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I received, for lack of a better word, a loaf of ground venison from a friend and wanted to use it in a way I hadn’t done before. I’ve prepared Rack of Venison before but never had the opportunity to work with ground product. Being wild caught I knew that the ground meat would be a tad gamier so I needed something that would take advantage of that fact without totally masking the taste. I immediately thought of doing a chili but the recipes I have would almost surely obliterate that fact that my guests would be eating deer meat. I went through my library of recipes and decided on the one I have for turkey chili adjusting it to taste. This recipe will make enough for six people.

You will need:
One pound ground Venison
One medium Vidalia or Walla Walla onion diced.
One medium green pepper diced.
Olilve Oil
One 14 ounce can diced tomato.
One 14 ounce can white beans such as cannellini, drained and rinsed.
Chicken Broth – approximately 2 cups.
Tomato Paste – approximately 2 TBSP.
Garlic – approximately 2 cloves diced finely.
Chili powder – approximately 2 TBSP
Ground Cumin – approximately 2 tsp.
Ground Cinnamon – approximately 1 tsp.
Ground Allspice – approximately 1 tsp
Dried Oregano – approximately 2 tsp.l
Salt/pepper to taste
Good quality bittersweet chocolate – approximately 2 TBSP grated fine.
Grated Sharp Cheddar cheese

In a hot dutch oven add 2 or 3 TBSP of olive oil – remember venison is very lean – sauté ground meat until just browned, add tomato paste, garlic, onion, green pepper continue to sauté until vegetables soften, add all the spices/herbs and continue to cook for approximately three minutes. Taste for balance of seasonings adjust to your personal taste. Add chicken broth, diced tomato and beans stir to combine. Turn heat down to a simmer, cover dutch oven and cook for approximately 20 minutes. Check again for seasoning balance and adjust if needed. Stir in grated chocolate, serve immediately topped with some of the grated cheddar cheese.

I had a taste for seafood but really did not know what I was going to prepare. I visited my local fishmonger to see what was available. The usual fare was there, nothing seemed to tickle my fancy. I was about to consider something else to have and then she brought out some bay scallops and shrimp. They looked so fresh although I knew they were recently thawed and ready to be displayed. At first I thought to do the usual shrimp scampi but just couldn’t resist purchasing both.

My mind started to envision how to put these two items together and what else to add to make an interesting combination. I walked around the produce department and saw some sun dried tomatoes they were snatched up quickly to add to my growing recipe. I considered what I had in my larder at home and knew that I had some heavy cream and garlic along with half a box of fettuccini.  My meal was set. You will find that this is a quick and simple dish to prepare.

You will need :

Bay Scallops – approximately ¼ lb/serving
Shrimps – approximately ¼ lb/serving [16 21's or smaller]
Sun Dried Tomatoes – approximately ½ oz/serving – I used dry packed but olive oil packed should work as well.
Fresh Garlic – to taste
Tomato Paste – approximately 1 tsp/serving
Hot Pepper Flakes – to taste
Heavy Cream – approximately ¼ cup/serving [add more if you like a soupier sauce]
Romano Cheese – grated – approximately 2 TBS/serving

In a stock pot large enough to hold the pasta bring water to a rapid boil. Add pasta and prepare to just al denté. Peel and de-vein the shrimp, combine with scallops lightly salt and pepper. In a sauté pan large enough to hold all the ingredients add a good quality olive oil and heat to a simmer. Finely dice garlic add to sauté pan along with tomato paste and pepper flakes.  Once the garlic is translucent add shrimp and scallops. Cook seafood until shrimp starts to become opaque tossing occasionally to distribute evenly. Add heavy cream and Romano cheese to the shrimp/scallop mixture cook until the cream starts to thicken. Add pasta to the sauté pan and stir into the seafood sauce. Serve immediately.

This simple sauce is made from a variety of very ripe tomatoes from the garden. I call this a starter sauce as it could be used, with some additional ingredients, in many regional/ethnic recipes. Here I have outlined the sauce and thereafter showed some variable.

For the starter sauce:
Garden ripened tomatoes – any assortment you might have
Garlic bulbs – use any ratio depending on your personal taste
Good quality olive oil
Sea Salt
Cracked pepper

Heat oven to 350° F. While oven is heating core out the stem side of the tomato, just enough to remove the stem attachement, cut a small “X” into the other side. Place the tomatoes, cored side down on a baking sheet, cover liberally with olive oil, salt and pepper. Separate garlic bulb into cloves and add to the baking sheet. Roast the tomatoes and garlic until skins are blistered and cracked [NB: Time needed will depend on the size of the largest tomato]. Once the tomatoes and garlic are roasted remove from oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet.

Place a strainer/sieve over a non-reactive bowl and squeeze the tomatoes to remove seeds and inner membrane. Press any solid through the strainer/sieve leaving only the seeds behind. Crush the tomatoes into the bowl holding the juices. Cut off the stem end of the garlic gloves and squeeze the pulp into the tomato liquid. Place tomato/garlic mixture into a sauce pot, season with additional salt if needed and cook over low heat until the tomatoes break down to your desired texture.

For an Italian style sauce: Add torn fresh basil, oregano and olive oil just before serving.
For a Mediterranean style sauce: Add finely sliced red bell pepper, finely sliced sweet onion, pitted and sliced black olives and fresh oregano [NB: Simmer the added vegetables in the sauce until they wilt then add the oregano just before serving]
For a Spanish style sauce: Add any of the following in any combination [NB: this will need some trial and error here for although they each compliment the other quantities will need to be adjusted to personal taste} ground clove, paprika, cinnamon, parsley, mint, rosemary and thyme

Here is an easy yet refreshing pasta sauce. If you don’t have a garden you can purchase these fresh items from your farmer’s market.

You will need:
Italian style plum tomatoes (such as San Marzano) – approximately five per serving
Fresh Garlic – approximately two cloves/serving
Fresh Shallot – approximately two cloves/serving
Good quality olive oil
Fresh Basil – approximately two TBSP/serving
Fresh Oregano – approximately one TBSP/serving
Pepperoncini – approximately one tsp/serving (if you don’t like a little spice you can eliminate this item)
Fresh or dried pasta – I used Spaghetti Rigati for this recipe [this pasta is slightly thicker than Ange Hair - approximately four ounces dry pasta/serving

Clean herbs well and chiffonade - set aside [NB: Lay basil leaves flat on cutting surface, stack several leaves then place oregano leaves on top, stack remaining basil leaves on top. Roll basil/oregano bundle into a tube form then finely chiffonade. This method makes it easy to work with the smaller oregano leaves]. Quarter tomatoes and remove all seeds and membrane, cut quarters in half and set aside. In a sauce pot large enough to hold all the tomatoes add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Heat oil until just shimmering, add pepperoncini, garlic and shallot, with a wooden spoon stir until garlic/shallot mixture is just translucent add tomatoes add salt and pepper to taste and cover pot. Cook tomato mixture over medium heat until they break down. When the sauce is broken down mash larger pieces to get a somewhat chunky consistency, cook pasta. When pasta is ready add basil/oregano chiffonade to sauce, plate spaghetti and top with the fresh garden tomato sauce.

Baked Potato with Horseradish Mayonnaise
Steamed Broccoli with Tahini Compound Butter

You will need:
Angus or other good quality Rib Eye Steak – one/serving (I used a steak that was cut one inch thick)
Broccoli Crown – one/per serving
Baking Potato – one small/per serving
Garlic clove – two/serving
Shallot clove – two/serving
Olive Oil – two TBSP/serving
Panko Bread Crumbs – approximately three TBSP/serving
Tahini – approximately one TBSP/serving
Softened Unsalted Butter – approximately one TBSP/Serving
Sea or Kosher Salt – to taste
Fresh Ground Pepper – to taste
Mayonnaise (jarred will do) – one TBSP/serving
Horseradish (jarred will do) – one TBSP/serving

Prepare crust:
Finely dice garlic and shallot cloves place into preheated sauté pan and cook until just translucent (do not brown) set aside to cool. When garlic/shallot mixture is cool add Panko crumbs to coat, set aside.

For Horseradish Mayonnaise:
Combine horseradish and mayonnaise and set aside. If you decide to use fresh horseradish you will have too grate a little more than the stated one TBSP and combine with a little vinegar and sugar.

For Tahini Compound Butter:
Bring butter to room temperature to soften then combine well with Tahini Paste and set aside.

Prepare the Potato:
Coat the potato with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake as you would normally when the potato is finished baking start with the balance of the steps to follow (keep warm)

Prepare the steak:
I used an oven ready grill pan however you can sauté the steak if you desire. Coat both sides of the steak with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté/grill steak on one side for approximately five minutes or until a good crust/grill marks are evident. Turn steak and coat with the bread crumb mixture. If you are using a sauté pan you will need to turn the steak over one additional time to get the crust mixture crisped and browned. This step will take a little practice since you might lose some of the coating. Finish steak to desired doneness

In the meantime steam the broccoli crown(s) until just al denté.

Top the broccoli with compound butter, cut open the potato and top with horseradish/mayonnaise plate and serve.

I like a good steak occasionally and although I, at times, like it with a little steak sauce [my latest favorite is A-1 Cracked Peppercorn] I decided to do something with mushrooms, onions and Marsala wine. It is simple, quick and easy and hits the spot. I served this with Baby Brussels Sprouts.

You will need:
Bone-in New York Strip steak approximately 8 ounces/serving.
Coarse Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper
Olive Oil
Baby Brussels Sprouts approximately 4 ounces/serving
Butter (unsalted) approximately two tablespoons/serving.
Button Mushrooms, sliced, approximately 4 ounces/serving
Sweet Onion such as Walla Walla or Vidalia, sliced thin.
Dry Marsala Wine approximately 4 TBSP/serving.
Kosher Salt/Pepper

Rub olive oil on both sides of steak, season with sea salt and cracked pepper then grill or pan sauté to desired doneness. While steak is cooking pour olive oil into a sauté pan large enough to hold all ingredients add butter when oil is warm, add sliced mushrooms and onions, season with salt and pepper. Sauté until mushrooms lose most of their moisture and onions are translucent. Add Marsala wine and continue to cook until wine is absorbed.

While the steak and mushrooms are cooking place Brussels Sprouts in a pot of boiling water, make sure the pot is large enough to hold all the sprouts without crowding. Depending on the size of the sprouts boil, until they are fork tender then remove from pot and keep warm. In a small sauce pot melt butter until just foamy, add salt/pepper to taste, add a small amount of cornstarch or arrowroot to some water to form a smooth paste whisk into butter until slightly thickened add Brussels sprouts to coat.

This is my rendition of the ever-popular Olive salad used by many when preparing a Muffuletta Sandwich. I think you will like this spread and use it for any sandwich you decide to build. The recipe below will give you enough to cover a 9″ Focaccia round or one 6 x 12″ Ciabatta loaf.

You will Need:
Pimento Stuffed Olives – 3/4 cup
Pitted Black Olives – 1/4 cup
Capers – approximately 2 TBSP
Fresh Garlic – 1 or 2 cloves
Fresh Basil – 1 ounce
Fresh Mint – 1 ounce
Orange Zest – approximately 1/2 TBSP
Lemon Zest – approximately 1/2 TBSP
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – use the good stuff here – approximately 3 TBSP
Balsamic Vinegar – 1 tsp

In a food processor place basil and mint in a food processor and chop to a fine past. Add both zests, garlic and half the olive oil, vinegar and process until garlic gloves are incorporated. Add both olives and capers and pulse until the olives are approximately 1/8″ dice. You might need to add some of the balance of the olive oil if the product gets too dry. This is a visual step depending on how much liquid is exuded from the olives and capers. You can make this ahead and store in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature before use.

This simple and fast dish is perfect for a light meal or side dish. I had some mushrooms and onions leftover from diner the other night and wanted to use them. I had a taste for a pasta dish and came up with this.

You will need:
Mushrooms – approximately one cup/serving
Sweet Onion – approximately one cup/serving
Olive Oil – approximately two tsp/serving
Tomato Paste – approximately one tsp/serving
Oregano Pesto or Fresh Oregano chopped with olive oil to form a paste – approximately 1 tsp/serving
Garlic – approximately one clove/serving
Salt/Pepper
Shell Pasta

Prepare pasta according to package directions. In the mean time medium dice mushrooms and onion and puree garlic. In a sauté pan large enough to hold mixture heat olive oil until hot, add mushroom, onion and garlic and sauté until onions become translucent. Make a small clear area in the pan and add the tomato paste and pesto/oregano and sauté a few minutes then combine all elements. Salt and pepper to taste. When pasta is cooked drain well and return to pot add mushroom mixture and heat through.

Pasta with Five Cheeses and Pancetta

This is not your kids mac and cheese but they will love it too. You can adjust quantities according to your personal taste.

You will need:
Parmesan Cheese – shredded – 1/2 cup
Mozzarella Cheese – 1/2 cup (use fresh not smoked)
Asiago Cheese – shredded – 1/2 cup
Fontina Cheese – shredded – 1/2 cup
Gorgonzola Cheese – 1/4 cup
Whole Milk – 4 qts – heated
All purpose Flour – 8 TBS
Butter – 8 TBS
Fresh nutmeg
Pancetta – 1/4 inch thick slice – 1 or 2 depending on taste
Good quality Italian/french bread (use food processor to crumb) – approximately 1/2 cup
Salt/pepper – to taste (if you want a cleaner sauce use white pepper)
Olive Oil
Tubular or shaped pasta such as penne rigate, radiatore, farfalle, cavatappi or conchiglie – 1 pound

Prepare pasta by bringing large pot of salted water to a rapid boil, add pasta and cook until just below al dente. In a dutch oven or pot large enough to hold cooked pasta plus one quart liquid heat one tablespoon olive oil. Cut pancetta into 1/4 inch dice, when oil is heated add pancetta. Cook pancetta until crisp, remove from pot with slotted spoon and reserve. Pour off any fat left from pancetta add butter and flour and cook until combined scraping up brown bits from pan. Slowly pour heated milk into pot stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Bring milk to a fast simmer then add Parmesan, Asiago and Fontina cheeses stirring well to allow cheeses to melt. Add salt and pepper to taste and 4 or 5 scrapes of the nutmeg, stir well. Remove from heat, fold in cooked pasta until well coated, crumble gorgonzola cheese into mixture, combine well, cut mozzerella cheese into 1/2 inch chunks then fold into mixture

Butter a 9 x 13 oven proof dish, pour cheese and pasta mixture into pan and level top, combine bread crumbs with parmesan cheese and cover top. Bake in a 350° F oven until top is golden brown. This works well as a side dish or main course.

If you love lamb and Greek style cooking this delicious dish will satisfy your appetite.

You will need:
Loin lamb chops – approximately 1 1/2″ thick 3 or 4/serving
Olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
Kosher or Sea salt
Oregano Pesto

Heat sauté or grill pan, large enough to hold all the chops, until very hot. Coat both sides of chops with olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat oven to 400° F. Sear chops until a nice dark crust or grill marks appear turn over and repeat. Remove chops from sauté/grill pan and keep warm. Spread Oregano Pesto on one side of the chops, place on a sheet pan and finish cooking in the oven. Thickness of the chops and desired doneness will determine time. For medium rare, a thermometer inserted into the chop should read approximately 145 to 150 degrees. Remove from oven, tent with foil an let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with Rosemary Oven Roasted Potato.