Tomatoes are the STAR produce item in our garden, and oh how we love them! They are a true celebration of our gardening efforts, and plucking them off the vine and into your mouth is like eating a burst of sweet sunshine. Grandson Lincoln has developed a taste for them too, and has quickly picked up our off the vine habits, popping his little mouth full until the juice is running down his chin. He is learning another lesson on “where food comes from”. With a pretty good crop this year – that continues to produce, we have enjoyed them in a variety of ways. Here are some ideas that you might want to try too. 1) Wild Idea sirloin Steaks, grilled and sliced with heirloom tomatoes, drizzled with basil olive oil, balsamic syrup, a sprinkle of finishing salt and cracked pepper. 2) Invite guests out to the garden for a little off the vine forging. Bring a long a plate of fresh sliced mozzarella, drizzled with pesto and garnished with fresh basil leaves, for an in the garden, finger food Caprese Salad. *Napkins needed, as it’s a bit messy, but super fun! 3) The must make/have, BUFFALO BACON, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich! Order your Buffalo Bacon before the tomato season is behind us! 4) Or, try my new recipe for Bloody Mary Steak Salad! Recipe can be found here: http://wildideabuffalo.com/2015/bloody-mary-steak-salad/ Happy harvesting!
Steak Tartare – Korean Style (Yukhoe)
Wild Idea’s Ground Round, starts with 100% pure prairie grass-fed bison. The quality makes it the perfect main ingredient for any Tartare. In this recipe I’ve added some Asian seasoning for the Korean version of this dish, which is called Yukhoe. The Asian seasonings compliment the grass-fed bison nicely, but you could certainly change the seasonings for a Tartare creation of your own! Super good! Ingredients: (makes 2 to 3 entree servings or serve as an hors d’oeuvre) 8 – ounces Wild Idea’s 100% lean Ground Round 2 – green onions, finely chopped 1½ – teaspoons soy sauce 2 – teaspoons sesame oil 1 – garlic clove, minced 8 – cracked pepper turns 1 – Asian pear or pear 1 – tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice cucumber & sesame crackers Preparation: 1) Rinse the Ground Round under cold water and wrap with a paper towel to dry. Set aside. 2) Mix onions, soy, sesame oil, garlic, and pepper together in a bowl. 3) Quarter the pear and finely dice one quarter of it. Brush the remaining pear quarters with a little lemon and reserve for accompaniment, slicing just before serving. 4) Add diced pear and lemon juice to the spice mixture and stir to incorporate. 5) Crumble in the Wild Idea Ground Round and mix together with your hands. 6) Transfer to a mold or molds, pressing in to remove empty air pockets. 7) Invert onto plates or platter and serve with sliced cucumber and pear.
It's a Baby Buffalo!
Finding the first baby buffalo of the year, in a thousand acre pasture with last years remaining four foot grasses, is a little like finding a needle in a haystack. The new baby was greeted by many of the other buffalo with licks and soft grunts. The mother tolerated a few at a time before pushing them off and welcoming the next bunch. This was a new experience for us and it was fantastic to witness. A close by, Short Eared Owl, kept a watchful eye over the exciting welcoming party. *Short Eared Owls nest in the Great Plains grasses. The mother kept nudging it along as she grazed, until it had to stop for a little nap. She allowed me close enough to get a photo, before she moved it along into the dusky night. Help us welcome Wild Idea’s first baby buffalo of 2015!
DREAMING LIKE A BUFFALO
I watched my paint horse, Camo, stretch his nose out and sniff the nose of a young bull buffalo. They sniffed deeply and then, in unison, turned to look across the Cheyenne River and into infinity. It was hard to tell what was in their minds but I want to think that their daydreams are like mine: an enormous blue sky and rolling grasslands to a distant horizon. There is a steady breeze bringing the scent of possibilities. There are no restraints, no boundaries, and no limits. History merges with the present and the past. I don’t think that my daydreams are unique. I think that, many Americans dream like horses and buffalo. It is as if we can stand in their skins, stare with their beguiling dark eyes, and let the rare prairie rains drip benignly from our sturdy coats. We imagine ourselves as country boys or strong, young women with long smooth muscles – solid bodies, and steady hands. We feel a kind of innocence, tempered with confidence and power. There is the thousand-yard stare of wisdom, patients, and endurance. When we dream like horses and buffalo we can imagine ourselves as the center of the world. Yet the horse stands a little taller than the buffalo and there is something sad about the buffalo. They have long been misunderstood, exploited, commoditized, mystified, and abused. Even their identity has been hijacked by a succession of cultures. They are the animal with two names, buffalo and bison. The first name stems from the confusion of the Europeans who landed their puny boats on the eastern shore of America. Those crude men thought they were on a different continent and that the large, shaggy animals they found were a variant of the water buffalo they knew from Asia or the Cape buffalo they had heard of in Africa. It was centuries later that stuffy European taxonomists decided that the American bovine was a unique specie and named it Bison bison. A better name might be Tatonka, the name given by the nomadic natives of the Great Plains that, at least for a time, knew the buffalo best. It is a word that embodies not only the animal but also the habitat and the spirit of the animal. There is nothing erroneous or taxonomical about the name Tatonka. The buffalo that we know have been the center of a huge, continent-wide drama for perhaps 5,000 years but, before them, there were several other varieties. The first buffalo were native to what is now Asia and Europe and crossed into North America on the famous Baring land bridge. It is hard for us to imagine how different the world was back then – the continents all ajar, molten rock surging up from below, and sea levels rising and falling as a result of ice caps varying in thickness from mere ice sheets to gigantic water repositories many miles thick. But there was a window of about 50,000 years that all sorts of creatures made the trek across the land bridge. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of species moved. They traveled both ways – the ancestors of animals like camels and cheetahs heading for Asia and mammoths, ground sloths, and like on their way to America. Later, a few wretched humans trailed along behind the mammoths. I like to think of the tiny, eight inch tall great-grandmother of the modern horse moving carefully beside the giant ancestor of our buffalo, Bison antiquus. Did they size each other up in a long grassy valley between two mountain ranges somewhere in what is now Alaska? The ancient …
2014 REFLECTIONS
Reviewing and sorting through a years worth of photographs to select your favorites, can be a daunting, if not impossible task. So instead, I decided to use my memory of events that stood out to me this past year and then search for the images that would help tell the story. In short, it’s been quite a year! I hope you enjoy the pictorial review. The weather as always sets the prairie stage. We started the year off covered in ice and snow, the base of which started with the freak October 3rd, 2013 blizzard. Warmer than normal winter temperatures kept the land covered in ice and water with repetitive, on and off, thawing and freezing. By May, the melting ice and spring thunderstorms had the prairie running with water, and colored in a beautiful, vibrant green. We were fortunate to escape a little winter to attend a Sustainable Symposium in CA, were we had the privilege of connecting with notable, environmental movers & shakers, such as; Wes Jackson, Yvon & Melinda Chouinard, Alice Waters and Angelo Garro. For a couple of hours we thought we were pretty big deals! We shared stories over meals and re-charged our batteries with new found support from new friends. Later in the summer Dan & I presented at the SD Green Conference with Allan Savory and I made a trip to the Rowe Sanctuary to cater their annual fundraiser. More good times and memories for worthy, necessary events. The spring brought babies, including our first grandson and 3rd generation buffalo rancher, Lincoln Hosler Jones. Wild Idea customers, friends and college students stopped by for ranch tours, to see what we’ve been up to, as well as to get an up close look at where their buffalo meat comes from. Great conversations were had over buffalo meals, and some received a special treat of Native drumming & dancing, put on by one of our own artisan butchers, Cyril White Eagle. Perhaps some of my most treasured times was being out on the prairie, either by myself or with friends, trying to catch the magic of the light, view wildlife or identify plants. Because of all of our precipitation, it made for a great grass year, with wild flowers showing off in abundance. The wild life all seemed content in the prairies bounty too. And the light, if you are patient enough, usually never disappoints. A thank you shout out to Michael Forsberg and Angela & Urle Anderson. The demand for healthy proteins continues to be on the rise and 100% grass-fed/finished, humanely harvested bison meat can’t be beat. Wild Idea Buffalo Company is second to no one in this. In addition to our fabulous whole muscle bison cuts and premium ground buffalo, our in-house artisan sausage maker Valerie Flanagan created Buffalo Bacon! It has been a huge hit with customers and is a favorite in our house. We also perfected our 100% Buffalo Hot Dog recipe – still nitrite free and now skinless! They are fabulous! If you haven’t tried them – you should. A perfect, quick fix for new years resolutions. Dan’s latest book was released, WILD IDEA. A personal memoir, layered with family and the growing of a business, to help save the American Great Plains. His first review came from Kitty Blue. Then there are the bison, the beautiful, curious and majestic bison,to which we owe so much gratitude. Our wonderful summer and mild fall kept the growing season going and going. It was finally stopped with a snowy, polar vortex that moved in in November. It lingered for a …
THE WAGGING TAILS OF FALL
In addition to working to make ends meet, some people work for the weekend, others work for the annual family vacation, but Dan O’Brien works for the fall. The fall season is a favorite for all around the ranch, but no one is happier than a man with a pack of bird dogs and a falcon, during hunting season. The dogs have been in training for over a month, and tails wag rapidly in anticipation for the opening day of grouse season, which somehow they know. The active dogs bound to the truck bed and enter their traveling kennels with minimal command, while the two older dogs stand by the passenger door, secretly calling shotgun to each other, as they wait to be lifted into the cab. With the falcon safe in her carrier or on the fist, the whole load heads down the road into the crisp morning or mild early evenings to see what they can find. Although Dan is a great sportsman, for him it’s not so much about the shooting, as it is about watching the dog’s work and the falcon soar and stoop. I tag along occasionally for the same reasons and for exercise, and although the above is true, there is nothing like seeing a hunter with a happy bird dog that has a grouse in its mouth. Or, a point, a flush and a 100 mile an hour stoop, ending with a grouse in the falcons talons. Praise is sung, pets are given and tails continue to wag. The birds bagged from the hunting outings, are shared by all; falcon, dogs and humans. Erney and Dan clean the birds and hand them off to me. We celebrate the first hunt with a simple dinner of grouse breast seared medium rare in butter and olive oil, deglazed with a little whisky and plum preserves. There is also the promise of Prairie Harvest Green Chili Stew if successful hunting continues. Like the fall, the stew is a favorite, and is often served to guests. But by every coming fall, our wild fowl supply will have been out for months. All wait with anticipation for the first simmering pot. Out on the prairie this is our harvest, as bison and game birds are what we grow best. Although I have posted this recipe years ago, it has long been lost in web updates. So, here it is again, better than ever – I hope you enjoy it too. Any wild fowl will work for the stew, and if you don’t have a hunter in the family, organic chicken can be substituted. I promise it will wag a few human tails too! Happy fall everyone. Jill Prairie Harvest Green Chili Stew (Makes 8 hearty entree portions, as seconds will be requested.) The flavors of the prairie enhanced with roasted green chilies of the Southwest make for a great pot of stew. Roasted chilies are one of the best smells on the planet, so when available, I like to roast my own in the fall. If you have access to fresh and would like to roast your own, increase your green chili weight to about 4.5 pounds, and about 1.5 pounds for the red peppers. Roast chilies and peppers over a hot grill until blistered. Place in paper bag and allow to cool. Remove skin, scrape insides clean, and follow recipe below. Ingredients: 2 – pounds Wild Idea Buffalo stew meat 1 – pound pheasant, grouse or chicken breast, cut into cubes 2 – tablespoons butter 2 – tablespoons olive oil 1 – …
The Autumn Equinox
Returning from a family vacation today, I found that the prairie colors had changed to rich amber color that wasn’t there when I left. Needing to recenter myself and regain my balance, I grabbed my camera and headed out to the buffalo. They seemed quite content on this first day of autumn. Below are a few photos from my outing at the Cheyenne River, Wild Idea Buffalo Ranch. Happy Autumn Equinox!
Sunset In The Buffalo Herd
Capturing images of the bison herd, ranch, and other wildlife or prairie scenes, is a highlight of my job with Wild Idea Buffalo Company. So often when I’m out in the field, I wish that you were there with me, so you could see and hear for yourself. Although we have attempted video, it came with its challenges, like holding the camera steady! My latest purchase was for a tool that should assist in sharing live images with you. I am super excited to share this first Go-Pro clip of the buffalo herd at sunset, complete with the seasonal mating sounds of the rut. I hope it transports you to the ranch momentarily, and that it gives you a little peace and joy in your hectic day. I welcome any feedback or requests. Very best from the Cheyenne River Ranch. Jill
Prairie Garden
This year we have been very fortunate in receiving an abundance of rainfall. As Dan once stated, “In good years like this, a rancher is tempted to sell the whole place to the first lost tourist.” So, with the prairie in its full glory, I thought I would give nature photography a try and document what a good year looks like. First, I should explain that I am not a nature or wildlife photographer and I do not pretend to be. This requires patience and waiting, and patience and waiting are not in my makeup. I do try though to rise early, pre-dawn, to be in position for the sunrise and all the other creatures that are awakening. But when the alarm rings at 4:30am and I stretch to look out the window, I ask myself the question: “I wonder if I could get a shot from the comfort of my bed?” Simultaneously, I force my feet to hit the floor. The pre-dawn is a sacred time to be out alone in nature. I am a bit of a “scaredy cat” for things that slither, so I give thanks when the mornings are cool. Then turning my focus to the camera and light, my fear resolves. There is a freedom when you are caught in the spell of nature’s beauty and for that period of time all seems right with the world. By late afternoon I head out again, looking and seeking for evenings mysteries. I try to stalk animals, but they are too quick and their senses are too keen to have me go unnoticed. I talk to them and ask them to be still while I try to adjust my settings. The non-captured shots are perhaps the best, and I play them back in my memory fondly. Until I figure out how to capture the “wild things” I rely on the more domesticated for photo ops. In addition to the prairie’s beauty, this year, most home gardens are glorious too. Gardening on the prairie is usually a crap shoot, between the rain (or lack thereof), or wind or the destructive grasshoppers. But this year, no one is complaining. For now all is well on the prairie and in our gardens. The lettuce and snap peas have been enjoyed, the herbs are plentiful and the harvesting of tomatoes has just begun. This month’s recipe is for a Caprese Salad with a Buffalo Bacon twist! A great pairing that I hope you enjoy too. Thank you for letting me share my photos of the Wild Idea Buffalo, Cheyenne River, and Conata Basin ranches with you. This is where our buffalo roam, and we remain committed in helping to keep our prairies intact and wild. Happy August everyone! Jill Buffalo Bacon Caprese Salad with Sweet Basil Vinaigrette (per salad) Fresh garden tomatoes and fresh mozzarella are a dynamo combination, but I miss the lettuce. And since I’ve added lettuce, why not Buffalo Bacon! *A big thanks to my friend Pam for her assistance with the food photography. Sweet Basil Vinaigrette Ingredients: 2 – cups basil leaves, packed 1 – cup rice vinegar 1/3 – cup sugar 1 – teaspoon salt 2 – teaspoons black pepper ¾ – cup olive oil Salad Ingredients: 2 – Buffalo Bacon strips 1 – tablespoon oil 1 – cup lettuce, washed dried and torn 8 – cherry tomatoes, halved (or tomato slices) 2 – ounces fresh mozzarella, torn or sliced 8 – small fresh basil leaves, whole and julienned Sweet Basil Vinaigrette 2 – teaspoons balsamic glaze *try Gia Russo brand Preparation: 1) Place all of …
Pheasant & Vegetable Soup
Pheasant and Vegetable Soup (serves 4 to 6) After a successful day of hunting with bird dogs or falcon, all enjoy the delicious reward. Note: Any game fowl could be substituted for this soup or you could use chicken. Wild rice would also be a nice addition. Ingredients: 1 – pheasant 2 – quarts organic vegetable broth + 1 – teaspoon salt 2 – teaspoons pepper 3 – carrots, peeled & chopped 3 – yams, peeled & chopped 1 – zucchini, chopped 1 – yellow squash, chopped 1 – teaspoon oregano leaves 1 – teaspoon cardamom 1 – teaspoon coriander 2 – teaspoons cumin Preparation: 1) Bring vegetable broth to a boil in stockpot over medium high heat. 2) Add pheasant, salt and pepper. Allow too come to boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 2 hours or until meat easily falls away from bones. 3) Strain broth through colander into soup pot. Pull meat away from bones and add to broth. Return to stove top over medium high heat. 4) Add prepared vegetables and seasonings to stockpot, adding more broth if needed to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread.
Uranium Mining
We love the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Anyone in touch with their senses is struck with the majesty and enchanting charm of these hills and prairies. The land and water are precious, and should be cherished and honored. Some, however, see this beauty and only think about what they can take – what is in that water and ground that can be extracted – how much money is it worth? A foreign-owned corporation, Powertech (one of 8 known uranium companies prospecting the region), is posed to start new uranium mining in the Black Hills near Edgemont. Powertech has applied for the first ever in-situ leach (ISL) uranium mining permits in the state of South Dakota. They seek (and very close to getting) permits for 12.96 million gallons of water per day ($0 per gallon) from Black Hills aquifers. To put that into perspective, this is much more than Rapid City (second largest in the state) uses daily. South Dakota remains in long-term drought. Our water is precious and finite. It should not be given away. The waste-water from this operation would be disposed by both pumping it back into the ground and spray irrigation over 1,000+ acres of prairie. Powertech has applied for exemption from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act because the water cannot be returned to baseline conditions. Though they would “treat” it, the water would still contain elevated concentrations of dissolved uranium daughter products like radium, arsenic, selenium, etc., which are harmful to wildlife, grazing animals and humans. You may be interested to note that two years ago, in response to Powertech’s lobbying, the SD Legislature abdicated the state’s responsibility for underground water regulation. In addition, Powertech’s project plans also include two on-site processing plants to serve as regional processing mills to concentrate uranium into yellowcake. The Black Hills would then become a hub for trafficking uranium product. Accidents on these sites are expected, not to mention natural disasters. A little about ISL uranium mining: ISL uranium mining is a process of pumping a solution through numerous bore holes to dissolve the uranium and other heavy metals, leaching it out of ore-bearing rock. It is then pumped to the surface to be processed. Uranium mining is a boom and bust business, prioritizing short-term extraction and exploitation for foreign gain, over the lives of people and resources. We can live without uranium. We cannot live without clean water. If ISL uranium mining is allowed to take root in the Black Hills, the process would deplete local resources with little or no benefit to our local economy, community, energy production, and agriculture – while ultimately posing risks to all mentioned. It threatens natural resources, quality of life, public health, local economy, tourism, and agriculture. -Dakota Rural Action, Black Hills Chapter Campaign Statement It would seem like a no-brainer to deny permits allowing a corporation with no history of uranium mining to open the first ISL mine in South Dakota. However, they are very close to being granted, and would have been already if hundreds of people didn’t object. The Large Scale Mine Permit hearings start on Sept. 23 and the Water Permit hearings start Oct. 7, 2013 at the Ramkota Hotel in Rapid City. Please help us protect the water and life in the Black Hills. Sign the tourism petition (you don’t have to be local) and learn more at DakotaRural.org. http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5706/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=13710 If you are local, attend the hearings. The board will hear public comments the morning of Sept. 23 – be there and make it clear this is a very bad idea. DRA is a grassroots …
Real Food
Each day I awake to the sounds of the ranch; birds, dogs, an occasional horse whinny and the morning news. I drift in and out of consciousness between tweets, barks and the sound of David Greenes voice on NPR. My attention hones in to the radio voices, reporting on the horrific wars. I am relieved when the stories change to children heading back to school. Now fully alert, I’m shocked by the statistics coming from the small black box: “The average child spends 4 minutes a day outside and ten hours in front of a screen”. “This is creating disconnect with the natural world”, the voices say. They go on talking about the ramifications this will have. If intimate relationships are not cultivated with mother earth, who will we pass the baton to too care for her? Where will children think their food comes from? Water? And so on. Last Sunday we were featured on the Food Networks, “Great Food Truck Race,” a reality competitive food show. Although we were thrilled to be featured, we learned that there is not a lot of reality in reality TV. My favorite “stand out line” from one of the producers during the week that they spent on the ranch was, “This is a food show, it’s not that critical if we don’t get a good shot of the buffalo”. What’s that you say??????? I guess it’s not only our children that have a disconnect. The night of the airing of the “Great Food Truck Race”, a group of Wild Idea Buffalo employees and friends gathered to watch the show, including my friend Mason. Mason is 12 and has just started junior high. He is quiet, a bit shy and very thoughtful. Before we sat down to view the show, we went out to visit the buffalo and to offer them thanks for helping us get on national TV. We took a rawhide buffalo drum, as we have learned from our Native American friends, that if you beat the drum and have an open heart, the buffalo will come to you. I explained this to Mason as he started our heartfelt concert. Within minutes, we were circled by 300 buffalo. They stood around us as if they were thoroughly enjoying themselves, offering their soft grunts for applause. As we headed back for our buffalo feast before the show, we stopped along the way for grass tutorials from Jilian and Colton. We watched prairie dogs and burrowing owls. We rolled in the soft sand of a Buffalo wallow and talked about what happens when the wallows fill with rain. Tight on time and Mason now behind the wheel, we drove a little fast, back to the ranch. Smells of braising buffalo meat greeted us from the kitchen. We filled our plates with cucumber, melon salad, and buffalo stewed in garden tomatoes and green beans, from Jilian’s garden. We ate on the deck and watched the golden light fall on the hillside. At last it was show time. We headed inside and turned on the TV, putting our faces in front of a screen to watch an unreal, reality food show. This month’s recipe is Buffalo Chuck Roast Stewed in Tomatoes with Green Beans. Dan loves this cut and also this recipe, as when necessary he can get dinner on the table! A real treat in more ways then one! Enjoy! Jill Buffalo Chuck Roast Stewed with Garden Tomatoes and Green Beans (serves 6 to 8) A great family dinner that says goodbye to summer and hello to fall! Recipe by Jill, but prepared by Dan with …
Moving Buffalo
This past June we moved the Buffalo from one pasture to the next. Buffalo are roamers and have come to understand what an open gate means – new digs to roam and fresh grass. We believe in a gentle approach of simply opening a gate, offering a little incentive with cake (a small cube of pressed alfalfa with some minerals), and having a subtle presence on the back end. When babies are little we are very careful to guide in a very slow manner. The lead herd cow is usually the first to approach and once she has moved through the herd will start to follow. The babies stay close to their mothers and instinctively shoot to the outside. The wind was blowing on the day we moved them, which added extra excitement for the babies who frolicked, leaping through the air, bucking and kicking. A few stragglers held up the back end with the largest herd bull completing the move. They quickly joined up with the herd, and found their way to their new pasture. They other day we moved the buffalo again. What struck me, was not only their calmness with the babies now two months older, but the beautiful healthy pastures, still green and plentiful with grass, thanks to continued summer rains. The baby buffalo are now kids, in a varying stages of golden to black, with sprouting new horns. They are gaining independence, but will stay close to their mothers and remain in the family group until they are two years of age. They vocalized their happiness with their soft grunts and grazing noises. Listening to 300 buffalo eating grass is pretty amazing! We wrapped up our task under a pink sky of a setting South Dakota sun.
"FIFTY" (This got a little long, but you only turn 50 once.)
It’s been said that life is about the journey and not the destination. I’ve always been kind of a destination girl myself and am often accused of burning the candle at both ends. As a friend of mine once said, “You are always trying to pack ten pounds of shit into a five pound bag”. I do not dispute either charge, they often remind me of a Jack London poem that I am fond of. “I would rather be ashes then dust! I would rather that my spark burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dryrot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of a man (woman) is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time”. My natural talents are in creating, in making people happy and in entertaining. Since I was a kid, I have been a participator. I knew that I would be a part of something, and hoped it would make a difference. After a brief unfulfilling modeling career, I turned my attention to what I knew best, food (now you know why my modeling career was so short); and started learning the in’s and outs of the hospitality business. For research and pleasure, I dined at some of the fanciest of restaurants where the food was marginal and ate in some of the dirtiest beer joints, where the food was exceptional, and vise versa. My entrepreneurial spirit caught fire and I soon took off trying to create/make my own life. Although it was often at my expense, it was a great ride. I have had the opportunity to cater all kinds of events, from Baby Showers to Weddings to Film Sets, for Senators, Actors and Cardinal’s. I have owned/operated 3 (at the time), cutting edge restaurants, each with their own successes and failures. All of this seemed to fit with my plan. What I did not ever think, was that at the age of 50 I would wear a hairnet, a hardhat and butchers frock. But don’t let the outfit fool you – this is important stuff. Being a dairy farmers daughter, big landscapes and hard work were part of my genetic make-up, so it was easy to join Dan in his quest to restore/preserve our ranch back to health, and hopefully impact others to do the same. Although this too has often been at our expense, it has been worth every penny and has also been quite a ride! I’ve had the opportunity to: move buffalo on horseback, assist in creating a moveable harvester that would provide humane harvest of animals, develop cooking techniques for grass-fed meat, open a processing plant, get to know some of the coolest conscious carnivores on the planet, and watch the transformation of what care of environment and of animals can do for a landscape. It’s good work – if you can get it! In addition to all the above, I have a great family, a handful of good friends, two kids and a son in-law that I’m crazy about and who are crazy about me too. And, I’ve had the great adventure of running around with Dan O’Brien. Dan has also loved my children and has been a true father in every sense of the word. Thank you Dan. This Father’s Day, on the 16th I will turn 50! Woop, Woop! And before I blow out the brilliant blaze of 50 birthday candles, I will …
10 Facts about Bison
1. Bison are the largest land animal in North America. A male bison, or bull, can reach a weight of 2400 lbs. A female bison, or cow, weighs between 900-1200 lbs. Bison range in heights between 5 and 6.5 feet tall. 2. All bison have horns, not just the males, which they use to help forage for food and for defense. 3. Bison can live up to 25 years old. 4. Bison consume approximately 30 lbs. of roughage a day. 5. Bison need approximately 30 acres per animal to roam and feed on. They are not stationary while feeding, but rather continually move as they consume prairie grasses and roughage thus preventing overgrazing. 6. Female bison, or cows, typically begin calving at 3 years of age. They will have on average 1 calf per year for up to 17 years, with a gestation period of 9½ months. A calf will stay with its mother for 2 years if possible. 7. Bison spend time in family units within the herd, usually numbering between 12-24 individuals. Bulls, however, are only typically found in the herd during breeding season. 8. Bison on average can run up to 30mph. Their speed along with their incredible size can make bison a formidable force for predators. 9. Bison will grow a new coat annually. Their coat is made up of course outer guard hairs and a soft undercoat. Bison need their thick coats to help protect them from severe weather during long winters. 10. Bison are a keystone species of the Great Plains and critical to the health of the prairie ecosystem. Their presence in an area allows the land and other species to thrive.
Frog Symphony
I have heard Chorus Frogs every spring for my entire life, but I never saw one until the May of 2008. I was following Mike Forsberg around southeastern Montana in search of stories and photographs for Mike’s book, GREAT PLAINS, America’s lingering wild. I can’t remember what our objective was but we were in the middle of an enormous pasture and we were walking. It takes a long time to walk anywhere with Forsberg because he stops and looks at everything. When you walk with any good photographer what you are really doing is wandering. So I was wandering around southeastern Montana with Mike Forsberg on a beautiful spring afternoon taking pictures of flowers, clouds, rusty barbed wire fences, and windmills when the faint sound of Chorus Frogs drifted over a hill. The vocalization of a Chorus Frog is a little like a variety of small frogs known collectively as “tree frogs and their allies.” The Chorus Frog must be an “ally” because they are often found where there are no trees for miles. That was the case that day in Montana – no trees, just grass and a little wind. The sound of the frogs blended in with the rustle of the wind and the songs of prairie, ground nesting birds that were newly back from their winter migration. Male Meadow Larks, Bobolinks, and Buntings were setting up territories and serenading the females with all their hearts. Probably the singing of the Chorus Frog had been blending with the ambient sounds for a while before we even noticed it, but as the afternoon wore on, the sound intensified until Mike couldn’t stand it. “Have you ever seen one of those little devils?” I shrugged. “No. I’ve never even looked for one.” In fact, Chorus Frogs are such a commonfeature of the Great Plains that I had never even thought much about them. Since I could remember, they were a constant in the soundtrack of my spring existence. When we walked over the hill and found a small stock-pond created by adikebuilt across a little draw. Spring runoff had filled the pond and the Chorus Frogs were doing the amphibious version of what the birds were doing. Their shrill voices seemed to rise from the water’s edge of the entire pond. My Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians describes the sound of the Chorus Frog as prreep, prreep, but that description does not do it justice. It is an insistent sound when you concentrate on it but has the ability to recede in your consciousness until it is barely noticeable. The pond was alive with singers and we crept, shoulder to shoulder, up to the water where one particularly boisterous frog was sounding off. We moved like a pair of blue herons, very slowly, raising high and planting gently one foot at a time. When we got to the edge of the pond the sound was gone and I looked carefully, expecting the frog to leap into the water and disappear. There was no leap and splash so we bent over and squinted along the grassy edge. Still nothing. He must have heard us and took off, so we split up and started off in search of the next frog. But we had only gone a few feet when the first frog started up again – exactly where we had been looking. We went back but still saw nothing. Other frogs were singing just a little way along the water’s edge so we moved off again in opposite directions. I was intent on sneaking up on one before …
Baby Buffalo & Blizzards
Last week we were lucky enough to get a blizzard. It’s very dry here and at this point we aren’t too particular in how moisture comes. We were also expecting to see our first calf at anytime and although we received 20″ of snow we weren’t too concerned. Bison evolved in this country and are well adapted to weather extremes. There is a theory that bison can hold off giving birth until after a storm has passed. We’re unsure if this is fact, but the morning after last week’s blizzard, we got our first glimpse of this year’s first baby. Mother and baby are doing well. Dan brings hay to supplement the lack of grass. I tag along to get photos of the herd and a glimpse of the new babies. The new mom’s remove themselves from the main herd and set up what we call “the maternity ward”, complete with new and expecting mothers. Within a few days we had 5 baby calves, and another blizzard on the way. The snow came heavy last night without wind, frosting the landscape all the way to the horizon. I grabbed my camera gear this morning and headed out with Dan for the morning hay feeding. The weight of the snow quiets the ranch to where all you can hear is your heart beat and the soft grunts of the buffalo. They seem undisturbed in their warm down, wooly coats. While Dan rolls out 2 tons of hay, I go off in search of the maternity ward to insure that all is ok. I find them content in a shallow wooded draw. Babies close to their mothers, until the little ones take off, leaping occasionally on their new wobbly legs! The mothers stay close behind, nudging them further into the draw and out of my view. A great morning!
Free Roaming Buffalo
Two weekends ago, I took these pictures while a group of us were guiding a respectably sized herd of buffalo back to pastures that lie between the Cheyenne River Ranch and the Cheyenne River itself. For the last five and a half months these animal’s temporary home has been an ever changing landscape, comprised of windy creeks, badland buttes and open prairies surround by walls of steep hills that are peppered with cedar trees. As we moved the herd, we watched them float across the landscape. They knew where every creek crossing and green patch of grass was. Although some of the older cows didn’t seem to be in a hurry to head back to the other side of the river, they still moved at a pace that showed purpose. These cows will soon begin to gather in maternity wards in preparation for spring calving. The new calves will spend the early months of their life in pastures that lack the buttes, creeks, and steep draw banks. Instead, they will take their first shaky steps on land that seems to extend to the horizon. As spring turns to summer, the new calves will venture around the wide open country as they follow the rest of the herd. Just as they start to become familiar with the terrain, the time will come for them to head out with the rest of the herd for life on the other side of the river.
April Can Break Your Heart
The month of April always gets me thinking about T.S. Eliot’s poem, The Wasteland. Well, not the whole poem. All I can ever remember of The Waste Land is the first four lines. It is the part we all know: April is the cruelest month. Breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain It is easy to visualize those lilacs coming to life, the dried-out roots swelling with the rain. Anyone who ever had anything to do with a garden understands what Eliot is getting at. He’s saying that the weather in April can break your heart. You get to remembering how wonderful spring can be and – BANG – you get a foot of snow. That’s what I figure the first four lines of T.S. Eliot’s famous poem are all about. I have no idea what the next four hundred and thirty-two lines mean but they seem to be describing a land and a life that I do not know. Because I am a rancher on the Great Plains I know about longing for rain in the month of April and I know that, in the spring of 2013, the lack of moisture out here is a matter of life and death. All winter long we knew things were dry and we knew that we had to get some rain this spring. There was very little rain last summer and nearly no snow all this winter. People keep trying to laugh it off. “She’s going to break loose this spring – wet snow, rain. Hell we’re only one good storm away from banner year.” I didn’t sleep much all winter. I’d go to bed early and sleep until midnight or one o’clock. I’d get up, have a cup of tea, then go out onto the cold deck and look up at the sky. Every night my uplifted and hopeful face would be met by a billion stars. I don’t recall anything but clear, cold, cloudless skies. Some nights I’d read until three or four in the morning. When sleep finally came it was short-lived and fitful, loaded with visions of brutal winds driving the dry and dusty pastures that the buffalo absolutely need. I worried that the stock pond where the buffalo drink during the months when their calves are born held only a few inches of water. I rolled on the couch, looked at the ceiling, and promised myself that I would go out the next day and check the water level but when I awoke, groggy and a little sick to my stomach, I would be too sluggish to even leave the house. I had a hard time working and ate everything I could find. March came in like a lamb and went out like a lamb. We don’t have ground hogs out here and the prairie dogs were no shows. No one wanted to predict what the spring and summer would bring. We got some wind and an inch of very light snow that was dry as talcum powder. By the time April arrived I was a wreck, pale white, ten pounds overweight, and no relief in sight. All winter long I knew that there was a terrible crunch of work ahead of me. We started bringing the buffalo in from their winter pasture in the last week of March. I was on an ATV all day long for five days in a row and we got seventy-five percent of the buffalo rounded up before it became apparent that there would no spring runoff and so no …
Saying goodbye to summer…..
This August has found me at the Wild Idea office on more of a fulltime bases. I have really enjoyed working with the plant crew (more on that in September’s newsletter), but it has also made me really appreciate my weekends. I try to get out in the buffalo at least once on the weekend. Sitting amongst them, centers me and also gives an occasional opportunity to capture “the photo”. I didn’t capture it this month, but here are a few that I thought were worthy of sharing. The growing calves are really playful and fun to watch, and seem so big compared to the new late calves. Dan is enjoying his new falcon “Clarence”. He is flying free and has had some successful hunts. We are looking forward to the shared duck, grouse & pheasant meals! ____________________ We currently have a smokin’ hot special on our Wild Idea Ground Buffalo sampler. So when I received a call from “ a soccer mom / football mom” who is on a tight budget, asking what I would recommend when feeding a bunch of hungry 11 year olds and teenagers, I gave her my recipe for “Buffalo Sloppy Joe’s”. To confirm it would satisfy, I made a batch for the plant crew at Wild Idea. It was a hit and fed 12. Wild Idea Buffalo Sloppy Joe’s (Serves 12) Ingredients: 2 tsp. olive oil 1 onion, diced fine 2 lbs. Wild Idea Ground Buffalo 2 tsp. each: black pepper, cumin, mustard 1 tsp. each: salt, chili powder 2 Tb. brown sugar 1 Tb. garlic, chopped ¾ cup ketchup ¾ cup water 12 hamburger buns Instructions: In heavy skillet over medium high heat, heat oil. Add chopped onion and sauté for 4 minutes. Crumble ground buffalo into pan, stirring together and breaking into smaller pieces. Add spices while meat is browning and stir in. When meat is browned, add ketchup and water, stir to incorporate and let come to full heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on hamburger buns or smaller slider size buns for smaller kids. Great for casual dinner, after the game or tailgate parties! ___________________________________________________ I’ve had a couple of requests for updates on the puppies, and since it is the dog days of summer it seems only appropriate. Below are brother’s (Henry Dog’s children), Shiner, and Huckleberry, taking a break from their fierce battle that I interrupted. And Fargo, who is in training for this year’s hunting season. Then there are the birds, which are starting to gather and slowly vacate, leaving the ranch a little quieter with each passing day. I caught two songbirds at the bird feeder the other day sharing a meal; a baby Chickadee and Gold Finch. I remain obsessed with photographing Jilian and Colton’s chickens and guinea’s. They are such characters and their colors are so intense! While driving around in the cottonwood pasture and along the river, I started noticing wooden animals everywhere. Here are a few of my favorites – named in what I feel is obviously appropriate. Do you see anything else? Would love to hear your thoughts. As we start to say goodbye to summer, we are taking in as much of the outdoors as possible, and are really looking forward to the Labor Day weekend. We plan to take in a PowWow on the Cheyenne River Reservation. A couple of the Wild Idea artisan butchers have their children participating in dance competitions, and they are also going to be setting up a food stand, selling delicious Wild Idea Buffalo Burgers! Definitely not to …
Organic Gardening on the Great Plains Comes With It's Challenges
In addition to the beating prairie wind, lack of moisture, and this year’s triple digit temperatures, the grasshoppers have found their way to Jilian & Colton’s country garden. Dressed in their colorful suits of armor, they can destroy your garden or yard in a couple of days. The chickens and young Guinea’s do their best to keep up, but we are looking for preventive ways to manage for next year. Any suggestions (other then eating them) on how to organically rid or keep grasshopper populations down would be greatly appreciated. Even with the grasshopper infestation, we are starting to reap the benefits of our gardens. We make batches of Basil Pesto, and keep a jar on hand to jazz up salads, pastas, and sandwiches. Below is my recipe for non-pine nut, but extra cheesy Basil Pesto. Great to use on Buffalo Salami Anti Pasto Pasta Salad! See recipe. Basil Pesto: Ingredients: 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed 2 cups shredded parmesan cheese 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper (I like a little more) 1 Tb. lemon juice (I like a little more) 1 cup olive oil Place all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Refrigerate. Buffalo Antipasto Pasta Salad Substitute ingredients according to what you have on hand or what you like. A great summertime meal! Ingredients: 1 lb. Buffalo Salami, cut into pieces 1 cup, fresh mozzarella, shredded or cubed 1 each red, yellow and orange bell peppers, diced 1 bunch green onions, chopped 1 can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped 1 cup pepperoncini, sliced ½ cup olives, sliced (prefer Kalamata) ¾ cup sundried tomatoes, julienned ½ lb. pasta, cooked el dente and drained ¼ cup basil pesto ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup rice or cider vinegar 2 tsp. ground fennel salt & pepper to taste. Put all ingredients in large bowl and toss! Can be refrigerated for up to a week, however you may need to add a bit more olive oil or dressing before serving. We continue with our weekly tours at the ranch, with some repeat guests/friends (Kathy, Bill and family, the Peach preserves were delicious!), and new guests/friends. Alsion & Mile brought their young family, including their cute little cowgirl, and friends to checkout “where their buffalo meat comes from”. Even though it was hotter then a pistol, the buffalo stayed cool with a dip in the playa, and we took refuge under an old cottonwood for lunch. On the menu, “Pulled Buffalo B.B.Q.”! Click here for recipe. The later part of July has kept the sky full of thunder and lightening. Which brought, beautiful magic light, many grassfires, and finally rain. This morning, for the first time in over a month, the ceiling fans are quiet. We stepped outside and gratefully watched the early morning light color the newly dampened prairie grasses with hues of green, while steam from our hot coffee mugs drifted into the slightly chilly air. Cheers! Jill
Wedding Pictures!
Below are a series of photo’s from Jilian & Colton’s wedding that we wanted to share with you. It was a fabulous ceremony and reception, but certainly not without it’s glitches or unexpected events, (like the 70 mile an hour wind that came through). Luckily we had mostly everyone in the barn by then, and carried on into the early morning hours. The pictures capture a few of the highlights, including the ominous sky that brought the wind. Photo Credits: Bonny Fleming – BonzEye Photography and Jessica Hanson
Ranch Beautification & Beauty
Our annual spring clean up has been pushed into overdrive with the upcoming wedding. We’ve been busy moving dirt, tilling weeds, planting grass seed and trimming trees. Dan kids me and says; “It’s a good place for a country club!” Erney pitched in too, with Henry as his assistant.”] —— —— —— —— —— ————***————With the ranch beatification in full swing, I’ve taken little time to cook. This is when I rely on methods that take little effort and the results are delicious! Below is my Recipe for Faux Smoked Buffalo Brisket. Smoked Buffalo Brisket Serves 6 – Active time 10 minutes I have tried smoking buffalo briskets in a smoker, to achieve that smoky pit flavor. My attempts were unsuccessful, as the lean, healthy, buffalo meat becomes dry. This faux smoked technique achieves the tenderness and the flavor of slow smoked meat. Leftovers make excellent cold sandwiches. Ingredients: 1 3 lb. Buffalo Brisket 1 tablespoon liquid smoke 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon paprika or smoked paprika 2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 tablespoon cider vinegar Rinse brisket and pat dry, and place on sheet of foil, with the fattiest side up. Mix liquid smoke, olive oil and spices together. Rub the seasoning into the brisket. Fold the foil around the brisket, pour vinegar under brisket on foil and seal foil edges. Reinforce with an additional sheet of foil, sealing tightly. This can be done up to 24 hours ahead of grilling time. Let roast rest at room temperature 2 hours before grilling. For Char Grill: Start a large amount of coals in half of the grill, coals are ready when half have become ashen colored. Place roast on grill rack opposite coals, and cover leaving vent open. Grill for 1 hour, and close vents. Continue to grill for 3 more hours. Add a few more coals half way through cooking to maintain heat temperature. Turn brisket at his time. Remove roast from grill and let rest for 10 minutes. Uncover and slice. Serve with juices that have accumulated in foil. For Gas Grill: Allow grill to come to 400*. Place foil wrapped brisket in center of grill, and turn off burners directly under brisket, leaving burners on each side on high. Grill for 1 hour. Turn burners down and maintain heat of 350*. Continue to grill for 3 hours. Turn brisket halfway through cooking time. Remove roast from grill and let rest for 10 minutes. Uncover, slice or pull apart. Serve with juices that have accumulated in foil.
First Cheyenne River Ranch Guests
Our first group of Eco-tourism guests were a group of 5 women with SD roots. These ladies have known each other for 40 to 60 years, and once a year for the last 18 years they have taken a trip together. Our connection to these remarkable women was our dear friend Fee Jacobsen, who agreed to be our first Eco-tourism test customer. We had a wonderful time. Below are a couple of comments and a few photographs. Dear Dan and Jill – I know I speak for everyone when I say – it was a wonderful adventure. I can’t thank you enough for your warm hospitality and care of us. Every detail, from the fresh flowers to the fantastic meals to the 4-wheeling on the range, met and exceeded our expectations. Hearing Dan’s writings was very special. And the bison….I feel choked with emotion! Dear Dan & Jill – I don’t want to delay telling you what a fabulous time we had staying with you, learning from you, and enjoying your hospitality, including the gourmet food! Upon entering the Denver metro area, it all seemed surreal. I am glad, too, we have some good photos to prove we were there.–I also realized I am watching the birds and listening for their calls more alertly!
Driving through South Dakota
I left the ranch early Sunday morning for my trip across the state to join Dan in Northfield MN, where he is teaching at Carleton College. Driving out I took in the latest of what spring had brought to the ranch, the scent of plum blossoms, 3, 2” tulips and a bunch of yellow daffodils waved goodbye. The buffalo were close to the road, and it gave me on more chance to glass them to check for the first baby buffalo. There were none in sight. The morning light was spectacular though on the Cheyenne River Breaks and through the Bad Lands. A stop at Wall Drug for the best donuts ever, (I am very serious about my donuts), and I was off on I-90 were the road flattens and the prairie stretches out for miles. The snow fall and the rains have been good to the prairie grasses, and the animals grazing in them looked quite content. Just as you become satiated with the prairie, you are treated to the intermezzo of the great Missouri River. My god, this is beautiful country, I thought. Dropping back down into the mixed grass prairie, the landscape becomes a patchwork quilt of farming and grass, still beautiful in the colors it offered. The grasslands lessened the closer I got to Minnesota. Farm ground had taken over, leaving only .1% of the native tall grass prairie intact. But, Minnesota can really grow stuff. Although the crops are not yet up, this is evident in the 3’ high tulips. We have settled into the charming little town of Northfield and the peaceful Carleton Campus.We communicate daily with Wild Idea Buffalo and ranch happenings. Our latest update …….5 baby buffalos! Can’t wait to get home!
SONNET FOR THE PRONGHORN
Hale the Prince of western sage Hale the Princess too Imagine them not inside a cage Or prisoners inside a zoo Imagine the world seen through their eyes Their gaze, like a sailor’s stare Of distance and birds and endless skies Of cheetah and elk and bear Think of a link between eagle and you With feet on the ground but speed Lodged between Earth and endless blue Stuck between knowledge and need Blend your colors of tawny and white With background and foreground and fade out of sight
Savory Buffalo Sausage Stuffing
My mother’s recipe for our traditional, holiday stuffing, but improved with Wild idea’s Buffalo Chorizo Sausage. If a little splice is not for you, try it with Wild Idea’s Breakfast Sausage. Cheers! 2 – Tablespoons Butter 2 – Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 – 1 lb. Buffalo Chorizo Sausage 1 – Onion, diced 3 – Stalks Celery, sliced 2 – Teaspoons Dried Sage 2 – Teaspoons Dried Thyme 1 – Teaspoon Ground Fennel 1 – Teaspoon Salt 1 – Tablespoon Pepper 1 – 16oz. bag Herb Seasoned Stuffing 2 – Cups Organic Chicken Stock 1.) In heavy skillet over medium high heat, heat butter and olive oil. 2.) Crumble in Chorizo Sausage; add onion, celery and all of the dried seasonings. Sauté for 8 minutes. 3.) Add herbed stuffing and stir to incorporate. 4.) Slowly add you stock. Mixture should be moist and hold together. 5.) Transfer stuffing to a buttered casserole dish and bake in pre-heated oven for 45 minutes. Delicious with turkey, buffalo or just by itself! Wine Pairing: Beaujolais Nouveau 2009 – Burgundy Region, France. Made from the Gamay grapes, and produced to celebrate the end of the harvest. This new wine was made to drink right away. Look for its arrival the 3rd week of November.
Fall Bird Hunting & Prairie Harvest Green Chili Stew
I always look forward to this time of year. Our temperatures have dipped below 20*, and there is something about cold mornings that make me hungry for breakfast sausage and a stack of pancakes, with REAL Maple Syrup. Breakfasts like these are consumed at our house on mornings before Dan goes bird hunting, for Grouse or Pheasant. One of our favorite dishes from falls hunting, is my rendition of Green Chili Stew. Although I use grouse, pheasant or partridge – chicken can be substituted. Enjoy!
Hearty Zucchini Bread
This year Dan & I put in a bigger garden. We built 4 raised beds and planted a variety of vegetables and herbs. We were very excited about reaping our rewards at harvest time, but unfortunately our garden – well, it was a dud. At first it looked promising, lively & healthy. We had spring lettuce and were hopeful for sugar snap peas, green & fava beans, but something black came over them and they just never took. We were still hopeful for the rest of the crop, and then the grasshoppers invaded. They ate everything, everything that is but the zucchini & tomatoes. I’m not quite sure why they left the zucchini & tomatoes – but we are very glad they did. We pride-fully pick them as the precious gifts that they are, and have yet to tire from either. When the zucchini occasionally gets ahead of us, it’s Zucchini Bread making time. My recipe for it is as follows, (although I must admit not as good as the one I lost many years ago from a Fireman’s cookbook), but still pretty darn good. Enjoy! 1½ cup wheat flour 1 ¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour ¼ cup flax or cracked wheat 1 cup walnuts/pecans, ground 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. salt ½ cup pure cane sugar ½ cup pure cane brown sugar 1 cup light olive oil 3 eggs Zest & juice of 1 lemon 4 cups packed grated Zucchini 1.) Mix ingredients adding one at a time in order as listed, mixing well. 2.) Pour mixture into 2 lightly oiled loaf pans. 3.) Bake at 350* for 1 hour or until firm. 4.) Let rest at room temperature until completely cooled. Zucchini bread is best after it rest for awhile. It can also be stored in the refrigerator and freezes nicely. Slice and serve with butter or cheese. It is also a great accompaniment for stews and roasts. Wine Pairing: Campo Viejo Tempranillo Reserva 2004: From the Rioja region of Spain, this is a medium bodied red, layered with a nice balance of fruit, a bit of ash and mineral, and a full soft finish. Goes nicely with hearty breads and cheese, but would also stand up well to stews and roasts.
Zucchini Bread
A plentiful crop of Zucchini this year, produced some seriously delicious, healthy Zucchini Bread. 1½ cup wheat flour 1 ¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour ¼ cup flax or cracked wheat 1 cup walnuts/pecans, ground 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. salt ½ cup pure cane sugar ½ cup pure cane brown sugar 1 cup light olive oil 3 eggs Zest & juice of 1 lemon 4 cups packed grated Zucchini 1.) Mix ingredients adding one at a time in order as listed, mixing well. 2.) Pour mixture into 2 lightly oiled loaf pans. 3.) Bake at 350* for 1 hour or until firm. 4.) Let rest at room temperature until completely cooled. Zucchini bread is best after it rest for awhile. It can also be stored in the refrigerator and freezes nicely. Slice and serve with butter or cheese. It is also a great accompaniment for stews and roasts. Wine Pairing: Campo Viejo Tempranillo Reserva 2004: From the Rioja region of Spain, this is a medium bodied red, layered with a nice balance of fruit, a bit of ash and mineral, and a full soft finish. Goes nicely with hearty breads and cheese, but would also stand up well to stews and roasts.
Restaurant Dinning & Buffalo Gumbo
During a recent trip to Arizona, my mother and I ate at many restaurants. She loves the chance to dine out, and I enjoy the opportunity of being served, savoring tasty dishes, and coming away with an educational experience. Needless to say, I will go anywhere and try anything. However, with the continued awareness of our food supply, going anywhere and trying anything, has become increasingly difficult. Between having waiters proudly announce that the fish was “farm raised’, to encountering restaurant menus that advertise dishes with creative word spin, which often fail to make it from page to plate, was all a bit disappointing. Good, honest food is hard to beat and these days even harder to come by.
Buffalo Gumbo Prairie Style
Buffalo Gumbo (serves 12) My prairie-ized, healthier version of this southern favorite dish, without missing the flavor! Enjoy! Ingredients: 1 2 pound package Buffalo Stew Meat ½ cup olive oil 1 tablespoon black pepper 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon paprika 1 teaspoon cayenne 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon thyme 1 onion, diced 1 14 ounce package Buffalo Andouille Sausage, sliced 1 red pepper, diced 4 celery stalks, diced 1 clove garlic, chopped ½ cup flour 2 quarts chicken stock 24 Shrimp, peeled and de-viened ¾ lb. frozen okra, or fresh if available 1.) Remove stew meat from package, place in colander, rinse and drain completely. Pat dry with a paper towel. 2.) In heavy stock pot over medium high flame, heat 2 tablespoons oil. 3.) Add stew meat and dry seasonings, and sauté until lightly browned. 4.) Remove stew meat from stock pot and set aside. 5.) Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sliced Wild Idea Buffalo Andouille Sausage. 6.) Add onion, red pepper, celery and garlic and sauté until tender. 7.) Remove Andouille and vegetables from stock pot and set aside. 8.) Add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil to the stock pot and heat. 9.) Whisk flour into the oil and continue to whisk for 20 minutes or until roux is dark brown. 10.) Add stew meat, vegetables and their juices back to the pan, stirring to incorporate. 11.) Add 2 quarts chicken stock and bring to boil. 12.) Cover stock pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour. 13.) Remove from heat, cool and refrigerate. 14.) Before reheating, remove the oil that has formed on the top. 15.) Over medium high heat, reheat gumbo, stirring occasionally. 16.) Let gumbo simmer on medium heat for 1/2 hour. 17.) Increase heat to medium high. Add shrimp and frozen okra and cook for 10 minutes. 18.) Serve gumbo around a scoop of rice in a shallow bowl., and accompany with warm crusty bread. Wine Pairing: O Seduction – 2005, Red Wine, from O’Brien Estate Winery – Napa Valley It’s not just the name that makes it a favorite at our house! This is a cabernet based Bordeaux style wine that offers the deep richness for true cab lovers, but a smooth silky roundness for the softer palate. It has been described as a luscious French kiss – that will leave you wanting more.