Grill lamb chops this weekend.

Here’s a quick recipe for grilling that incorporates two Texas ingredients now in season: blackberries and lavender leaves.

Lamb Chops with Blackberries and Lavender

8 lamb loin chops (about 3 pounds)

Marinade:
2 cups fresh blackberries
1/2 cup sweet red vermouth
1/4 cup fresh lavender leaves, finely chopped (see note)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 to 6 cloves garlic, to taste, minced or pressed

Place the lamb chops in a 1-gallon zippered-top plastic bag.

Combine the blackberries, vermouth, lavender, salt, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in a medium-sized bowl. Mash the berries. Pour the marinade into the bag, seal and squish around to coat the chops. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 to 4 hours and preferably overnight.

Preheat the grill with all the burners on high for 10 minutes and the lid down.

When the grill is hot, turn all the burners to medium. Place the lamb hops on the grill, close the lid and cook for 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Adjust the time slightly up or down if you desire a different degree of doneness.

Transfer the chops to a platter, loosely tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: You can use untreated lavender flowers as a garnish on the finished dish, if desired, but use the more pungent leaves for the marinade. If you can’t find the lavender leaves, try 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, to taste, and omit the Worcestershire sauce.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Source: Adapted from “The New Gas Grill Gourmet” by A. Cort Sinnes

It’s time for peaches and blackberries in the Hill Country.  At Gary Marburger’s pick-your-own orchard, all of the varieties have a crop, as the weather has been cooperating so far, he says.

“It looks like this could be the best Hill Country peach year out of the last 10 years.” Marburger says.  “Since we had a 99.9 percent loss to freeze in 2009, it has essentially been 2 years since our last peach crop.”

The Regal and Goldprince varieties (classified as semi-freestone and semi-cling) are at their prime for picking right now, says Marburger. He will be estimating the ripening times of the other varieties later this week.

Blackberries are also now in heavy production, and will continue to have lots of berries for the next two or three weeks. Strawberries are still producing some ripe berries each day, and will for a few more weeks. A few vegetables are also ready now, he says, with more to come.

Check out  Marburger’s website, or call 830-997-9433 for more information and updates.

To get to Marburger’s Orchard:  Take U.S. 87  until you’re about five and a quarter miles south of Fredericksburg or 16 miles north of  I-10.  Watch for the sign. Turn onto Meusebach Road. Follow signs to 559 Kuhlmann Road.

Photo by Nicholas Mistry

A thick topping of oatmeal, almonds and butter make this crumble almost like cobbler.

If you’ve picked up fresh berries at the farmers market or have gone to the Hill Country to pick your own, this is a quick and really good way to use them.  Top this dessert with vanilla or sweet cream ice cream (Amy’s in the Quarry sells some that’s really good), but it’s fine warm from the oven, without embellishment.

Raspberry Crumble with Oatmeal-Almond Topping

1 quart fresh raspberries or a mixture of blackberries and raspberries (see note)
1 1/4 cups sugar, or more to taste, divided use
1/2 cup flour, divided use
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided use
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided use
1 (2.25-ounce) packet slivered almonds or pecans, or a mixture; (2.25 ounces nuts is about 1/3 cup)
2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon almond extract
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut in slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash raspberries and drain well. Put in a large bowl. Put in 2/3 cup of the sugar and 1/4 cup of the flour, plus 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Toss gently to mix well.

Note: You can use frozen berries, the crumble will just take a little longer to bake.

In another bowl mix the remaining sugar and salt, the remaining 1/4-cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together well. In a small food processor briefly chop the almonds and/or pecans. Add nuts and oats to the bowl with the sugar and flour.  Sprinkle in the almond extract. Work in the butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter, making sure it is well-distributed.

Take about a half-cup of the oatmeal mixture and toss it with the sugared berries.

Pour the berries into a baking dish. Put the crumble on top and press it down just a little. Put crumble in the oven. Bake until the berries are bubbling and the crust is lightly browned. About 30-40 minutes for fresh berries, an hour for frozen.

Makes 8 servings

From Bonnie Walker

Let the berry picking begin at Marburger Orchard.

Cooler than average temperatures this winter and spring made this one of the latest starts ever for strawberries, according to reports from the Marburger Orchard, 559 Kuhlmann Road, outside of Fredericksburg.

But there are enough for a few pickers each day now. Large berries are on the vines, but they’ll go to the “early birds.”  According to information from Marburger, production now is 50 to 100 pounds of ripe berries per day, but that should soon increase to at least 600 to 800 pounds per day by mid-April.

Also, watch for the possibility of weekday-only discounts in the next couple of weeks.

During strawberry season, the orchard is open 9 a.m. Monday-Saturday, and at 1 p.m. Sunday. It closes at 5 p.m. or earlier, if all ripe berries have been picked. For more information, visit marburgerorchard or call (830) 997-9433.