It's been another early winter here on the edge of the Bay of Fundy. My wife Willa hopes that with an early start, winter may be over sooner than usual. She speculated recently on the possibility of driving to our Riverside Retreat on the St. John River before the end of March. However with the latest dumping of snow and cold temperatures; that hope is probably just a dream. Being able to drive down Pancake Hill to the river's edge and our little piece of heaven on the Kingston Peninsula means winter is long gone and the ice and snow all melted.
According to Willa's brother, Allen, who lives at the top of the hill, it's always possible to drive down the hill; "Getting back up is the problem", he chuckles. Allen is the local comedian, and even more importantly owns a large tractor capable of snow blowing and pulling out stuck vehicles. We seldom keep the house open through the winter. Getting trapped or storm stayed at the bottom of the hill can be fun if you're young or don't need to be back at your job in the city.
For those of you less fortunate, who have never experienced being "closed in for the winter", tales of cabin fever must seem like fiction. When, as a young man living in the Yukon, I often heard stories that would make your blood run cold. Tales of old-timers, and some not so old, who apparently had run to their deaths, stark naked, into the dark of night, during a blinding blizzard.
Why would someone leave the warmth and safety of a cozy cabin during a deadly blizzard? And why would they run naked headlong into the night? The answer was always "cabin fever". The constant solitude, day after day, locked in by drifting snow, without human companionship. The long dark days of a northern winter have a way of playing on the minds of some. Not that we ever get that sort of winter here in the Atlantic region, but sometimes when it starts early, winter does seem extra long. I've also noticed that with advancing years, winter seems long enough no matter when it starts.
Spring is a fantastic time of year in those parts of Canada that get an honest winter. Although I haven't been along the Kennebecasis River to visit our friends Wayne and Anne yet this year, we are about due for a trip. Anne is a displaced New Zealander. She enjoyed raising sheep for a number of years and now has become a genteel equestrian. Not to be outdone, Wayne has taken up motorcycle riding. Who says love doesn't work in mysterious ways? Deep down though, I honestly believe Wayne enjoyed helping with the midwifery chores during spring lambing.
The pastoral setting of a sheep farm, at that time of year, is a balm for winter-wounded souls. The baaing of impatient and protective mother ewes punctuates the bleating of their young lambs. These headstrong juveniles kick up their heels and bounce on legs of spring steel. It's hard to imagine them ever growing old (and, of course, some never do).
For anyone who has not eaten lamb, you have no idea how delicious this flesh can be. One of the first meals to fill our river house, with a fragrance that says spring is truly here, is that of roasted lamb. I can taste this delicious meat now. It really does remind me a lot of some game. It has a flavour and aroma much headier than that of pork or beef but milder than venison. The only thing off putting about a roast of lamb, and especially older sheep, can be the fat that is sometimes strong and tallow-like. This should be mostly all trimmed away, leaving just enough for flavour.
Even now I have a leg of lamb roast ready in the freezer for the first big family gathering. Until then, I'll be content with taking a smaller lamb shank, stuffing it with garlic and pieces of rosemary and popping it in the oven for Willa and me.
If you're planning a trip to your camp in the near future, make a point of taking a piece of lamb for that special meal. Lamb is now readily available all year around. You can find portions for one or two both fresh and frozen. If you're trying this meat for the first time, buy a "Frenched" lamb rack from your butcher or supermarket. It is a smaller portion and is extremely flavourful. Even the frozen New Zealand product is quite nice. Some come already herbed with rosemary and garlic. Cook it to medium rare in a hot oven and serve with piquant mint jelly and roasted baby potatoes. The meat is quite rich so be sure to have a good bottle of wine to help keep your palate pleased. I recommend a nicely chilled pinot noir.
(Ross is chef and owner of Inn on the Cove & Spa in Saint John, New Brunswick. He can be reached through his web site at www.InnontheCove.com)
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