Lamb Chops with Lemon Mint Italian Salsa Verde

Recipe by Kathy Watson of Nora's Table in Hood River

"I created this sauce for my mother-in-law, Artis Watson, for Mother's Day this year. She loves lamb and is from a generation that always served lamb with mint jelly. I wanted to give her that mint fix, but update the idea. We simply grilled these excellent chops from Mountain Shadow Natural Meats in Dufur, and served them with a dollop of the salsa verde, roasted Yukon Gold potatoes and steamed, buttered asparagus. Dessert was a lemon crème fraiche tart. Boy, did I have a happy Mother!" - Kathy Watson, owner/chef of Nora's Table

INGREDIENTS

12        lamb loin chops (rubbed with salt, pepper and paprika)
1          bunch Italian parsley, stems discarded
1          bunch mint, leaves only
3          cloves garlic, roughly chopped
*          Zest of one lemon
¾         cup cubes of Italian-style bread, crusts removed
¼         cup Champagne vinegar
4          pitted green olives, roughly chopped
½         teaspoon kosher salt
3          good twists of ground black pepper
¾         cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine parsley, mint, garlic, lemon zest, bread cubes, vinegar, olives, salt, pepper and olive oil in a blender until smooth. Set aside. 2. Rub chops with salt, pepper and paprika and grill to desired doneness. (Rare is suggested.) 3. Serve chops with the salsa. Note: If there's any salsa left, serve it over a fontina cheese omelet for breakfast. Yields 6 servings.

WINE SUGGESTION

Marchesi Vineyards Pinot Grigio

ABOUT THE CHEF

Kathy Watson is chef and owner of Nora's Table restaurant in Hood River.

"We used to think we were a bit weird because our menu is so eclectic: a little French, Italian, Indian and Mexican. But now we know we're just on the bleeding edge!"

Kathy lavishes credit for the exacting menu execution on her crew: Chef de Cuisine Nathan Morgan, Sous Chef Andrew Wightman and Pastry Chef Rainbow Trosper. Together, they prepare everything the restaurant serves, from pork, duck and sweetbreads sausages, to fresh-ground water buffalo burgers, to 27-ingredient moles, to ice creams, pastries, hamburger buns and the entire restaurant's bread service.

"Our menu changes daily, and we rely on our local farmers and ranchers like Jim Hanna at Mountain Shadow. We are of the Gorge, from the Gorge and totally devoted to the Gorge."

Nora's Table is located at 110 Fifth St., Hood River. For hours and more information, call 541-387-4000 or visit www.norastable.com.