Berries and Fruits
How to Make Prickly Pear Syrup
Here's how to make prickly pear syrup without the sticky business of scorching and peeling the tunas, as the fruit are called. It's all in how you strain the juice...
Mexican
Chile Poblano Rellenos
Classic Oaxacan chiles rellenos, made with dove meat in the picadillo filling. This was so worth the effort! And you can do this recipe with pretty much any meat you have on hand.
Recipe
Dove Breast Jagerschnitzel
I rarely breast out doves, but when I do I typically make this recipe. It's German jagerschnitzel, only done with dove breasts. And since chanterelles are popping in several parts of the country right now, it's a great time to make this classic.
Wild Game
Deep Fried Doves
Dove season opens tomorrow, and while I dearly love grilling doves, I like fried doves almost as much. Deep frying them sets a nice crust on the outside while leaving the meat pink near the bone.
Fish
Goan Fish Curry
Goa is a part of India that was once controlled by Portugal, and this curry is an amalgam of the two cultures. Any firm fish will work here, but I tend to use lingcod or striped bass.
Mexican
Mexican Salsa Verde
I am lucky enough to have feral little tomatillos grow in my garden, and so each year I make a big batch of Mexican tomatillo salsa verde. I eat some fresh, but the rest I can for the winter. This is a canning-safe recipe.
Berries and Fruits
How to Eat Manzanita Berries
Manzanita berries are ripening all over California right now, but few know that they are not only edible, but are well worth your time to collect. The secret? Grind the dry, apple-like berries to make a sort of manzanita sugar.
Ducks and Geese
Grilled Duck Breast
Grilled duck breast - or in this case grilled specklebelly goose breast - is a bedrock skill for any waterfowler. But it can be tricky, depending on how fat your birds are. Here's how to go about it without ruining your grill.
Salmon and Trout
Grilled Salmon Salad
Salmon salad. Pretty ordinary, right? My version, as you might expect, comes with a twist: It's made by grilling everything but the main fillets, then stripping the meat for this salad. Thrifty, and awesome.
Sweet Things
Huckleberry Muffins
It's huckleberry season here in the West. And while my favorite way to eat hucks is in a bowl with cream, I also love huckleberry muffins. My version has a bit of a tang to it from sour cream.
Charcuterie
Argentine Chorizo Sausage
There are lots of variants on the classic Spanish chorizo, and this is one from Argentina. It's a very simple fresh sausage, grilled and served with chimichurri on a roll. Here's how to make it.
Recipe
How to Make Verjus
Verjus, or verjuice, is the juice of unripe grapes - wild or cultivated. It is a classic French alternative to vinegar, and it is pretty easy to make. Here's how.
