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Christopher Harkness of Great Performances cooks local

Christopher Harkness chef at upscale caterer Great Performances believes in cooking local. In fact, he believes in it so much, he's come up with a recipe for lamb with seasonal cherries whose ingredients are sourced within 100 miles of the city.

For the lamb:

1 Lamb Rack
2 Japanese Eggplant

Salt and Pepper

Take the loin off of the lamb rack, season with salt and pepper.
Slice the eggplant thin lengthwise, line up side by side the length of the lamb loin. Roll the lamb loin in the eggplant.
Sear with the seam side down until brown. Roll over and cook until brown, continue until all sides are browned. Roast in a 350 degree oven for five to seven minutes.

Remove from oven and let meat rest for a few minutes

For the Sauce

1 pint Gooseberries
1 pint Sour Cherries
1/2 cup water

Pit the cherries and reserve. In the pan that you roasted the lamb in, add the gooseberries and the cherries with the water, and simmer until mixture starts to thicken.

For the Turnips

1Tablespoon olive oil
3 turnips

Clean turnips, slice in half and sear with the olive oil until the are golden brown

For the Swiss Chard

1bunch Swiss chard, rough cut
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoonfuls fresh currants

Heat oil in pan, add swiss chard and cook just until wilted; add currants before serving.

To assemble the dish:
Cut lamb loin into slices, and place on individual serving plate
Place a spoonful of swiss chard next to the lamb slices
Scatter a few turnip halves on the plate
Spoon cherry sauce around meat