An Update

Katey and I haven't posted in over two months, but it doesn't mean we haven't been eating! Over the last two months we've eaten the majority of what remains of this year's venison. We're down to about 2lbs of ground venison and one roast. Pheasant season is long since over, and it was pretty unproductive, so we have no birds in the freezer this year. We do have two rabbits, and we're holding out for a spring turkey. We've made the decision to get a three-doe tag next year (and Katey might get a tag as well). We really want to break our dependence on supermarket protein. So, more venison, (hopefully) more pheasants and rabbits, and we might try raising meat chickens.

This summer, I hope to finally become a fisherman. There are enough places to go to catch walleye, bass, and other panfish around here that I don't have a good excuse to not put a meal on the table once a week. If I can get out to the Hills at all, maybe we'll get some trout.

The garden is still waiting to be planted. We're going to grow tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, lettuce, basil, and a variety of squash. Hopefully, it will be productive enough to put up some food for the winter. I'm already envisioning a garden expansion next year, depending on where we live.

We're also trying to have more meals where protein isn't the star. We seem to build our meals around meat, with very little thought to what vegetables we'll have with it, or how to prepare them. So we're doing a "meatless Monday" type of thing now, where at least once a week, veggies take center stage. Last night, it was a black bean and avocado salad with diced tomatoes, onion, and fresh corn. We lightly dressed it with a honey-chili-lime concoction, and it was outstanding. It was satisfying on its own, but we both automatically went to thinking that it would be really good on top of fish or chicken. It may take awhile to break out of the meat first mentality.

Comfort Food

+

=
Shepherd's Pie in Lakeview

Comfort food is one of my favorite things to cook. Mac and cheese. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Chicken soup. All of these meals give me that warm, happy feeling; all of these meals also usually leave me stuffed.

This week, we decided to get back into the swing of cooking game. Later this week, we're having venison chops and venison burgers. Last night, though, we had shepherd's pie with venison. The meal was inspired by our friend Juliet's blog. I've been craving that meal ever since.

We made our shepherd pie with ground venison instead of beef, and more peas than the recipe called for. The mashed potato topping was also loaded with cheddar cheese. I thought it turned out well, but if I were to make it again, I think I'd thicken up the gravy (ours was a little loose), and I might broil it for a few minutes to get a better, more golden crust on top.

Fish Tacos, and Mac and Cheese

This past weekend was not good. Horrible, in fact. Katey and I were in a car accident while driving to Rapid City. We hit an icy patch outside of Wall, SD, and spun around, crashing into a rock-hard snow bank before flipping over. We were so lucky not to be injured. The car, however, didn't fare so well. Katey's beloved C-RV was totaled.

So what do you do after a traumatic event of that magnitude? You eat comfort food. That meant Belgian waffles for breakfast, a burger with onion rings and fried pickle spears on it, fish and chips for dinner. Ah, the joys of eating out in a city.

When we got home, I made a big batch of mac and cheese from scratch. It had a custardy filling, not as cheesy as I like it, but still good. Tonight, we had fish tacos. Flounder fillets seasoned with Old Bay, baked with broccoli. Fresh salsa from the Bullet, and corn tortillas softened in a skillet. Topped with shredded lettuce and sour cream--yum!

No idea what to make tomorrow--we might be in Sioux Falls picking up our new car!

Fish

I've always liked fish. It's good for you, it (usually) tastes good, and it's quick to cook. Living in South Dakota, it's tough to get good fresh fish unless you catch it yourself. Seeing as I have no ice fishing equipment, that's not likely to happen right now. Usually, we buy our fish frozen from Sam's Club. On our last trip to Rapid, we picked up a bag of tilapia, and a bag of flounder. I would have loved to get some salmon, but it has really increased in price lately. Oh well, maybe next time.

This week, we've had fish three times. On Monday, it was baked tilapia with lemon, dill, and garlic. Tuesday, we had a spicy flounder, sauteed with spinach and garlic. Last night, parmesan crusted tilapia baked in the oven, and roasted broccoli (roasted broccoli is one of our favorite sides). Katey's favorite was the flounder.

While I'm glad we're eating more fish (again, it's healthy, tastes good, and quick), I tend to get into culinary ruts. I think next week, we'll limit the consumption of any one type of protein to twice a week. And that should go for our sides, too. We probably need to diversify our vegetable intake, although that is admittedly harder to do in the winter.

One little note. I said at the beginning of this post that I've always loved fish. That isn't really true. When I was little, maybe five years old, I went fishing with my dad at Portage Point Inn in Michigan, near Lake Michigan. I managed to catch a sunfish using canned corn kernels as bait. The hotel had a deal where they would clean and cook your fish for you.

When they brought that fish out to me, I started balling. My dad enjoyed that particular fish. I think it took me a little while to accept that our food was, at one point, alive. I'm glad I still have that respect for the animals I eat now that I hunt them myself. I think I'll enjoy tonight's venison meatballs that much more.

Food Rules

Venison provided by Mr. John Lee

Today's post is inspired by two sources. First, by Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food, and most recently, Food Rules: An Eater's Manual; and by our friend, Juliet Summers, who has taken it upon herself to follow and document her experiences eating whole foods. Essentially, she's following the Pollan mantra: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Over the weekend, we took a trip out to Rapid City. Katey had a conference about her National Board Certification, and TIE put us up in a hotel for the night. While we were there, I used my Borders Gift Card, also courtesy of TIE, to pick up the three Pollan books mentioned above. I've been thumbing through Food Rules, and I have to say, eating that way is appealing. But is it possible in rural South Dakota to find the variety of foods we really like? I realize that the fact that we live in a rural area and can't find good, wholesome, fresh food is a paradox of sorts, but the reality is that processed foods have become staples, even in the country.

We didn't plan it this way, but tomorrow's dinner would pass all of Pollan's tests. We're having venison stew with carrots, celery, and onions. Toss in a few spices, a splash of red wine, and water, set the crockpot to low, and let it simmer for 8-10 hours. No additives or preservatives, no HFCS, no unpronouncable ingredients. I think we can be happy about this meal, and if we really try, I think it can become a way of life for us.

Rabbit Food

We're raising our wedding diet plan to a whole new level this week. Nothing but salads for dinner. But in order to make it tolerable, there were rules.

Rule Number One: Never eat the same salad twice.

That meant salmon caesar salad on Tuesday; spicy chicken and spinach on Wednesday; chickpeas with romaine, spinach, and chopped peppers with a homemade vinaigrette on Thursday (ok, technically we're having split pea soup, too, but it's still all green!).

Rule Number Two: Ok, so there was really only one rule, but we figured out that having a more filling breakfast was critical for success. That's oatmeal with walnuts and dried cranberries, a hard-boiled egg, and a banana. Sounds like a lot, but it definitely makes a difference in my energy level throughout the day.

We'll do some game cooking this weekend after we get back from Rapid City.

Catchin' Up

Katey liked this meal. Steaks, marinated cumin and ancho chili powder; guacamole, prepared in the Magic Bullet; refried beans and cheddar cheese. I know, it isn't wild game, but it was pretty good anyway.

Speaking of game, we did an inventory of the deep freeze, and I figure we've got enough in there to get us through until March. After that, well, I'm not sure. We'd like to at least eat local meat. We can get grass-fed buffalo from Sinte Gleska University, and we can buy beef from the locker down in Valentine. I'd like to go ice fishing soon and supplement our diet with some fresh fish, but sadly I don't have the gear for that. If anyone's going, feel free to invite me.