Add some fresh Spring flowering branches or fresh flowers to brighten your Easter Table

Just yesterday I was at my favorite local food store called Adam’s Fairacre Farms – http://www.adamsfarms.com. I was showing a dear friend of mine who I met years ago at a dog park, how absolutely delicious this store is. And since this friend of mine is joining me to an Easter Feast tomorrow at yet another friend’s home, we picked up some interesting goodies for tomorrow’s meal.

I have mentioned Adams Fairacre Farms before. It has that still family-owned feeling and absolutely adore being able to find local produce, local milk, local cheese, local meat – local everything! It makes my yearning to be conscious of my slow food purchases easy. Still not sure what slow food is? Click here to visit their site – http://slowfood.com.  I discuss a lot about slow food practices, and do my best in choosing foods that have been created not too far from my home.

So getting back to Easter Dinners…Yes, you can have your basic leg of lamb meal, but there are a slew of resources out there in doing something just a bit different. I was able to grab fresh mozzarella that had been shaped into the body of a rabbit – a lovely funny take on the chocolate bunny. It has two pepper corns for its eyes and stands roughly five inches tall. I will be serving it along with a dipping dish full of homemade pesto to represent the grass that a rabbit might lay in. I wonder who will slice off its ears and dip it into the pesto first?

Since I am bringing the appetizer courses, I will be making my sun-dried tomato hummus today and bring various cheeses and crackers over to my friends house tomorrow. The local brie I chose wouldn’t be complete without my new fave – Red Pepper Jelly which is made from sweet red bell peppers that has a a gentle jalapeno pepper finish on your palette. Putting some of that jelly on wasabe rice crackers along with the brie – well, I call it heaven and sometimes dinner – it’s delectable!

You can also make ham if you are not a lamb fan and here’s my own personal favorite recipe for bodacious baked ham. And if you have left over lamb, this is the best homemade lamb gyros with tzatziki sauce you can make, easily! http://thechefmaven.com/2008/07/lamb-gyros-with-homemade-tzatziki-recipe-yogurt-sauce/.

But if you are still out of ideas, a gorgeous standing rib roast is always super easy way to impress those in-laws! http://thechefmaven.com/2008/04/standing-rib-roast-of-beef-how-to-make-the-best-roast-beef-recipe/

Oh and if you have any left over ham or roast beef – try making hash – yes ham hash and roast beef hash recipes are here!

So let me know what you made this weekend. I look forward to hearing from you!

Happy Easter to All!

Chow Ciao for Now,

The Chef Maven