Witam Nowy Rok!

Happy New Year!

4 stycznia 2012 January 4, 2012

Every year many Americans find themselves making a New Year's Resolution, and promising to stick by it. No matter what it is, be it weight loss, going vegan, or learning a new language, most people don't come close to success.

I have decided that my New Year's Resolution (and yours too!) will be to try new vegetarian or vegan dishes in the coming year.

Mostly this Resolution stems from curiosity and recent good experiences with what's available at the self-serve buffet at our local Whole Foods Market.

I find myself eating yummy tofu or seitan

(yep, pronounced just as folks do in Lower Alabama , when referring to the Devil: SAY-TAN, LOL) from the Whole Foods buffet and thinking, "Man, I can make this at home!"

Trying something new is fun, can be inexpensive, and hey, it's so easy, you can't make excuses for not fulfilling your New Year's Resolution.

For those of you brave enough for my challenge, here is an easy step-by-step photograph series on how to make Baked Asian-style tofu and veggie stir-fry.

First: Buy a block of firm or extra firm tofu. Drain off water. Then wrap it in 2-4 paper towels, then wrap in a clean kitchen towel, and weigh it down for 30 minutes to get rid of excess moisture.

Step 2: Now that some moisture is gone, cut into 1" cubes as seen below.

Step 3: Dice a medium onion, cut 2 peeled large carrots into match-sticks, and cut up some broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces. As you can see in the photos, I decided to use brussels sprouts, cut into quarters. Somehow brussels sprouts are good in a stir-fry.

Step 4: Now for the flavor. Whisk together: 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves garlic minced, a 1-2" piece of ginger grated, pinch or two of red chili flake, 1 tablespoon of Mirin, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1 tablespoon honey*.

Also, don't start your marinade at the same time you're cooking the veggies. Marinade first!

* To make this dish vegan, omit honey and just use agave nectar instead.

If you don't have mirin, just use apple cider vinegar and a little more honey.

Toss in your tofu cubes and let marinate at least 30 minutes.

Step 5: Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Remove tofu from marinade, save the excess marinade. Evenly spread out your tofu cubes on parchment paper and bake for 30-40 minutes, stir them about halfway through.

Step 6: While tofu cubes are baking, stir-fry in a wok or large skillet all of your veggies. You can use a tablespoon of sesame oil or olive oil for this. Put onions and carrots in first, then your greenery.

*If you want to bump up the flavor and are not vegan/vegetarian, add a tablespoon of fish sauce to the pan during this step.

Step 7: Remove tofu cubes from oven when they have browned edges. Allow to cool slightly.

Add the remainder of the marinade to the pan when the veggies are mostly cooked. Toss to combine. Add a little water if too dry. While veggies are hot, toss in the baked tofu cubes.

The purpose of baking the tofu is to keep it from getting mushy in the pan. I have tried many different methods of cooking tofu in a stir-fry, but I lack essential wok-skills and this is a good way to have non-mushy, flavorful tofu.

Makes 4 hearty servings. Serve with brown rice, white rice or quinoa.

Step 8: Eat and enjoy! Let me know what you think about this one! It is a favorite of ours. We make it weekly with whatever is at the farmer's market (hence the brussels sprouts).

This is a perfect way to try something new, it's easy and healthy!

Winter is upon us (maybe)

December 5, 2011

Winter seems to be upon us here in Northern Virginia. I must say, this place has the strangest weather of all the places I have lived. Last week, it was sunny and 65 degrees when we went to the gym at 7 AM, and then at 11 AM, the clouds had moved in, and it began to sleet.

Things are improving, as the daytime temperatures have stayed consistently lower for the past few days. I just want it to get cold, and STAY cold! The weather needs to make up it's mind!

With the cold weather here, and the choices at the farmer's market becoming more slim, I find it fitting to post our new favorite winter stew recipe. And what is better with stew than homemade cornbread.

I make mine in the "Southern" fashion in a well-seasoned, never "washed" cast iron pan. My Mom usually uses White Lily self-rising cornmeal, which contains the baking soda, baking powder, and about 20% wheat flour/80% whole grain cornmeal. There is never, never any sugar added, and the use of buttermilk is strongly recommended.

Since I cannot buy White Lily products in the DC metro area, I have very happily decided to make a 100% cornmeal loaf using chef John Martin Taylor's cornbread recipe. His ingredients and technique are exactly like my Mother's, with the exception of the flour/cornmeal. I'm using stone-ground, whole-grain North Carolina grown yellow cornmeal that I found at the Ft. Myer Commissary, of all places!

Now for the delicious stew recipe. This stew is packed full of fiber, protein and deliciousness!

Please note that ANY of the vegetables mentioned can be substituted, as I know some things are not always available at the farmer's market, or perhaps some

of you out there have food phobias.

Winter Market Goulash

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon butter or bacon grease

1 pound leftover bison roast, shredded. We like to use a 2 pound slow-roasted bison shoulder roast. We use half of it for this stew, and half of it for chili. Ground beef is OK too, just be sure to cook it before adding it to the stew.

1- 15 oz can of stewed tomatoes

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 "fist-sized" celery root, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces

4-5 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces

2-3 medium sized beets, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon thyme, fresh or dried

1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika

pinch of brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)

2 cups chicken or beef stock, homemade is best :)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Put all of the chopped root veggies (carrot, celery root, sweet potato and beets) onto a sheet pan and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread them out for even cooking. Let bake for 30-45 minutes, or until fork-tender.

In a heavy stew pot or cast iron dutch oven on your stovetop-

Cook the flour and fat together on medium heat to make a roux. The roux needs to be between a dark blonde to caramel color before continuing with the recipe. Once the roux has this color--

Add the diced onions and cook on medium-high heat until softened.

Add the tomatoes and chopped garlic, and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium heat.

Add your cooked bison or beef, the fork-tender root vegetables, spices, and salt and pepper.

If the mixture is too thick, add chicken or beef stock for desired consistency.

Let simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with hot cornbread and butter, and a glass of your favorite red wine. I like a Malbec with this dish. As for a beer pairing, Doug recommends the Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale.

I am proud to say that most everything for this dish (herbs, veggies, bison, butter, chicken stock) was sourced at the Courthouse Farmer's Market last Saturday. I made the chicken stock a few weeks ago from a locally-raised hen, and I put it in the freezer. The only ingredients NOT sourced locally were the tomatoes (I canned those myself in South Carolina in August), spices, flour, salt and pepper, and olive oil.

This recipe shows that anyone can find a local farmer's market, even at the beginning of winter, and find the ingredients to make something delicious.

The thing to keep in mind is to buy what looks good and then figure out later what to do with it.

Make seasonal dishes with seasonal ingredients.

It's an adventure and a challenge!

Balls O' Bunny

October 10, 2011

It's October, and that means deer season in the South.

Yet, many hunters do not know that rabbit season is also coming up soon.

In the Commonwealth of Virginia, rabbit season runs from November 5 through February 29 this year. And as a bonus, you get to bag 6 each day!

If you have never had rabbit, you are missing out. Rabbits are not just cute little bunnies that bring you chocolate eggs on Easter (that folklore is kind of weird by the way....giant rabbits leaving candy for children...in egg form....seems un-natural...and yet somehow Santa is much less creepy.....anyways, I digress....)

We have found a wonderful source of "domestic" "free-range" rabbit here in Northern Virginia from EcoFriendly Foods, producers of pastured poultry, pork, and game meats.

They are at our local farmers market every Saturday.

You can get rabbit parts, for dusting in seasoned flour and deep frying, like I grew up eating, or you can try their ever-weird "ground rabbit", at a mere $8.50 per pound.

We decided to give it a try...

Ground rabbit is not as weird as you would think. In Great Britain, ground rabbit is a fairly normal ingredient for meatloaf and meatballs.

Buying "game meats" like venison, rabbit, or even pheasant there means buying a wild animal that has been shot by a hunter.

This type of enterprise in the United States is illegal. There is hope though, as you can buy "farm raised" varieties to quench your craving for venison or rabbit here Stateside.

Or just get it from your Greek neighbor, Dinos!

This recipe was inspired by our Greek friend, backyard rabbit-farmer, and neighbor in Gainesville, GA: Dinos.

I hope that he will try this recipe himself and drink some ouzo in our honor!

Bunny Meatballs: Greek Style

Pre-heat your oven to 400 F and put some non-stick spray on your muffin tin.

We like to bake our meatballs in a muffin tin. Helps to keep them "round" and frees up the cooktop!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground rabbit. It's surprisingly lean, since most of the fat is next to the skin

1 egg (chicken, not chocolate)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

juice of 1/2 of a lemon

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage

10 juniper berries*, crushed into a powder

1 teaspoon dried or fresh rosemary, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 of a medium sized onion, finely minced

1/4 cup of Old Fashioned Oatmeal, pulverize into a powder OR just use bread crumbs

Method:

In your food processor, chop into little bits the Oatmeal, garlic, onion, lemon, salt and pepper.

Combine all of the spices (including juniper berries) into a coffee grinder and pulverize them too.

Put the contents of your food processor and coffee grinder into a mixing bowl, and then add the ground rabbit and egg. Mix together gently.

Pinch your mixture into ball-shapes, however big or small you like them. Mine are about the size of a chicken egg each.....and they fit nicely into the muffin molds.

Bake for 20 minutes. Let the meatballs cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.

I find that lifting them out of the muffin mold with a spoon works best, especially if they stick a little.

Yogurt Sauce: Good on everything

Ingredients

1/4 cup Greek Yogurt

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon dried dill

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

drizzle of olive oil

Mix it all together and enjoy!

Make yourself a salad with romaine, crumbled feta, yogurt sauce, add roasted potatoes and bunny balls and you are good to go! MMMM!

Just remember: cute little bunnies are not just for Easter anymore....they're the Other Other OTHER white meat!

*P.S. THIS SPICE COMES WITH A WARNING. DON'T GO CRAZY WITH THE JUNIPER, OK?

Random food trivia: Juniper berries are also an important ingredient in JAGERMEISTER.

Back to the Lowcountry

September 24, 2011

Chillin' with Radar in Goose Creek

The wedding of Rebecca Alderman and Kurt Infinger

Cypress Gardens, Moncks Corner, SC

Spinning wool dyed with indigo at the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site

Cypress Gardens. Moncks Corner, SC

Charleston Tea Plantation, tea bushes

The Angel Oak. John's Island, SC

Yep, that's me, hugging a 300+ year old tree!

Thanks Dave for this picture!

Sigh. I miss South Carolina right now. I'm sure you have read about the significant change in my lifestyle, with concrete all around my feet, and roughly 2 square feet dedicated for gardening inside my apartment.....so it comes as no surprise that going to Charleston for a weekend caused a certain amount of homesickness.

It was a great weekend, homesick or not. I got to see many friends from the Animal Medical Clinic of Goose Creek, eat wedding cake, and even Miss Jerri from Hilton Head came up to Charleston to hang out with me!

I want to thank Dr. Janette Blackwood of Goose Creek (JB!), her husband Dave Zook, and their dog Radar for being excellent hosts. I had a great time with them exploring Charleston and the surrounding 'burbs that I did not know were in existence. They also made the pilgrimages with me to long-time favorite spots like Bojangles, Sesame Burger, and the Charleston Tea Plantation.

Janette also was gracious enough to let me hold her kitchen hostage and make home-made hummus for the covered dish wedding reception.

Below I have listed my recipe for hummus, a slight derivation from Alton Brown's recipe, for all to try!

Simple Hummus for the Masses

This is a great recipe for a party, or to keep in the fridge all week for your husband to snack on.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

3 cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

3 cloves of fresh garlic

1/4 cup of tahini paste (ground sesame paste...you can get it at Publix)

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of table salt or sea salt

juice of 1 large lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method:

This is best done with a food processor fitted with a steel blade. You can do it by hand with a potato masher and some elbow grease, but it takes a while and your arms will hurt at the end.

Put the garlic cloves in the food processor, pulse until chopped fine.

Then add the 3 cans of drained chickpeas, the tahini, the salt, pepper and lemon, and blend until smooth.

If the mixture looks a little dry, add 2-4 tablespoons of water, and pulse together.

Lastly, turn on the food processor, and drizzle in the olive oil as the blade is spinning.

Voila! You have authentic hummus to feed an army.

Turn out your hummus into a bowl or tupperware, serve with pita bread, chips, and/or veggies.

For an extra authentic flare, pour a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on top of the hummus, to make a little "lake", and then sprinkle on some sumac. Enjoy!

Apartment "gardening"

August 30, 2011

We are nice and settled into our tiny apartment in Rosslyn, Virginia, despite the earthquake and hurricane attempting to disrupt us. It's been awesome so far....but there's one thing missing.

A garden! I am going into major garden withdrawal, since I use so many fresh herbs in my cooking. In Beaufort, I was used to walking into my yard and picking whatever I needed. During most of the year, I had flat-leaf parsley, basil, chives, mint, rosemary, oregano, and thyme.

Before my move, I decided to give indoor "gardening" a try. I took two baskets with plastic liners, and filled them with "mature" basil plants, chives, and parsley. During the first two days of travel in my car, and then into the apartment, the parsley looked like it was not going to make it. I cut back some of it's "dying" parts, and now, it's making a slow comeback. I've had to put the potted herbs on my kitchen table, under one of our large bay windows. It gets a lot of morning sun, but I fear it will not be enough to sustain the sun-loving basil through the shorter days of the year.

My new garden

I have also started growing sprouts again. I bought this large "sprouting jar" for $2 at a health food store a few years back, and we have grown 3 batches of alfalfa sprouts in the last two weeks. Sprouts seem to be the way to go for "apartment gardening" since they take up very little space, require no soil, and will grow in almost anything. My "sprouting jar" is really a large Ball jar with a stainless steel mesh top that keeps insects out and allows for good air flow. You could do the same with a clean leftover marinara jar, a cheesecloth or thin towel and a rubber band to hold it on.

Here's what I do: At the health food store in Beaufort, "It's Only Natural," I bought organic alfalfa seeds.

In my "sprouting jar", I add:

1 cup of lukewarm water

1 teaspoon of organic alfalfa seeds

Set the jar on your counter top and let the seeds soak for 8-12 hours (overnight)

After 8-12 hours, pour off the water from the seeds (the steel mesh also makes this easy, it keeps your seeds IN the jar when you dump the water out)

Put your jar where there is sunlight, like a windowsill.

Watch them grow!

For alfalfa seeds, the process takes about 72 hours.

Remember to rinse the sprouts once daily with lukewarm water, just swish it around to "moisten" the growing spouts, then dump the water out.

When you are ready to eat them, rinse them out in cool water into a bowl, and let the seed "husks" float to the top, and skim them off. You can skip this step and eat them, they are just a little tough.

You can sprout certain things in the dark, but, without sunlight, there will be no nutritious chlorophyll production in the wee little sprout leaves.

Alfalfa sprouts are a good source of Vitamin A, protein, fiber, Vitamin K, and Vitamin C.

Now I have all these sprouts, what can I do with them? Add them to:

- Veggie/fruit juices - Smoothies - Stir-fry

- Salads - Sandwiches - Wraps - Coleslaw

- Sushi - Pizza topping - Eat raw

What else can I do with sprouts? What else can I grow in my jar?

Check out the International Sprout Grower's Association website for ideas.

Tofu Vegetable Stir-Fry with alfalfa sprouts

Ingredients:

1 package extra firm tofu

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or finely minced

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 teaspoon tumeric

1 tablespoon Garam Masala spice mix

1 cup of low-sodium chicken or vegetarian broth

1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

handful of baby carrots per person, sliced into quarters

1/2 pound broccoli florets, I used frozen

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut into halves

1 red bell pepper, sliced into slivers

1 medium-sized Vidalia onion, small dice

Handful of your homegrown alfalfa sprouts

Method:

8-24 hours prior to cooking, drain the tofu, and pat it dry. Get as much water out as possible, so that it can soak up the marinade.

Cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes.

In a zip-top bag, throw in the tofu cubes, the fresh ginger, garlic, spices, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and broth. Make sure the tofu is well-coated.

Park this in the refrigerator to marinate.

When you are ready to cook, chop all your veggies up and have them ready to go.

The stir-fry technique requires fast cooking, so, there is no time to cook while you prep the rest of your stuff.

In a HOT, large sautee pan or wok, place a tablespoon of olive or sesame oil. Throw in your veggies. Keep them moving every 20 seconds or so in the hot pan for about 5 minutes. You want the veggies still crisp in the center, but soft and slightly caramelized on the outside.

Evacuate the finished veggies to a clean bowl.

Return your pan to the VERY HOT burner to heat up again.

Add another tablespoon of olive or sesame oil.

Put in your tofu, but reserve the marinade.

Toss the tofu until the edges are caramelized, about 5 minutes, it's ok if it sticks to the pan a little. Evacuate the cooked tofu to the bowl with the veggies.

"Deglaze" the hot pan with the tofu marinade. Let it reduce if there's too much liquid. Then quickly add your tofu + veggies back in and toss. This will coat everything and get the little tasty bits off the bottom of the pan.

Allow to cool slightly, then serve with rice or ramen noodles.

Then....right before serving, put a sprinkling of the alfalfa sprouts right on top for extra crunch. It also makes it look pretty and fresh!

Now that I've made you hungry, I will gross you out. Next step in this "indoor gardening" project....convincing Doug that we can have a worm box!

Dupont Circle Sunday morning

August 23, 2011

Moving to northern Virginia (to the neighborhood of Rosslyn in Arlington, to be exact) has gone very smoothly over the last couple of weeks. Things have been fun and very interesting so far. For example, the writing of this blog this afternoon was interrupted by a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in Northern Virginia, and by the urge to go swimming instead of being inside. After all, our building was still standing, so, we went to the pool.

Sunday was a great adventure, as I rode the circulator bus to and from the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market. This market is held year-round and is usually very crowded in the summer-time. I was excited to ride the bus for the first time in D.C., especially since it took me from Rosslyn through Georgetown.

As a small history and geography lesson, the neighborhood Doug and I are living in is southwest of the District of Columbia along the west bank of the Potomac River. Georgetown is a 15 minute walk north across the Key Bridge. Dupont Circle is a U.S. Historic District in the heart of D.C. Intersecting here are Connecticut Avenue, Massachusetts Avenue, New Hampshire Avenue, 19th Street and P Street. This area is dotted with beautiful architecture and is also "Embassy Row." The Polish Embassy is right off P Street!

Now back to the good part!

The Dupont Circle farmer's market is LARGE in comparison to the ones I've been to in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. The farmers and artisanal food-makers come from within 100 miles of Dupont Circle: West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware. I got to taste apples from West Virginia, blueberries from Pennsylvania, and mushrooms from Virginia. You know you're in a good farmer's market when you get to taste almost everything that is available for sale. Who needs breakfast? You will be stuffed by the time you leave!

I walked around the market a few times looking at what's available. What interested me the most was the sheep's milk cheeses. This niche sheep farm, Everona Dairy, is about 60 miles north of Richmond, and has been making cheese for 13 years. Their signature cheese, the Everona Piedmont, is a nutty hard cheese that reminds me of Romano.

Have you ever had a sheep's milk cheese? Many of you have, I'm sure, and you may not even know it. Sheep's milk cheeses tend to be less "stinky" than their goat counterparts. High-end Italian pecorino romano is made from sheep's milk, as are many types of feta. My favorite sheep's milk cheese is Halloumi, or the "grilling cheese." This Middle Eastern cheese has a ridiculously high melting point, and is often served after grilling or pan-searing with a little bit of olive oil and lemon. I've found it at Shaherazad's in Starkville, MS, at Whole Foods, and even at the Fresh Market on Hilton Head.

At Dupont Circle, I also found some good local mushrooms. They had cremini, portobello, button, oyster and trumpet mushrooms plucked from the earth the previous evening. I decided to put them to good use in a Wholefoods.com inspired side dish last night.

Quinoa with mushrooms and Brussels sprouts

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

1 pound mushrooms (I used local cremini, I hear chanterelles are nice in this), sliced

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock (veggie broth is great too)

tablespoon unsalted butter

tablespoon olive oil

medium sized Vidalia onion, small dice or 2-3 shallots, small dice

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 pound of Brussels sprouts, rinsed and cut in half

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a large pan or cast iron skillet, heat on medium-high heat the olive oil. Cook your onion until slightly browned on the edges, then remove from the pan and set aside.

Add a little more olive oil to your hot pan and add in the Brussels sprouts. Cook on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly tender. Add your garlic in during the last 2 minutes of cooking, taking care not to burn it!

While you do this, put your quinoa and 2 cups of broth into a quart pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and allow to simmer on low until the liquid is absorbed. Or just follow the directions on the bag of quinoa.

Remove the Brussels sprouts when they are tender, set aside with the onions, and put the mushrooms in on medium-high. You want the pan to be a little hot so the mushrooms will caramelize and let off their moisture. Once they start to get tender, add a small amount of salt and pepper, and the butter. Once tender, remove from the pan.

Deglaze the pan with the 1 cup of broth that's left. Then, add in your cooked quinoa. Stir in the cooked mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and onions. Stir to combine. If it's a little soupy, cook on low for a few minutes, but I doubt you'll need to.

Enjoy as a vegetarian main course or a side dish.

Eating into the Wild: The Pacific Northwest

August 10, 2011

Doug and I just finished a fantastic trip to the Pacific Northwest and back to the Southeast again. We are currently still in Gainesville, Georgia! After you humor me by looking at some travel pictures,

I will end this blog posting with a useful recipe on how to cook your own goose. :)

The series of photographs will take you through Dahlonega, Georgia, where my ancestors went to "strike it rich" to Doug's home in Seattle, Washington and Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. Our trip was littered with excellent food and beer, from cuisine from the banks of the Danube

to wild game.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to my cousin Andy Morris, who shot this goose for us this past fall in South Carolina. I enjoyed roasting and eating it in celebration of Doug's return from deployment in Japan.

A classic side dish of "duck fat potatoes" with rosemary and fleur de sel

Up, up, up! 3 miles to the top of Mt. Fremont in Mt. Rainier National Park

At 7,500 feet

A very cold but beautiful snow-melt lake

On our way home from Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, we drove through Wenatchee, WA and got some awesome cherries!

Bear sausage chili, thanks to my brother and sister-in-law, Matt and Cas Rowe in Idaho!

Elk for lunch at the Coeur D'Alene arts festival down by the lake

Panning for gold at Consolidated Gold Mine in Dahlonega, Georgia

Downtown Seattle with Mt. Rainier in the distance, as seen from the Space Needle

Wind turbines in "wind farms" dot the countryside in Eastern Washington....I think that they improve the landscape and are interesting to look at. There were hundreds!

Enjoying "local" beers at a tavern in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho

Craving a 6 mile hike in thin air yet? Better fuel up with a delicious roasted goose!

You can have your cousin shoot one in the wild for you, dress it, and put it in a freezer-ready bag, or, buy one down at the local megamart or Whole Foods.

This recipe will change if you use a commercially grown goose, as they have much more fat in their skin than the wild-flying and constantly exercising variety.

Our goose did not have it's skin on it, as this made it easier to prepare for the freezer.

Juniper roasted Goose

yes, I did make up this recipe!

yes, you need to start 72 hours in advance!

yes, it's WORTH IT!

Steps to success:

Buy a 5-10 pound goose. Too much bird? Buy a smaller duck....this same recipe works!

Day 1: Thaw out your goose....be mindful, this may take more than overnight.

Discard the packet of giblets/neck or save for making "poultry stock"

Day 2: Once thawed, place your bird on a paper towel lined sheet pan or plate, and pat the skin dry with paper towels.

Then, sprinkle kosher salt liberally onto the skin of the goose.

Let the bird sit in the fridge for 24-48 hours to "air-cure"

This may sound gross, but it is ESSENTIAL for drying out the fat under the skin, and the salt will pull out more moisture.

Dry skin + oven heat = crispy, delicious skin!

Change the paper under the bird every 12 hours or so since bacteria might like it.

Day 3: Say hi to your goose. Change it's paper.

Day 4: The day of roasting!

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F

Pull goose out of the fridge, allow to warm for an hour or so

Wipe off the skin with paper towels to get off excess salt and moisture.

Pepper the skin and cavity liberally

Place sprigs of rosemary, parsley, onion slices, and juniper berries into the cavity

Place the goose breast side up on a roasting pan and tie the legs behind her for even cooking

Make sure your roasting pan has slits in it, to let the fat drip away from the bird. This is very important!

Every 40 minutes or so, baste the bird with the drippings.

Roast your 10 pound farm raised bird at 350 F for 3 hours, or until internal temp is 180 F.

Let the bird rest when done for 15 minutes before carving. Discard what's in the cavity.

mmmmm.....crispy, crispy skin.

IF YOUR GOOSE DOES NOT HAVE ANY SKIN ON IT, OR IS A WILD GOOSE WITH SKIN: FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS.

A few changes have been made to ensure moist, delicious meat! This is what we did, and it turned out great!

After thawing your goose:

Prepare your brine solution for the goose (see instructions below)

Brine the bird in the refrigerator at least 8 hours

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F

Pull goose out of the brine, pat dry with paper towels

Salt and pepper the skin and cavity liberally

Place sprigs of rosemary, parsley, onion slices, and juniper berries into the cavity

Place the goose breast side up on a roasting pan and tie the legs behind her for even cooking.

Apply 6-8 slices of bacon over the breast of the goose. This will help to "baste" the goose as it cooks, and prevent the meat from drying out too much.

We like applewood smoked or Thompson Farms Hickory smoked

Make sure your roasting pan has slits in it, to let the fat drip away from the bird and onto your potatoes!

Baste this bird every half hour or so.

For our 4-5 pound wild goose, we cooked her at 350 F for 1.5 hours, or until the internal temp of the meat was 180 degrees.

The skin-on versions are much, much better, but this was awesome as well, and you have bacon at the end too.

The Brine

(Inspired by Alton Brown)

Into a LARGE plastic bowl or tub:

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

3 large sprigs of rosemary

1 tablespoon of juniper berries

2 bay leaves

1 gallon of water

Submerge your skinless goose (or skin-on wild goose) into this solution for 8-24 hours prior to cooking.

Stash goose and container in your refrigerator. Yes it takes up a lot of space!

If you brine your goose, it cuts down on total time. No "air-curing" for brined birds!

Lazy Goose Fat Potatoes

This is super easy if you have one of those roasting pans that came with your oven, ya know, the one with slits on the top part, and the pan underneath.

So, before you put the goose in the oven:

Slice 2 pounds of russet potatoes into 1/4 inch slices and put them in the bottom of the pan.

Put the rack with the goose on it on top

Roast with the goose, allowing the fat to drop onto the potatoes for 1 hour.

In the last 30 minutes of cooking, put a tablespoon of finely chopped rosemary and 3 cloves of garlic (peeled, whole) into the potatoes and stir them up in the pan.

Baste the goose at this point.....there should be PLENTY of fat.

After the 1 hour, remove the potatoes from the pan (carefully!) and put the pan back under the goose.

When you remove the potatoes, you may want to put the goose temporarily on a cookie sheet in the oven to continue cooking, or have another pan ready to transfer and catch the drippings. Just trade out the bottom pans.

This way you don't lose cooking time, oven temperature, etc.

Set the potatoes aside, salt to taste while hot (this is a great application for that fleur de sel that you've been saving), and enjoy with your goose!