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Celebrate Easter with The Fresh Market by making it special with Roasted Lamb with Harissa and Roasted Asparagus with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts. A meal that will never be forgotten.
This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, but all opinions are mine. This content is intended for readers who are 21 and over.
The weather is beginning to warm up and flowers are in full bloom reminding us that spring is just around the corner. That also means that it is almost time for Daylight Saving Time to begin and for us to prepare to celebrate the Easter holiday. If you are a religious person, then Easter has significant meaning. However, if you are not, then Easter is a great time to come together to celebrate with family and friends by sharing a special meal.
Easter definitely holds a special place in my heart because it is the day that I met my husband. Actually, it was on Easter Sunday 10 years ago. My son was spending the weekend with his dad and I intended to spend the day relaxing at home and catching up on television shows. When a friend called me and asked if I wanted to come over because her family would be having dinner and there was plenty of food for me to stop by and grab a plate.
So I got myself up off the sofa and went to her house to enjoy some good food and meet her family, which included my friend’s nephew. He was tall and after chatting with him for a bit, he invited me to go to see a movie with him later that evening. I accepted the invitation and shortly after that, we were dating on a regular basis. Two years later, we found ourselves standing at the altar getting married, however each year on Easter we do pause to take a moment to reflect on the day that we met.
This year I decided that I wanted to celebrate the occasion with something different from the usual holiday feast. I decided to make roasted lamb, I knew just the place to get it from, and that is The Fresh Market. Anytime that I find myself in need of a specialty item, then I don’t hesitate to make a trip to The Fresh Market to get it. If you’ve never heard of The Fresh Market, then they are a specialty grocer known for providing a curated product selection of specialty foods with exceptional quality and the finest ingredients. This place has an amazing range of options that are perfect for creating a homemade masterpiece or a delicious meal solution without the prep work.
I was able to locate a free-range Frenched Rack of Lamb with no antibiotics or hormones, minimally processed and with no artificial flavors. I was happy to find a grab and go ready French rack of lamb because that means the meat is already cut clean of the fat, membrane, and the meat that connects to the ribs leaving the bones exposed. Had this not already been done, then I would have to do it myself or wait for the butcher to do it for me, so I was glad that I did not have to do either. The lamb will be roasted with spicy Harissa, potato wedges, olives, and tomatoes.
I will pair this with some Roasted Asparagus with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts. I was able to find the perfect fresh goat cheese with herb chevre in the cheese section and there were so many options to choose from.
To complete my Easter meal I also decided to grab a bunch of bright yellow fresh tulips to display on the table along with some cute Lindt Chocolate Easter Bunny candy, malted eggs, and a bottle of my favorite wine, Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio to make the meal complete.
To find both of these amazingly delicious recipes be sure to get the full list of ingredients and instructions by checking out the following:
This meal is sure to make this Easter fun, memorable, and full of flavor.
Roasted Lamb with Harissa and Roasted Asparagus with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts
Ingredients
- *Roast Lamb with Spicy Harissa
- 3 ½ pounds semi-boneless leg of lamb
- ¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon Mina Spicy Harissa, divided
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced in half
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 pounds baking potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into 8 wedges
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons mint, finely chopped
- *Roasted Asparagus with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts
- 2 pounds thick asparagus, woody ends trimmed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons hazelnuts, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 4 ounces herbed goat cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk
Instructions
- Using a thin knife, trim excess fat and silver skin from the lamb. Using the knife tip, cut 12 slits, about 1 inch wide and deep, into the meaty parts of the lamb. Spread ¼ c. harissa over the lamb, pushing some of the harissa into the slits. Insert 1 garlic clove half into each slit. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Remove lamb from refrigerator and season with 1 tsp. salt. Toss potato wedges with 2 tbsp. oil, season with salt and pepper and spread in a single layer in a roasting pan.
- Place lamb on top of potatoes and drizzle with 1 tbsp. oil. Place in oven and roast 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the lamb, not touching a bone, reads 125ºF for medium-rare, about 1¼ hours. During the last 15 minutes of cooking time scatter tomatoes and olives in the pan.
- {For Full Recipe Instructions for this and the Roasted Asparagus with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts, Please go to www.thefreshmarket.com}
Nutrition
Have you got any comments, questions, or ways to celebrate Easter with The Fresh Market? Share them in the comments below!
Now I think I’m due for a road trip to our nearest Fresh Market. That candy selection is divine and I love the chocolate bunnies. No doubt you have a real gift for cooking and setting a tablescape!
Aww…Thank you so much! I always save the candy section for last at The Fresh Market, it has so many options 🙂
Ahhh how romantic, you met your husband on Easter, what a special time. I love hearing stories about how people met and fell in love. I met my current boyfriend in Las Vegas at 3am at a Walburgers, the Burger chain owed by Mark Walburg. I didn’t think anything of it because he was tall, dark and handsome, well educated, with no kids and persistent. Who would have thought a year and a half later we would be planning his move to the West Coast. I still can’t believe this man is willing to move across the country to be with me, but he is. yay! Tulips scream Spring 🙂 OMG that asparagus looks divine.
Thank you! Aww…that is so sweet! I love hearing the stories of how couples met as well. That is so exciting that your boyfriend is moving to the West Coast…Yay!!