I have always been a fan of lamb ”“ in every way, shape and form. As a child, I adored puppeteer Shari Lewis and her adorable sock named “Lamb Chop.” As a young pianist, one of the first songs I mastered on the piano was “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” As an adult, one of my favorite dishes to prepare is seared rack of lamb finished in the oven with a coating of French Dijon mustard, panko bread crumbs and mashed garlic.
I have always purchased New Zealand or Australian racks of lamb, but dominating the tri-state restaurant scene now is organically grown lamb produced in New York state”™s Columbia County. Dane Martindale, owner of Laid Back Lamb Imports, is bigger than a Great Dane. His business has blossomed over the last few years for one very good reason ”“ he is relentless about spreading his message “Buy local, farmed raised and support your local farmer.”
Like Sprout Creek Farm in LaGrange, N.Y., this message has a familiar ring tone and in the restaurant business, I hear this tagline spoken repeatedly from chefs.
With a background in food and beverage that dates back 32 years, Martindale has come a long way from slicing potatoes and peeling carrots as a teenager for random hotels in Reno, Nev.
“I am originally from Brooklyn but moved west with my family. I started in the hotel-luxury service business when I was 16 and eventually moved up the corporate ladder. I guess you could say I have earned a Ph.D. from the school of hard knocks,” he said.
Simply put, Martindale is a one-man show on his 8 green acres of land. In addition to raising lambs, he also raises three different kinds of organically grown pigs ”“ suckling, Berkshire and Chester whites. Depending on the breed, the weight will vary from 14 to 200 pounds.
“After Sept. 11, 2001, I instantly became the new Eddie Albert from the old TV show ”˜Green Acres.”™ At the time, I was working long hours in Manhattan selling for a specialty food company. I was ready to move on and I always dreamed of buying a farm in (the) Hudson Valley. Saying goodbye to the city life and saying hello to the farm life has brought me great joy,” Martindale said.
As a resident of Cortlandt Manor, N.Y., and commuting daily up to his farm in Clermont, Martindale has little time to relax or pig out. Multitasking seems to be his motto. A typical “laid-back” day is processing an order phoned in by the executive chef (from an upper crust restaurant or country club,) loading his vehicle, delivering the product and sometimes asking for payment ”“ all neatly coordinated from the Great Dane mobile ”“ a Dodge Ram truck.
“Where is your companion Arnold Ziffel,” I inquired. “Don”™t you ever get lonely on the road?”
“I was in the Navy for four years. I am mentally trained to endure quite a bit,” he replied.
Some of the restaurants selling Laid Back lambs and pigs include Napa & Co. and Market Restaurant in Stamford, Crew Restaurant in Greenwich, and Harvest on the Hudson, Zuppa, 42 and Bedford Post in Westchester County.
“I get two responses when chefs taste my products ”“ wow and amazing,” Martindale boasts.
Living the life of an American farmer takes true grit but in the end it can also bring true bliss.
Note: For information, contact dane@laidbacklamb.com; 518-755-0368.
