Recipe: Stephanie's Fabulous Lamb Stew

I couldn't find a recipe to encompass all the flavors, textures and ingredients in this recipe, so I had to invent it!

Marinate Lamb:
-lamb, cut into 1" cubes (preferably fresh, from a farmer's market)
-3 cloves of garlic, sliced
-1 large shallot, thinly sliced
-juice of 1 lemon
-5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
-3 cloves garlic, whole
-organic olive oil
-salt
-fresh ground pepper
-cayenne pepper
-cumin
-paprika
-ground ginger

Stew:
-4 roma tomatos (seeds removed), diced
-1/2 bottle red wine
-1 carton organic vegetable stock
-4 medium-large potatos (yellow skin)
-3 cloves garlic, sliced
-4 large carrots, peeled and cut into small chunks
-2 celery ribs, cut in half, and then cut into small strips
-3 small yellow onions, diced
-black raisins, soaked in hot water and drained
-dried tarragon
-cumin
-paprika
-cinnamon
-ground ginger
-1TB dried peppercorns
-1/2 bag brown dry lentils
-grated lemon peel (from squeezed lemon used in marinade)

Garnish:
-Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

-Place lamb in shallow dish. Cover with slices of 3 cloves of garlic, slices of 1 shallot, juice of 1 lemon, salt, pepper, some cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin, and olive oil. Turn to coat. Place in refrigerator for 2 hours, turning once.

-Place potatos in glass dish. Stir with sliced garlic, olive oil and salt, pepper and tarragon. Roast at 350 degrees for 1 hr. Remove from heat and set aside.

-In a large frying pan, sauté carrots, garlic, celery and onions in some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

-Heat 2 TB of olive oil in large stewing pot. When hot, add lamb. Brown on all sides. Add red wine. After 10 minutes, add vegetable stock. Simmer 30 minutes, then add tomatos. Add all spices and salt and pepper.

-After 1 hour, add all cooked vegetables, and add lentils. Also add grated lemon peel, 3 whole cloves garlic, and left over lemon peels. You can also add whole pepper corns. Cook for another hour.

-When vegetables are soft, stew is thick and lamb is falling apart, you may stop cooking. Add raisins.

-Ladle stew into bowls. Top with parsley. Serve with heated whole wheat pitas, topped with a bit of olive oil and garlic (if desired) if you wish.