'Tis the Season; Lamb Chops & Summer Veggies

Guest Post/Recipe shared by Stephen Bissonnette;
Although being a local, sadly, I don’t get to the Amherst Farmers' Market as much as I’d like. This weekend, however, the rare sunny Saturday weather here in MA motivated me to venture out and into downtown Amherst! There was nothing planned for dinner and I thought it would be fun to just see what I could find at the farmers' market and make a dish based on what looked good? 

All of the vendors were very friendly and helpful in helping by making recommendations that could work.  It felt a little bit like making stone soup as I made my way around the circle of tents on the green lawn and I relished in everyone’s suggestions.  My brown paper bag was spilling over with lush greens and I looked forward to a cozy Saturday evening at home making dinner later that night. 

After posting my meal, the AFM manager reached out on Instagram, saying it "looked delicious," and asked if I'd be willing to share; so I thought I'd pass it along to those that might be interested in giving it a go!  Here’s the recipe for what I whipped up from my day wandering at my local farmers' market.  All the ingredients listed below are available (seasonally of course) through the varied and diverse member vendors at the Amherst Farmers' Market: 

Lamb Chops & Summer Veggies recipe, process and prep
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
Lamb rib chops - 2 per person (chops from Leyden Glen Farm) 
Cherry tomatoes (veggies from Red Fire Farm, Wild Shoat Farm, Carrot Corner Farm, Quabbin Hills Farm, Supreme Microgreens, Sunset Farm, Jiang Farm and Boulder Top Farm)
Caulilini (or cauliflower)
Rainbow carrots (with greens)
Microgreens
Chives
Salt & pepper
Olive oil 
Lemon or mandarin 
Carrot top pesto (see below)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and season lamb chops with chives, salt & pepper
2. Prepare and season vegetables and lightly toss in olive oil 
3. Sear lamb chops on stove top in a hot dry oven safe pan for 2-3 minutes on each side or until browned
4. Add veggies to pan and cook in oven with lamb chops for approximately 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches desired wellness 
5. Let lamb rest for 10 minutes under foil, then deglaze pan with freshly squeezed lemon or mandarin juice, plate, top lamb with carrot top pesto and microgreens, and finish with a pinch of salt 

Carrot Top Pesto:
Carrot top greens
Almonds or cashews
Lemon juice
Olive oil

1. Blend together in food processor 

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