Nature's Gifts

One of my favorite things to do when the temperature drops below 50 is to go for cross country walks with our 6 pack of bird dogs. When it’s warmer out, I have the tendency to stick to the roads to avoid unseen rattlesnakes. Nothing spoils a walk like a snake with a bite! I use to venture out with just one dog, Tootsie, (our little Springer Spaniel and ferocious pheasant hunter), but after an eerie, hair raising feeling that something was watching me while I was on the open prairie, I added the other 5 ferocious bird dogs for protection.  A few days after that particular walk, a deer hunter reported a mountain lion sighting. In all of Dan’s and my years living and working in the country, we have unfortunately never seen a mountain lion. Yet another potential walk spoiler….

These walks are sacred to me, so I risk the hazards, as without them my cheery disposition is greatly effected. On my walks I have time to think freely, allowing random thoughts to come and go, cleaning the cobwebs slowly from my mind. This is a great gift in itself, but there’s more. The best part is witnessing nature’s glorious gifts.  As I wind aimlessly through the cottonwood littered bottom ground, along the Cheyenne River, and up the hilly draws, I see eagles and porcupines in the upright trees, antelope watering next to the buffalo on the river and deer that have eluded the hunters in the draws. Awesome gifts of nature everywhere. All along the dogs stay fairly close until we flush a snow white jackrabbit from a frost covered shrub. Rabbits of any kind cause temporary insanity in our “bird” dogs and calling or whistling is pointless; there is no bringing them back. They will run and run until the rabbit has safely taken refuge in one of the fallen cottonwoods, and then exhaustedly they find their way back to me.

I feel so privileged to live in an area that gives so much, and in return asks for only care and respect. We are able to stay true to our part of the deal, because of your demand for sustainable, healthy red meat. Without your support, our ranch would be just another series of corn and wheat fields, with many of its gifts depleted. By sustaining the land that sustains the animals that sustains us, we share in a beautiful gift that keeps giving and giving and giving.  So thank you everyone for bringing Wild Idea Buffalo meat to your table. I hope it delights you, nourishes you and gives you strength.

This month my gift to you is not one, but three recipe’s that will hopefully help in the above, as well as eliminate hors d’oeuvre worries for your holiday entertaining. They are easy, economical, and impressively delicious! Wishing you all a warm, snake and mountain lion free (unless you’re in a car) holiday! Cheers! Jill

Curried Buffalo Meatballs (Makes16 to 20 meat balls)

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground Buffalo

1 teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cloves

½ teaspoon coriander

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

3 green onion, sliced *reserve dark green tops for garnish

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoons yellow curry paste

1 dried hot chili, or 1 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh ginger

Preparation:

1)     Mix all dry spices together with olive oil.

2)     Crumble ground buffalo meat into spice mixture. Mix thoroughly with hands. Allow meat mixture to rest 2 to 24 hours before cooking. This can be done before or after making meatballs.

3)     Form into 1 oz. or desired size meatballs and place on lightly oiled baking sheet.

4)     In sauce pan over medium high heat melt butter. Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes.

5)     Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Reheat sauce before serving.

6)      Broil meatballs in oven on middle rack, until browned, about 5 minutes.

Pour curry sauce over meatballs and garnish with green onions.

Asian Style Meatballs with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce (Makes 16 to 20 meatballs)

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground Buffalo

1½  tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ cup shallots, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 tablespoons  mint, finely chopped

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

1)     Mix all ingredients together, except buffalo.

2)     Crumble ground buffalo meat into spice mixture. Mix thoroughly with hands.

3)     Place mixture in food processor and flash pulse process, until slightly sticky.  Allow meat mixture to rest 2 to 24 hours before cooking. This can be done before or after forming meatballs.

4)     Form into 1 oz. or desired size meatballs and place on lightly oiled baking sheet.

5)     Broil meatballs in oven on middle rack, until browned, about 5 minutes.

Serve with cucumbers and radishes with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce. *Optional: Serve on a bed of brown basmati rice.

Cilantro Yogurt Sauce (Makes 1 ½ cups)

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

1 jalapeno, seeded

2 tablespoons garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk or low-fat yogurt, room temperature

Instructions: Place all ingredients but yogurt into blender and puree. Pour yogurt into bowl and whisk in cilantro mixture.  This sauce is great on so many things and will keep well in refrigerator for later use.

Italian Buffalo Meatballs (Makes 20 to 24 meatballs)

Ingredients:

1 lb. Buffalo Italian Sausage

¼ cup basil, chopped

¼ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 teaspoons butter

1 medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon fennel

Preparation:

1)     Mix basil, sundried tomatoes, garlic and cheese together.

2)     In sauce pan over medium high heat, heat oil. Add onions, sugar and fennel and sauté until slightly caramelized.  Transfer to plate and allow to cool before adding to other ingredients.

3)     Crumble ground buffalo meat into other ingredients. Mix thoroughly with hands.

4)     Place mixture in food processor and flash pulse process, until slightly sticky.  Allow meat mixture to rest 2 to 24 hours before cooking. This can be done before or after making meatballs.

5)     Form into 1 oz. or desired size meatballs and place on lightly oiled baking sheet.

6)     Broil meatballs in oven on middle rack, until browned, about 5 minutes.

Serve warm. Great by themselves or serve with marinara on a bed of creamy risotto.