Organic Lamb and Lentil Stew

I traded for a lot of things this summer at the Gardeners' Market, but one of the most interesting things I traded for was a pound of organic lamb stew meat. I could only afford a pound of stew meat, because the stuff is fabulously expensive. It was already frozen, so I saved it carefully, waiting for just the right recipe inspiration.

Earlier this week I finally cooked it up into a stew, and it was simply amazing. The stew was so flavorful that it didn't even need salt to taste good. A pound turned out to be sufficient to make enough stew to feed my family (2 adults and 2 kids) with seconds for the adults. Unfortunately, the kids decided they didn't want to eat the stew. More for me!

You must use organic lamb for this recipe because of the flavor difference. If you use conventionally grown lamb, you may not like the flavor. If you don't have a source for organic lamb, you could always contact my friends at Lau Family Farm, from whom I got my lamb meat.

Organic Lamb and Lentil Stew

1 lb. organic lamb stew meat, cut up
1 c. lentils
1 1/2 c. water
1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1/2 of a 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In casserole dish, mix lamb, lentils, water, and onion. Bake for 45 minutes. Add carrot, celery, and tomatoes. Bake an additional 30 to 60 minutes until lamb is tender. Serve with bread.