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               Lamb Shanks Toasted Orzo

Lamb Shanks:
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 lamb shanks
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
5 heads garlic, split in half horizontally
2 cups port wine
1 cup red wine
4 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven until smoking. Season the shanks on both sides with salt and pepper and sear until golden brown on both sides, remove to a plate. Add the celery, carrots,onions and garlic and cook until caramelized. Add the port and red wine and reduce by half. Add the chicken stock and shanks and bring to a boil, cover and bake in oven for 2 hours or until tender. Remove shanks, strain and reduce liquid by half.

Orzo Pasta:
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound orzo
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Heat oil and butter in pan. Add 1/2 of orzo and toast until golden brown. Add onion and remaining orzo and saute for 2 minutes. Heat a pot of water and add to the risotto as if you were making risotto, a little at a time, until the pasta is al dente. Finish with additional butter and a small amount of the braising liquid, add chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes:
4 plum tomatos, sliced in half, vertically
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Roasted Garlic Bulbs:
4 heads garlic, tops, removed
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter

Toss the tomatoes in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in a 200 degree F oven for 4 hours. (Re-hydrated sundried tomatoes will work just as well)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place water and butter in a roasting pan, add garlic heads, cut-side-down, cover and roast for 1 hour.

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