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Lamb and Barley Stew with Rutabaga & Kale

Makes 6 servings – Freezes well! Special to Edible DC by Kathryn Warnes

¼ cup of olive oil 1 ½ lbs lamb shoulder chops 1 medium onion, peeled and diced 1 leek, trimmed, washed and thinly sliced up to the light green part (save the dark green part to make stock) 3-4 carrots, peeled and diced 3 celery ribs, diced 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 medium rutabaga or 2 small turnips, peeled and diced 1/3 cup white wine 1 (14.5-15 oz) can of diced tomatoes 5 cups of broth (homemade or store bought chicken or beef) 2 bay leaves 2 tsps of fresh thyme 1 small bunch of kale (about 2 cups, torn up into pieces) Salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper, brown both sides, about 3 minutes each. Remove meat from pot and set aside. 2. Add onion and leek, sweat stirring frequently for about 4 minutes. Add carrot and celery, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. Once these vegetables begin to soften and the onion is translucent add the garlic and rutabaga. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scrapping up any brown bits- this adds great flavor. 3. Add the tomatoes and broth and simmer for about 20 minutes. If you like you can puree the soup a little with a hand- blender at this point, if you want a thicker soup. Add the bay leaf and thyme and barley. 4. Cut the lamb off the bone and chop into bite-size pieces. Return to soup. Simmer for 30 minutes, until the vegetables and barley are tender. Add water if you need more liquid. 5. Add the kale. Simmer just until cooked, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 6. Serve with warm crusty bread. After the soup has cooled it freezes well and makes for a great one-pot dinner on a cold night.

Kathryn Warnes owns Taste of Place, a culinary adventure company that invites you to experience the taste of place with market-to-table culinary adventures, a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Tourism Development from GW and is also a licensed DC Tour Guide. You can find our more at www.tastepfplacetours.com

Healthier Lemon Blueberry Bread

Special to Edible DC by Amanda Delabar

To Make the Bread

2/3 c. whole wheat flour

2/3 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

Zest from 5 lemons

Juice from 3 lemons

1 cup of plain Greek yogurt

½ cup apple sauce

1/2 cup sugar

4 eggs

a dash of salt

a dash of cinnamon

2 pints of blueberries

Makes 1 loaf.

Mix all of the wet ingredients together, whisking well, then added the dry ingredients one at a time, saving the baking powder and soda for last. I whisked after each ingredient. Fold the washed blueberries in and pour into a buttered and lightly floured bread pan. This recipe made one large pan and one small pan for me. I wanted it more "lemony" and healthier than most quick breads so I could eat it for breakfast. You could add more sugar or use all whole wheat flour.

For the Glaze

4 oz. Honey goat cheese, softened (Trader Joes’s and Whole Foods sell it already combined)

½ c. Powdered sugar

Zest of 3 lemons

1/3 c. cream

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all together and drizzle it over the top of the bread. Yum!

(Inspired and adapted from: http://chezcateylou.com/2013/06/03/lemon-blueberry-yogurt-loaf/)

Amanda Delabar is a home cook and the Principal of the Tubman Elementary School in Washington, DC.

A Julep So Cool It’s Blue

By Tim Ebner As the heat and humidity hit this summer, skip the Manhattan and order up an ice-cold mint julep. Sure, this cocktail has several centuries of history in Kentucky, and it’s the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, but it might also be the perfect remedy for a muggy D.C. afternoon.

Nick Caruana runs a drinks site called The Straight Up, a Saveur 2014 finalist for best cocktail blog. Caruana says Kentucky Senator Henry Clay is credited with bringing the julep to our nation’s capital where he introduced the drink back in the early 1800s at the hotel where the Willard Intercontinental now stands. The Willard’s Round Robin bar still makes the julep according to Clay’s recipe, but for a summer refresh on this iced bourbon beverage, Caruana adds fresh blueberries.

He muddles mint and blueberries with Maraschino to create the base of his “Mint Blulep.” Then, he mixes bourbon (Woodford Reserve is his Kentucky standard), St-Germain, Creme Yvette and peach bitters over crushed ice. The result is a refreshing combination of fruit and herbal flavors.

“Taking a sip of it and then feeling the frosty cup will really help cool you down quickly,” Caruana says.

Don’t overlook the glassware. Juleps are a special drink for a special kind of glass. Caruana uses pewter julep cups, but highball or rocks glasses can work in a pinch. And, there’s no need to mound the ice over the rim, he says. It’s mainly for effect and might melt quickly on a summer day. Instead, use a few leftover blueberries and a sprig of mint to top off the drink.

The sweetness really makes or breaks the julep, Caruana says. Most people overcomplicate their syrups, but a good julep keeps the simple syrup simple, he says.

If anything, though, don’t let Senator Clay stop you from experimenting with the classic recipe.“ At its heart the drink is a Kentucky standard,” he says, “But D.C. has definitely helped to tweak and perfect it.”

Mint Blulep Recipe

• 12 blueberries
• 10 mint Leaves
• ¾ ounce Maraschino liqueur
• 2½ ounces bourbon
• ¼ ounce St–Germain liqueur
• 1 bar spoon Creme Yvette
• 2 dashes Peach Bitters
• 12 blueberries
• 10 mint Leaves
• 2 mint sprigs
• Blueberries for garnish

Add the blueberries and mint leave to the bottom of a julep cup (a highball glass or rocks glass would also work). Top with the Maraschino, then generously muddle the mixture. Add the bourbon, St-Germain, Creme Yvette and peach bitters.

Fill the cup with crushed ice, so that the ice fills the cup, but doesn’t mound up above the cup. Garnish with the mint sprigs, then add a few blueberries to the top of the drink to finish it off.

Notes about the ingredients: Crème Yvette is a liqueur made from parma violet petals with blackberries, red raspberries, wild strawberries and cassis, honey, orange peel and vanilla. St-Germain is a French liqueur made from elderflowers. These and the other special ingredients can be found at most spirits shops.