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A Mostly Make-Ahead Easter Dinner

the menu

Mixed Greens with Goat Cheese & Orange-Fennel Seed Vinaigrette Roasted Leg of Lamb with Dried Cherry, Mustard & Herb Crust Potato Cakes with Chives & Sour Cream Green Beans with Mustard-Tarragon Vinaigrette Creamy Orange Ricotta Tart

Shopping List

This shopping list includes doubled quantities for the potato cakes

Fresh Produce 2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes 7 to 8 oz. (7 to 8 lightly packed cups) mixed salad greens 1-1/4 lb. fresh green beans 2 medium carrots 2 ribs celery 1 medium yellow onion 1 medium-small shallot 1 bulb garlic 1 bunch fresh chives 1 bunch fresh rosemary 1 bunch sage 1 small bunch fresh tarragon 3 large navel oranges (or 2 navel oranges and 1 blood orange)

Meat, Eggs & Dairy 6- to 7-lb. bone-in leg of lamb, trimmed of most visible fat 3 eggs 15-oz. containter whole-milk ricotta (about 1-1/2 cups) 1/4 lb. creamy goat cheese 3 oz. cream cheese 1 oz. Asiago cheese (to yield 1/4 cup finely grated) 3 Tbs. sour cream 3 Tbs. unsalted butter

Other Groceries 1 box vanilla wafers (preferably Nilla brand) 2 cups (10 to 11 oz.) dried sweet cherries 1-1/2 cups sweet red vermouth, such as Martini & Rossi 1-1/2 cups homemade or low-salt beef or chicken broth 1/2 cup (1 oz.) fresh white breadcrumbs 2 Tbs. tarragon vinegar 1 Tbs. orange-flavored liqueur (such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau) or orange juice

Pantry Staples 1-1/3 cups extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup granulated sugar 3 Tbs. Dijon mustard 2 Tbs. unbleached all-purpose flour 1 Tbs. white-wine vinegar 1-1/2 tsp. fennel seeds table salt kosher salt (at least 1/2 cup) black peppercorns

Menu Timeline

1 day in advance: Make the tart crust; bake, cool and wrap well in plastic. Cook and mash the potatoes; shape into patties, cover with plastic and refrigerate.

Morning of the dinner: Make the tart filling, bake tart and cool. Trim the green beans; make their vinaigrette. Segment oranges and make the dressing for the salad.

Two hours ahead: Season and sear the lamb; make the crust mixture. Pat the crust onto the lamb and roast.

Twenty minutes before dinner: Remove the lamb from the oven; tent with foil and make the sauce. Cook potato cakes. Boil green beans and toss with vinaigrette.

Just before dinner: Carve the lamb and arrange on a platter or individual plates. Toss the salad with its dressing and arrange on plates.