sift this: The Great Stock Dog Handler Cook-Off

Jerry had this idea that we, the foodie-obsessed stockdog handlers of Western Canada, have a good old-fashioned cook-off. I believe the parameters were seasonal food that tastes good. Or something like that.

Herewith, then, is my submission.

Grilled lamb chops on wilted swiss chard, with a balsamic reduction

Step 1: Go out to garden. Admire swiss chard crop before harvesting.

Oh, grab some rosemary while out there.

Step 2: Go to freezer, get rack of lamb. Lamb is from Rose's farm in Aldergrove, a mere 40 minutes away.
What once looked like this:

Now looks like this:

Step 3: Trim rack into chops.

French chops to make what I call "lamb popsicles".

OK, that's done.

Please to feed me lamb trim?

Step 3: Now on to the balsamic reduction. Mince rosemary. Mince garlic. Find peppercorns. Place each ingredient in anal-retentive mise en place dishes (which also double as soy sauce dipping dishes on sushi night).

Put about half a cup of balsamic in a non-reactive saucepan.

Add about 1/2 tsp each of minced rosemary and whole peppercorns.

Simmer on medium until reduced to a thick, syrupy consistency. It should coat a spoon thickly. Remove from heat.

Step 4: Preparing the swiss chard.

Remove the stems and any tough-ish pieces. This swiss chard is quite young and tender so I've just removed the stems. Then I've rolled the leaves into tight little tubes and made a lovely chiffonade.

I don't like stems. To be honest, I don't much care for swiss chard either, but I particularly don't like stems. If you do like stems, cut them into wee bits and cook them for a few minutes before adding the chiffonade of chard.

Heat up some oil in a saute pan. When hot (but not too hot) add some minced garlic.

Brown garlic. Add chiffonade o' chard. Make a solemn vow to use the term "chiffonade" whenever possible. Most non-foodies find it very annoying.

Reduce heat to medium-ish and add a tablespoon or two of water. A crack of pepper and a bit of salt would be nice too.

Cook until wilted and humiliated.

Step 4: The lamp chops. While the swiss chard is wilting, place the chops on a lightly oiled rack. Hit 'em with some salt and pepper, and a bit of garlic. Minced rosemary would be nice too, but I forgot it.

Mmmmm .... teeny-tiny lambsicles ....

Broil. My rack is about 6" from the broiler, and these guys took about 3 minutes on each side. They are ridiculously small, so if you're using chops from a lamb that doesn't fit into a knapsack, you may need to cook the chops a bit longer.

Step 5: Plating. On Iron Chef, this is worth 5 points, so try to be neat.

Having watched too much Top Chef, I feel obligated to smear some of the reduction across the plate.