I do not follow a recipe. That is why I am not a baker.

“I hate, hate, the notion of a secret recipe… Recipes were made to be shared. That’s how they improve, how they change, how new ideas are formed and older ones made ripe.”

~Molly Wizenberg, A HOMEMADE LIFE

When I read this, I thought how true it rang for me. Recipes that sound interesting to me are my inspiration and I take liberty to embellish and create my own. I am not sure that I have ever created anything from scratch without the influence from some recipe.

I can be given just about any set of ingredients and be able to create a meal, but how much if it comes from me is hard to say, since I read cook books and take in all of the ideas and photos. These ideas and images all go into my memory bank of recipe files that only seems to emerge when I am stumped, happen to have some of the ingredients on hand, or I struggle to recall a recipe. Recently I tried to remember how I made an old favorite carrot cake frosting that I have been using for years. I use the frosting all the time with my Raw Carrot Cake, but decided to use it on a “baked” carrot cake. I simply could not remember if I soaked the cashews or not. It is a very simple recipe and so delicious and much healthier than the cream cheese citrus glob that had been my tried and true for so many years.

Visiting the Farmer’s Market last week in New York City, I found varieties of apples, pears and grapes. Wanting to preserve this moment in the life cycle of the grapes, I got busy making juice. The grapes are the kind I had as a kid with tart skins, mouth explosions of flavor, and loads of seeds. There were both varieties in green and red. As with anything that is in abundance during its peak season, filled with flavor and ripeness, grape juice is a quick, easy way to preserve this wonderful fruit. I juiced it in the Breville and made popsicles and froze the rest. Drink it and freeze it. Grapes contain flavonoids that are very powerful antioxidants which can reduce the damage caused by free radicals.

When I was making the grape popsicles, I was also making lamb chops for dinner. I had loads of shallots and put them on the stove to cook slowly. Once they were nicely caramelized, I added the grape juice, a few sprigs of thyme and mint and reduced it down to a thick sauce. I smeared the purple “grape ketchup” across the plate before placing the lamb. This is how I start many of my meat sauces: with shallots and a fruit. It is not original or even close to cutting edge, but it is something that is quick and easy and offers subtle flavors for almost any center of the plate.

If it was pork, I may have added apples and figs or autumn olive, and if it was beef, I may have added tomatoes and port. It depends on what is available and what day of the week it is.

I know some of you “just want the recipe” so here it is: Lamb Chops with Grapes and Thyme, but I can’t claim it as mine. I am sure someone can, but honestly, I am not sure I can claim anything as mine! As I read a recipe, I am just propelled to recreate it or simply be inspired by it. The end product often doesn’t even come close to resembling the inspiration.

I always have shallots in the larder, a few apples, and a jar of beach plum jam.

Ahhh the ripening of a recipe…

Photo Credit:  Jocelyn Filley