Celebrate the Basque

A very special thank you to all who made the Concert Under the Stars and Silent Auction for the Greenhouse Project such a huge success. We are a wonderful community!

As always enjoy, enjoy and Karen and I look forward to seeing you at the Basque Festival on Sunday, Sept. 20, a fun-filled family event that benefits St. Teresa's School and Youth Group.

Every year we look forward to this event and this year on Saturday night the good people at the Nugget Casino have added a new twist. Collaborating with their own Chef Nick DeMagistris (a Penny Reynold's Carson High Culinary Program grad) to bring to the table a wealth of well traveled experience to create a five course Basque dinner matched with wines of the region. In addition, the Nugget has engaged a Basque dance band from Idaho, Amuma Says No (translation: Grandma says no), for the evening as well as for Sunday's Basque Festival. This adds a great dimension to a very important weekend.

Karen and I would like to say thank you to all of you who have read and tried our recipes over the years. More chefs will be added to this spot soon, so you won't see us as often, but we'll still be here. We would also like to express our appreciation to the Nevada Appeal for their support.

• Charlie Abowd is the owner and chef at Adele's. He and his wife, Karen, have lived in Carson City since 1980. Charlie is a fourth-generation restaurateur.

In preparing the chops for the barbecue, I like to have at least 12 hours of marinating time. So prepare the marinade the day before.

Marinade:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1⁄2 cup onions, chopped

1 cup red pepper, chopped

lots of garlic, at least 1⁄4 cup roughly chopped

1 cup fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1⁄4 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1⁄2 cup red wine

...

12 1.5-inch thick loin lamb chops

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper

To prepare the marinade, place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend to a fine puree.

Place the chops in a large casserole-style dish and cover with half of the marinade. Reserve the other half to serve with the chops. The reserved marinade can be served heated or at room temperature. Either way, it is an excellent compliment for the chops. Marinate for 12 hours.

Remove the chops from the marinade and drain the excess from the chops so that you will have no flames on the barbecue.

Make sure your barbecue is hot (medium-high to high).

Cook approximately 5-7 minutes per side (medium -rare).

Be sure to watch carefully as the cooking time will be different for each type of barbecue. There is no way to actively control the heat on a barbecue so that it is consistent.

In a bowl mix the brown sugar, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper.

When you remove the chops from the BBQ, sprinkle this mixture on both sides and enjoy. Serves 6

When selecting a wine to accompany this dish, talk to our friends at Ben's Liquor or Aloha Wine and Spirits. I suggest choosing a good Spanish or Basque country red wine.