Spring has sprung! Let's eat small animals!

Mary had a little lamb and I hear it was delicious.

I don't know what it is but every year around this time as winter trusses itself up and goes out like a lamb, my hunger for seared, aggressively seasoned and adorable animals comes in like a lion.

I first discovered the joy of consuming these woolly little morsels when I was traveling in the middle east back in 1999 (because if you're going to party like it's 1999, do it in a country that frowns upon alcohol and has real Princes with asses still intact on their trousers).

While in the cradle of civilization I also of course fell in love with the spices and flavors of the region.

This dish is both an homage to those dusty adventures through Syria, Jordan and Egypt, and a taste of my roots as a born and bred California lad. A butter braised Lamb Chop with goat cheese and sumac. Served with a carrot, ginger, parsnip puree, and tarragon french green beans.

The sumac and goat cheese. The pistachios and ginger. They all bring me right back to a loud corner cafe on the busy streets of Cairo with a tulip glass of black tea in my hand and an open afternoon to while away playing backgammon.

But, just when I'm about to don my fez and hum the theme from Lawrence of Arabia, the fresh snap of the green beans with tarragon brings me right back home – to the freshness and simplicity of great ingredients delicately spiced.

Try it tonight! It's inexpensive, quick to make (I can get it out of the fridge and on the plate in 20 minutes), and it's freakin' tasty.

Bah bah yum!

Ingredients:

Lamb Chop

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Herbes de Provence

Sumac

Rosemary

Goat Cheese

1 Carrot

1 Parsnip

1 Ginger root

½ cup Shelled Pistachios

1 cube Butter

½ cup Heavy cream

8oz Tender french green beans (haricots verts)

1 bunch of fresh Tarragon

Olive oil

For the Lamb:

-Rub Lamb chop with salt pepper and herbes de provence.

-Heat cast iron skillet and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat until just starting to smoke.

-Sear lamb chop, add 2 tablespoons of butter and a couple sprigs of rosemary. Baste chop in butter. -Once the lamb chop is evenly seared on all sides top with spoonful of goat cheese and sprinkle sumac on top. Transfer skillet to broiler for a few minutes to medium rare. Remove chop from broiler and let it rest.

For the Puree:

-Peel and chop one parsnip and one carrot. Peel ginger root and cut three small slices. Place ingredients in sauce pan with water, cover and bring to a boil.

-Strain water and add 2 tablespoons of butter, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper and ¼ cup heavy cream. Blend with immersion blender until smooth.

-Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in one of the frying pans, crush handful of pistachios in mortar and pestle and add to butter.

For the Green Beans:

-Bring water to boil in another sauce pan to blanch the green beans.

-Blanch green beans in boiling water.

-Heat frying pan and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon.

-Transfer blanched green beans to frying pan and toss with oil and tarragon for one minute, finish with kosher salt.

Plating:

-Spoon swoosh the carrot, parsnip, ginger puree onto serving plate and top with pistachios.

-Tie green beans in a bundle with a sprig of fresh tarragon.

-Place lamb chop in the middle of the plate, sprinkle with black pepper and a finish of sumac.

-Serve and bask in the glory!