Dutch Oven Leg of Lamb

We bought two spring lambs from our friends Dan and Kathy out in Cartoogechaye. So now I've got a freezer full of delicious, local lamb, and I've also got a new Dutch oven that I've been wanting to break in.  So, what do you think I came up with?  I decided to invite the fam over for some Dutch oven roasted leg o' lamb.

Searching the net for Dutch oven roasted leg of lamb didn't really yield me too many results (most were for braised 7-hour lamb), but I did find a site about Dutch oven meat which gave me some good pointers. I followed its advice pretty closely, with a few changes.

This is what I did.  I studded the lamb with a generous number of garlic spikes and rubbed it with olive oil, black pepper, rosemary, salt, and more garlic and then let it sit in the fridge over night.  I placed it on a rack in my 12" oven, surrounded by potatos and onions which themselves were oiled and seasoned.  I placed 12 briquettes below the oven and 24 on the lid.  I cooked it for 2 hrs, took it out, and let it sit for another 20 minutes before carving it.  It was done perfectly, rare to medium rare; it couldn't have been any better!  The fam loved it; it melted in my mouth, just like prime rib. I would say that this recipe is a keeper!

This is what I saw when I pulled the lid off the pot:

Suwannee SpringFest 2010

In three short weeks, the 2010 festival season will start for Black Betty and I with the Suwannee Springfest near Live Oak, Florida.

I can hardly wait. We are really looking forward to reuniting with our Festivarian friends, many of whom we haven't seen since October. Our little popup camper has been waiting patiently in the garage for the cold weather and snow to leave, knowing that we'll soon take her south. I've also got a new dutch oven that I want to break in with some new camp food recipes. And then of course, there's all the great music!

The lineup looks great again this year, and includes: Robert Earl Keen, Leftover Salmon, Johnathon Edwards, Donna the Buffalo, The Mosier Brothers with David Blackmon, The Dirty Dozen Dirt Band, Peter Rowan, Jim Lauderdale,18 South, Dread Clampitt, Belleville Outfit, Sythian, The Steeldrivers, Roy Bookbinder, Verlon Thompson and Shawn Camp, Tornado Rider (I'm a Falcon!) and the Turtle Duhks. We will be rockin' the weekend away, for sure!

From MagFest 2009

Black Betty and I with our favorite music minister,the Reverend Jeff Mosier.

Woody Wood Live at The Grey Eagle

More video of Woody Wood and the boys rockin' the night away at the Grey Eagle. As Larry Keel would say, "This is some hot shit"!

Woody Wood / I'm Gonna Miss You (Like The Devil)

Those who know us, will attest that Black Betty and I thoroughly love rockin' it at the Grey Eagle with Woody Wood!

Friday night I had an Appalachian Trail reunion of sorts while at The Eagle with two of my fellow thru-hikers, Superchunk and Hopper. The three of us departed Springer Mountain on March 21st, 2008 and hiked our way to Maine, arriving at different times as our individual journeys dictated. My trail mates share a common bond with me that I will always appreciate and respect. It was great seeing you guys, let's do it again, soon!

South Walton Beach Trip

I survived my foray into the northwest Florida beaches this weekend. I enjoyed an easy and laid-back weekend of cycling and eating with my brother, Matt. We put in over 108 flat miles of touring the south Walton Beach area, using his house in Santa Rosa Beach as a base camp. The weather co-operated beautifully and despite being out of riding shape, we managed to thoroughly enjoy the three days of riding and sightseeing.




Highlights included a circumnavigation of Choctawhatchee Bay utilizing the Freeport Bridge and the 3.6 mile long Mid-Bay bridge. I must say that the best part of this ride had to be the fried oyster sandwich at Nick's Seafood Restaurant on Hwy. 20.







We also toured Grayton Beach State Park, Camp Helen, and the beautiful antebellum Eden State Park. (I was looking for "the old folks, tied in white robes"...didn't see any). The majestic live oaks were awesome though and I could have used some banjo to take me down-home.




Oh yeah, the bike was great. The new components were perfect, she rolled sweet........

The Winter Blues

I think that I am ready for this winter weather to be over with. Snow seems to be followed by more snow. My bicycle mileage on February 15th is a meager 112 miles for 2010 and I'm getting too fat.

I have over-hauled my touring bike this winter, with hand-built wheels, new crankset, front and rear derailleurs, brakes, shifters, rear cassette, etc. Pretty much I kept the old hybrid frame, seat, fenders, racks, and handlebars. It's always been a comfortable ride and the relaxed geometry handles a touring-load as sure as a Grand Canyon mule.

As you can imagine, I'm ready to give the "troutmobile" a trial run. I'm putting her in the car on Thursday and heading to Florida to meet up with my brother, Matt. We are planning a little weekend bikepacking tour to cure these winter blues.

The Troutmobile

Donna the Buffalo and The Believers at The Orange Peel

Black Betty and I headed to Asheville after work on Thursday to see Donna the Buffalo at the Orange Peel. It's tough to make the call to go out and boogie after working a twelve hour shift, but we were both ready to see some live music and we do love DtB.
(Besides, BB was the one who had to get up and go to work on Friday, not me).

It was a great call and we were not disappointed. The Believers opened the show and they rocked the house. Donna the Buffalo were great as usual and it was Dave McCracken's (keyboards) birthday to add to the fun. Jeb and Tara were smiling, the crowd was intimate and friendly. What's not to love about a Thursday night in Asheville?