2 cloves of garlic
¾ tsp. kosher salt
¼ c. dijon mustard (I prefer whole grain)
¾ tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 rack of lamb

-In a food processor, fitted with a steel blade, add rosemary, garlic and salt and pulse for 30 seconds
-Add dijon mustard and balsamic and let go for 1 minute - until throughly mixed
-Lay rack of lamb in a roasting pan, curved side down, and coat chops with glaze
-Let rest for at least an hour
-Preheat oven to 450 degrees
-Let cook for 25-28 minutes (less if you like it pinker - I had a 3 lb. rack and cooked for 28 minutes for perfect pink)
-Remove from the oven and let rest, covered in foil, for 15 minutes

Roasted Vegetable Orzo Salad

*adapted from Ina Garten, but I add extra veggies, ½ the orzo, de-feta and scallion, and ditch the dressing all together - for lighter delighter 

2 red bell peppers (de-seeded and cut in to 1” cubes)
2 yellow peppers (de-seeded and cut in to 1” cubes)
2 orange peppers (de-seeded and cut in to 1” cubes)
1 large red onion (cut into 1” pieces)
1 large eggplant (cut into 1” cubes)
1 bulb of garlic (roasted - recipe below) 
¼ lb. orzo
5 T. olive oil (for eggplant)
Juice of 2 lemons
½ c. toasted pignoli nuts
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-Place eggplant on a baking sheet and toss with 3 T. olive oil, salt and pepper
-Place peppers on a baking sheet and toss with 2 T. olive oil, salt and pepper
-Let roast for 45 minutes, tossing vegetables and turning trays halfway through
-Set vegetables aside
-Cook orzo
-Add orzo to the roasted vegetables, pignoli nuts, roasted garlic and toss together with lemon juice - add salt and freshly ground pepper if necessary

Pastiera di Grano

*makes 2 pies
*they freeze well - so stock up for an impromptu summer slumber party 

2 deep dish pie crusts (preferred Oronoque Orchards Flaky)
1 box (2 rolls) pie crust (preferred Pillsbury Pie Crust - to be used for latticing)
¾ c. prepared wheat (I found Annalisa Grano Cotto at a local Italian specialty store)
3 c. ricotta
1 ¼ c. sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
1 T. lemon extract
1 lemon zested
4 egg yolks (beaten)
6 egg whites (beaten stiff)

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-With an electric mixer - blend ricotta and sugar
-Add yolks, vanilla and lemon extracts and zest and blend well
-Mix wheat in with a spatula
-Gently fold in egg whites
-Split mixture between 2 pie shells
-Make beautiful lattices by cutting 1” slices of the pie shell
-Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until pie is firm in the center