There’s a recipe for Sicilian lamb patties that I make every fall. I think I found it in Bon Appetit about ten years ago, and it was the first time I felt like I was really cooking instead of just trying to cook. You must use pecorino cheese; there is no substitute, and it lends the autumnal flavor of nuts to the lamb patties and the last of the summer vegetables. Combine ground lamb with cheese, bread crumbs, and a handful of mint and thyme; I might consider adding an egg next time so the lamb patties are soft. Then I cook an onion and sweet peppers in oil, adding one tomato and then slices of eggplant. I place the lamb patties in a layer on the bottom of the pan and add wine, this time using a Bordeaux sauvignon blanc, covering the pan until the lamb is cooked through and the wine braises the vegetables and turns into a sauce. Sprinkle with parsley. You can serve it over polenta or pasta; today I made cornbread using more pecorino cheese.
(Photo: Billy Goat Trail, Montgomery County, Maryland.)
365 Days of Food 