Spring Lamb

Come spring, when March roars in like a lion, you should be tucking into some lamb. There is a reason that lamb is central to Passover and Easter — or did you think it was just convenient symbolism? Nope, that's when young lambs are ready for harvest, based on their natural mating patterns. And it's a good time to eat the older, more mature sheep, too, since they are done breeding or milking and are ready for harvest.

Just as tomatoes and strawberries are best in the summer, so too do our animal chums have their own seasons, and being tuned in helps teach us respect for the natural order of things — the miracle of Earth orbiting the Sun and giving us the joys of spring, summer, winter, and fall. These days it's not so obvious, in the supermarket anyway, because all meat is available all the time. But when naturally bred animals are ready for harvest, in season, that is the Earth speaking to us.

So listen to the Earth this spring and eat Heritage lamb! Florence Fabricant recently described it in the New York Times as "worth a special dinner." Whether you're celebrating Passover, Easter, the equinox, or nothing in particular, celebrate with lamb! We have everything from the humble ground to the weeknight chop to the striking centerpiece that is the leg.