Four chops, a pan of summer vegetables, and dinner for four that tastes like the south of France

Here's how you make four loin chops feed four people generously: you give them a bed worth sharing. Eggplant, zucchini, capsicum and tomato stewed slowly until they slump into something silky and sweet — the Provençal trick that's been stretching good meat across big tables for generations. The chops themselves take barely ten minutes in a hot pan, seared and still pink at the bone, one perched on each plate with the vegetables doing the heavy lifting underneath. Torn basil over the top, bread on the table, and nobody's counting chops.

1 hr 4 servings Prep 20 minsCook 40 minsMain CourseFrench

Ingredients

  • 4 Your Farmer grass-fed lamb loin chops
  • 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 eggplant, cut into 2cm chunks
  • 1 brown onion, diced
  • 1 red capsicum, cut into chunks
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 zucchini, thickly sliced
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tsp dried thyme (or a few fresh sprigs)
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • Handful basil leaves, torn

Instructions

For the vegetables

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wide, deep pan over medium-high heat. Brown the eggplant in two batches until golden on most sides, then set aside — it soaks up oil fast, so don't be tempted to crowd it.

2 tbsp olive oil1 eggplant

Add another tablespoon of oil, then the onion and capsicum. Cook 5 minutes until softening, then add the garlic for 1 minute more.

1 tbsp olive oil1 brown onion1 red capsicum3 cloves garlic

Return the eggplant with the zucchini, tomatoes and thyme. Season, then simmer gently, partly covered, for 20–25 minutes until everything is soft and the sauce has thickened.

2 zucchini400g tin tomatoes1 tsp dried thyme

Stir in the vinegar and check the seasoning — it should taste sweet, savoury and just faintly sharp.

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

For the chops

While the vegetables simmer, take the chops out of the fridge, pat dry and season well.

4 loin chops

Heat the last tablespoon of oil in a heavy pan over high heat. Stand the chops on their fat edge for 2 minutes until golden, then cook 3–4 minutes per side for medium.

1 tbsp olive oil

Rest the chops for 5 minutes on a warm plate.

Spoon the vegetables onto plates, sit a chop on each, pour over the resting juices and finish with torn basil. Bread for the sauce is not optional.

basil leaves

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In every lamb share — Loin Chops (4 pack)

Your Farmer CSA grass-fed lamb share — Pack B selection of pasture-raised lamb cuts, vacuum-sealed, NSW & ACT delivery
CSA Pastured Lamb Share
Sale price From $150.00Regular price $162.41

One Chop Each, and Nobody Goes Hungry

The loin chop is one of the two most tender cuts on a lamb — it's the T-bone of the saddle, loin muscle one side, tenderloin the other — which means a little goes a long way when there's something generous underneath it. That's the old French logic this dish borrows: cook the vegetables until they're silky and deeply savoury, and one perfectly pink chop per person feels like plenty. The vegetable pan wants patience more than skill — eggplant browned properly first, then everything stewed until it stops being six ingredients and becomes one. The chops want the opposite: a ripping-hot pan, a few minutes a side, and a proper rest. Your Farmer® loin chops come four to a pack in every pastured lamb share — this is the recipe for the week the vegetable crisper is full too.

Swaps and Variations

Chump chops work identically with an extra minute a side. On the beef side of the freezer, a rump steak seared and sliced over the same vegetables genuinely works — our rump steak has the big flavour to hold its own against all that tomato. The vegetables flex with the season: swap the eggplant for mushrooms in cooler months, or stir a handful of olives through at the end for something saltier. If the oven's already on, you can roast the vegetables instead — 200°C for 40 minutes, tossed once — though you lose a little of the silkiness. A weekly seasonal veggie box tends to hand you the makings of this dinner more often than you'd expect.

Storage and Leftovers

The vegetables are the rare side that improves overnight — they keep 4 days in the fridge and taste rounder on day two. Cooked chops keep 3 days; eat them cold or flash them briefly in a hot pan rather than stewing them in the reheat. Leftover vegetables freeze well for 3 months and reheat into an instant pasta sauce, a base for baked eggs, or a topping for toast under a slice of cheese. If you're cooking ahead deliberately, make the vegetables a day early and cook the chops fresh — that's the version dinner guests get.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make the vegetables ahead of time?

Yes, and you should — they're better the next day. Make them up to two days ahead, keep them in the fridge, and reheat gently while the chops cook.

Do I need to salt the eggplant first?

Modern eggplants aren't bitter the way old varieties were, so no. Just brown it properly in batches — that step is what stops it turning to grey sponge in the sauce.

Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of tinned?

In high summer, absolutely — use about 500g of ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped, and simmer a few minutes longer. Out of season, a good tin beats a sad fresh tomato every time.

How pink should the lamb be?

Medium — pink at the bone, springy to the touch. Around 60°C on a thermometer before resting. The soft vegetables make overcooked lamb very obvious, so set a timer.

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