NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

September 10, 1998

Prairie Fare: Hunting Up a Savory Meal

Memories of the autumns of my youth are replete with waterfowl and upland game. I grew up on a farmstead less than two miles west of the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge, and virtually every morning from mid-September through mid-October there would be geese and ducks flying overhead. In the evening, the overwhelming numbers of snow geese feeding on harvested fields of wheat and barley turned quarter- or half-sections white. And along the roadsides or in the fields it was never to hard to spot grouse, alone or in pairs, and coveys of partridge.

So it's no surprise that I did a lot of hunting as a teenager. I was an enthusiastic hunter but not a very effective one. I blamed my equipment for my performance. I didn't have any decoys, no hunting dog and my shotgun was a bolt-action 12-gauge. So when the seldom occasion to shoot at something presented itself, I missed more than I hit.

When I did hit something, my dreams of that perfectly roasted goose or duck sitting in golden splendor amid steaming chestnuts on a festive holiday table quickly melted into reality. I disliked dressing game birds, mostly due to a lack of skill. Instead of being plucked and/or dipped in wax, my ducks and geese got skinned. I ate a lot of fried duck-breast and goose-salad sandwiches.

As I've gotten older, my shot hasn't improved, but my thumb has gotten green enough to grow vegetables (with my wife Nicki's help, of course). So, this fall when the shotguns start popping in the distance and the sky turns that deep blue which fits so perfectly with the golden landscape of the northern plains, I won't be on the hunting line. Instead, I'll be lining up some ingredients for the following recipe.

Vegetable Pie
(An adaptation of a dish featured in The Moosewood Cookbook.)

Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:

4 cups grated raw potato (about 4 medium potatoes)
½ cup grated onion
2 beaten eggs
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, diced
2 cups coarsely chopped raw cauliflower
1 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
1 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup Swiss cheese, divided
2 beaten eggs
¼ cup milk
paprika (for sprinkling)

Procedure:

After grating, let potatoes sit a few minutes in salted water while you grate the onion. Squeeze excess liquid from both and mix in with first 2 beaten eggs, salt and flour. Press into mixture into an 8 X 12-inch baking pan that's been sprayed with cooking oil. Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil and continue baking for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, set aside and reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Saute onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil until onion is translucent. Add red pepper, cauliflower, spinach and nutmeg. Continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes before seasoning with salt and pepper. Spread half the cheese in potato crust, then spoon in vegetable mixture. Combine eggs and milk and pour over pie. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 35 minutes or until custard is set.

What's Your Take on This, Julie?

Even if your hunting attempts are not met with success, this colorful and tasty Vegetable Pie hits the mark. A serving contains about 270 calories and 11 grams of fat. It also provides a full day's supply of vitamin C from the peppers and potatoes and nearly a full day's supply of vitamin A from the peppers and spinach. In fact, red and green peppers (and other vegetables) are packed with health-promoting phytochemicals (plant chemicals) that scientists are just starting to understand.

Since fall is synonymous with hunting season, it's a good time to focus on some safety tips to keep what you bag safe, from the field to the table. Field dress birds promptly because warm temperature is the worst enemy of wild game meat and the best friend of harmful bacteria. Cool the carcass quickly to retain flavor and maintain quality. Store the birds in an ice chest out of the sun, and transport your iced quarry in your vehicle's passenger compartment on the way home.

Don't cross-contaminate during processing or preparation. Wash your hands, knife and cutting board with hot soapy water and rinse thoroughly. It's a good idea to add a third step: sanitize cutting boards and utensils in a solution of one tablespoon bleach per gallon of water.

After cleaning the birds, store them in the refrigerator and use within three days. For longer storage, place the whole birds or parts in moisture/vapor-proof wrap such as heavily waxed freezer wrap, laminated freezer wrap, heavy-duty aluminum foil or freezer bags. Press out as much air as possible and always label with the content and date before freezing. Wild game can be kept for up to a year in a freezer set at 0 F or lower.

When it's time to prepare frozen birds, thaw them in the refrigerator, microwave or in cool water (70 F or less). Remember that microwave-thawed food should be cooked immediately. Other thawed meat should be used within one to two days. And always cook wild game throughly, using a meat thermometer to gauge doneness. A temperature of at least 165 F will kill the bacteria that may be present in game birds.

Young birds can be cooked using dry-cookery methods like frying, while older birds are best cooked by moist-heat cookery such as stewing or braising to make them more tender. To decrease the gamy taste of some birds, trim off as much fat as possible. To offset the dryness that could result, wrap the birds with bacon to add flavor. If you stuff the bird, remove the stuffing before refrigerating any leftovers.

So shoot for the sky, but if your trigger finger is more green than golden, tempt your appetite with this tasty and nutritious vegetable pie recipe.

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Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136 and Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187

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