An Easter Tale – and Feast

By : LindySez | 1 Comment | On : April 13, 2017 | Category : Famiy, Menu Ideas

Easter Egg Layers

An Easter Tale…

Spring.

Spring Break.

Easter Sunday.

The passage of time, and passing of family traditions.

The Ducommun Family

As a child, we would would often spend spring break at our grandparents house in the country, Calimesa to be exact. Our parents would come on Saturday to spend the night, and then, on Easter Sunday we would have our Easter Egg hunt. But first we had to find our basket in which to gather said eggs. My father was a sly dog, a trickster so to speak, and loved to play games.

Of course it wasn’t him, it was the Easter Bunny that was so silly as to hide your basket so high in a tree that there was no way you could get to it. Dad was always there to rescue the situation as he got the ladder to get your basket down. Now onto the serious business of finding the hidden colorful eggs.

Success.

The Baker Family

BB’s family had a different tradition. As they went to church on Easter morning, they had a deal with the neighbor who would go into the house when they were out and leave the basket, along with bunny paw prints.

One year BB’s Nana B told us the story of how they never got to go Easter egg hunting. As they lived in Ohio, and it was generally still cold with snow on the ground, her family didn’t hide eggs. Well, she told us, once they did. They hid them in the house. Unfortunately they did not remember everywhere the eggs had been hidden, and come summer, the smell told them where the ones they had missed were.

Never again.

Until we decided to hide eggs for Trevor and the elders.

You never saw a bunch of 80+ year olds have more fun. I think they may have enjoyed it more then the, at the time, 8 year old Trevor!

But of course, at the end of the day, it’s going to be about the food.

Food and family.

While BB’s family leaned more toward the “spiral” honey-baked ham, my family was more about lamb. When I talk to people, I find it to be about 50/50. And while there is nothing wrong with a honey-baked ham, it’s really already done for you so all you have to do is the sides.

With lamb – you need to work up some ideas of what you want to do. BB has told me when they did have lamb, it was roasted with mint jelly.

That’s o.k. if you like mint jelly.

Me? Not so much.

So here are some lamb ideas that might work on your table this year.

Herb Stuffed Rotisserie Leg Of Lamb

Tender roasted lamb – a deep meaty flavorful crust – with a deliciously robust and flavorful filling… What more can you want? Oh wait, there’s the mostly hands-off cooking method since the rotisserie does all of the basting for you…

Grilled Rack of Lamb with Spinach and Artichoke Pesto

This dish is so simple to prepare on the BBQ. And the spinach and artichoke pesto gives it such a fresh, spring taste. Quick and easy!

Slow-Braised Lamb Shanks

If you are on the right coast and snow or cold weather make using a grill or BBQ unseasonable, this is a great, let’s make the house smell wonderful, dish. Mostly hands-free. Set it and forget it.

And what about those sides?

Whether you are having baked ham, spiral ham, fresh ham, or lamb, you need sides. Things to serve with. Being that it’s spring, I love to make fresh, now in season, spring veggies which include, asparagus, leeks, and sometime’s fava beans.