I Bought A Very Large, Boneless Leg Of Lamb...

...at $2.49 a pound! I'll probably return tomorrow and buy another.

Here's what happened-the grocery in Ashland has been experimenting with higher-end items as the demographics of the town have changed (Sort of. If you go there early on a Sunday morning and watch the still drunk from the previous evening townies wandering around you might get the feeling you're trapped in a Mike Leigh movie-without the accents). This has lead to interesting organic produce, some vegetarian meat replacements, fresh mozzarella, and over Christmas, lamb. Lamb-not mutton. Predictably, it didn't sell.

It is still ten days from the sell-by date, and vacuum sealed in plastic. The butcher told me he had no choice but to sell it for whatever he could get as they weren't permitted to keep it in store more than a certain number of days (for inventory, not because of sell-by dates).

No sooner I had schlepped my prize home than I was kicking myself for not buying the rest. I have room in the freezer, and at that price, it wouldn't be criminal to use part of it for making sausages. "Oh, stupid, stupid me" I thought. Now I have to drive back to Ashland. I guess I'll call first, in case someone reads this and races out there and snaps up the last leg of lamb from under me.

This is also perfect timing as Mr. Eat The Blog's birthday is coming up. He really likes lamb/mutton (insert Scottish joke here___________) and what could be nicer for your birthday dinner than a roast leg of lamb with rosemary, potatoes and some pickled cherries and grapes? Hey, that's what I thought too.

$2.49 a pound for lamb. Wow.