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Savory pies are a big deal in England. Meat pies are always popular over there, but I feel that the less popular vegetable pies are where the magic truly happens, especially during the summer. Rich buttery crust and well-seasoned vegetables have a nice contrast that keeps things interesting. PUFFY SPINACH PIES work like this: flakey pastry on the outside, finely chopped spinach with some farmer's cheese and spices on the inside. These might sound a little like Greek spanakopita, and indeed they share some ingredients. If you like spanakopita you'll like this, but these little guys are definitely their own thing.

Our main focus for this week is, of course, the ENGLISH ROASTED LAMB. Sunday Roasts can be headlined by any roasted meat, and I'm really feeling lamb for this menu. I'll be starting with whole legs of lamb, seasoned well but simply, then roasted with leeks, onions, and tomatoes for a long time at a low temperature. What happens is that the lamb cooks up tender and savory, and all those delicious lamb juices baste the vegetables underneath, making everything tasty and creating a flavorful pan gravy. I'm not done though... this lamb is English, which means we need a mint sauce. While the easy solution is to just serve it with mint jelly, I'll be making my own mint sauce that's still sweet, but much less so than straight mint jelly. Each order will get some slices from the big lamb legs, served over the slow-cooked pan veggies and pan gravy, with the mint sauce on the side for serving.

One "usual" accompaniment to a Sunday Roast would be roasted vegetables. While that's nice and all, it's summer and we can do better. I'm thinking a GRILLED SUMMER VEGETABLE SALAD will be perfect for a menu like this, maybe even better than the standard roasted veggies. If you read my menu above, you'll notice I'm being a little non-committal about what types of vegetables I'll be using... the market has different things each week, and I plan to grab vegetables that look good to go along with the ones I've promised. Zucchini and peppers will definitely be there, asparagus too if they aren't all pencil-thin, and then maybe one or two more that look good, lightly grilled and dressed with a simple dijon vinaigrette and fresh herbs. This is one of those dishes where you just let the main ingredients shine, tying things together with some simple dressing and herbs.

Having a Sunday Roast without potatoes is strictly not allowed. I originally planned for English-style mashed potatoes, but it still feels too hot out for mashed potatoes, doesn't it? Let's do CRUSHED GOLDEN POTATOES instead, which are like a great cross of mashed potatoes and roasted potatoes. I'll be boiling the potatoes first, then crushing them (not mashing, literally crushing them down once) and drizzling them with some nice olive oil before roasting them to concentrate their flavor and give them a texture that is perfect with the saucy lamb this week. These will be seasoned simply with garlic and parsley, which will make them quite tasty on their own, but even better alongside our more complex main dish.

This week's dessert is one that I haven't done in a while, and my wife suggested that I bring it back, as it fits wonderfully with this menu. Trifle is an interesting dessert: it's basically a dessert casserole, or maybe the best parfait ever. I'll be building my sharable SUMMER BERRY TRIFLE with layers of vanilla cake, sherry-infused custard, fresh berries, fruit jam, whipped cream, and a few good shakes of raspberry liquor. It's a wonderful, scoopable, after-dinner classic... and if you've never had one this is your chance to give it a try.