Knives. Stainless is Bling. Game is Not.

         
                    So now that you're getting your annual game, you are cutting it up, cooking it, carving and serving it. A quality appropriately shaped utilitarian knife is essential. You can spend hundreds of dollars acquiring chef branded and/or endorsed famous brand named stainless steel ones, or you can get on ebay or better yet check out local antique shops and get vintage OLD HICKORY high carbon steel knives at a fraction of the cost. Like $12.00 total for these 3 - an 8" chef's, an 8" butcher/carver and a 6 "boning knife. With a hanging wooden display board as well( not necessary).
                 Ontario Knife Company made these" Tru-Edge"  knives for many years( made in the USA). The 1050 high carbon steel knives are easy to put an edge on with a diamond dust steel and hold their edge exceptionally well. Keep them clean and unstained with soap and water and a scotch brite pad. Don't soak them in dishwater or put them in your dishwasher.Dry them with a towel after washing as they will rust if left wet. 30 seconds cleaning is all it takes after use. Far superior all around to any stainless knife that I have found or used in 40 yrs of professional knife use.
               Stainless is bling. Game is not.    

Duck Breast Pate w/ Homemade Crackers

              A wild duck tastes like everything it ever did or ever ate. That is exciting. If you are lucky enough to get one or more, you should bone it out and soak it/them in a marinade involving red wine, balsamic vinegar, onions, garlic, olive oil, herbs de Provence and crushed red pepper, worcestershire and mustard. That is complex, but so is a northern mallard. A perfect match. You could soak them for a day to a week in the fridge ,and then saute them gently in butter till done. Chill.
             Finely dice duck meat, add 1/3 cream cheese and a little milk to get a soft consistency.Shape in a round and top with jalapeno jelly. Chill. Serve with homemade crackers.
                

Chili, Scrambled Eggs and Cheese

                                             Make your favorite chili recipe and serve it over scrambled eggs with fresh grated colby jack cheese and whole wheat toast. Top with sour cream.

Meatloaf

     Make your favorite meatloaf recipe and serve it with potato pancakes.

Potato Pancakes

                     Back in the 70's I was a cook at the Black Forest Inn in South Minneapolis. It was a renowned German restaurant, famous for many of it's authentic old world recipes. Soups, sauces and gravies were made from in house stock from beef and chicken bones that were skillet browned and simmered for 24 hours. Fat from sides of beef was ground and bagged and frozen and rendered into deep fat frier oil once a month. House cut french fries were fried in this fat.
                   As were potato pancakes.Grated boiled potatoes, onions, eggs, flour, marjoram,nutmeg.browned like hashbrowns and served with applesauce and sour cream. 
                        

Zucchini Bread

My mom was not much of a cook but I loved what she cooked because I didn't know any better. In hindsight I can say that she nailed about a half dozen plus a few more recipes.Her strength, really, was language and love.
    Her Dad was 2 yrs old in 1881 when he emigrated to the US. Her grandfather Eric Engson was the 1st practising medical doctor in Kittson County in NW Minnesota. Twenty years later he was granted a license. He had been an apprentice doctor in Sweden where he and his doctor/ mentor had specialised in bone fractures in a logging area of Sweden. Logs, axes, loggers, consequent fractures and necesary repair.
       Mom spoke only Swedish when she attended 1st grade. English came quickly and years later she would teach English, French, German and Spanish in Secondary school in Minnetonka,Mn.
       Mom was a single parent to the 3 of us kids after twin brother Jim and I(John) were in 1st grade. Sister Karen was 4 yrs older. Dad had early success as a teacher, principal and coach but booze did him in and he lost his job and his marriage.
        Mom made great banana nut bread.Warm from the oven and spread with fresh butter there was nothing better.

Zucchini Bread - adapted from several sources including Mom and me and Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

                   3 eggs
                   1 cup olive and veg oil or combo
                   1 cup brown sugar
                   1/2 cup maple syrup
                   2 cups grated zucchini or summer squash or combo
                   1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
                   1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
                   1/2 cup oatmeal
                   3 tsp cinnamon
                   1/4 tsp nutmeg
                   1 tsp baking soda
                   1/2 tsp baking powder
                   1 tsp salt
                   1 cup chopped walnuts
                   1 cup chocolate chips

                   Method:
                               Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8 inch cake pans.
                               Beat eggs, oil and sugar and maple syrup with a whisk, add zucchini.
                              Incorporate  flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and
                               add to egg mixture. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.

                              Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cut like a pie and serve warm with butter.