Snow Geese Abound!

The Snow Geese have arrived, and there are thousands of them in the county! New York State DEC has once again implemented a special snow goose season from March 11-April 15, 2010 with a daily bag limit of 15 Snows. This is a conservation effort to control the number of Snow Geese which have grown significantly over the past 50 years and are damaging the arctic tundra where they breed. You can read more about this at NYS DEC and get information on the hunting regulations. Also, the Artic Goose Joint Venture (AGJV) is a multi-agency partnership between the federal governments of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, along with some States, Provinces and Ducks Unlimited, that was established to further understand and manage North America's geese. AGJV has a great website, including a snow goose cookbook!

Here is a simple crock pot recipe for BBQ Snow Goose;

Pulled BBQ Goose

boneless, skinless breast from 1 snow goose

cold water

2 Tbsp, plus 2Tbsp salt

bottle of favorite BBQ sauce

Dissolve 2 Tbsp of salt in 2 quarts of cold water in a glass, plastic or ceramic bowl (not metal). Place the snow goose breasts in the water and gently knead the meat to remove blood, feathers, shot, etc. Rinse the meat and set aside. Add 2 quarts fresh, cold water to the bowl along with another 2 Tbsp of salt. Add the meat and put in the refrigerator to brine the meat for about 4 hours or overnight (this step is optional). Rinse the goose and cut into thin strips. Put goose meat in a crock pot and add enough BBQ sauce to coat and/or cover the meat. Stir to combine and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours. You can serve the goose meat on whole wheat rolls as a sandwich or over noodles or rice. Serves 4-6. Each serving of meat has about 180 calories and 3.5 g of fat (no saturated!).

(note: source of snow goose photo was the National Fish and Wildlife Service, National Digital Library)

Ice Fishing- Perch

Ice fishing is on in Seneca County! Watch an ice fishing clip, get some basic know-how tips, and find ice fishing regulations from NYS DEC. There are many informal reports of nice size perch coming out of the frozen north end of Cayuga Lake. There is a daily limit of 50 yellow perch and no size regulations, though it is tough to get a boneless fillet off the small perch. The sweet flesh makes up for the time consuming filleting!

Here is a healthy version of "fried" perch...

Parmesan Perch Fries

1 lb of boneless perch fillets (could be 6+ fish)

1/4 cup skim milk

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

1 tsp parsley flakes

dash of salt to taste or Old Bay seasoning

1 T. olive oil

Rinse perch fillets. Put milk in a small bowl or dish. Mix cheese and seasonings (except oil) on a plate or in a shallow bowl. Heat olive oil over medium to medium high heat. Place perch fillets in milk and then coat them individually with the cheese "breading". Place parmesan crusted fillets in hot oil and brown about 3 minutes per side. Serve with lemon wedges if desired. Serves 2-4 people.

Waterfowl brunch

Canada geese and ducks close this weekend on January 10th. If you harvest a few ducks in the morning you may want to consider a waterfowl brunch.

Duck for Brunch
1 duck breast (both halves)
1 clove minced garlic
1 T. fresh parsley, if available
1 T. olive oil

Thinly slice fresh duck breast. Heat olive oil in a saute pan or iron skillet over medium heat. Add duck, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Saute the duck for a few minutes until cooked. Best served rare or medium rare for tenderness but cook according to your preference. Serve with eggs and brunch fixings in lieu of traditional bacon or sausage.

Squirrel Fricassee

If you are looking for a diversion from deer hunting, and since the waterfowl is a bit scarce, then why not consider some squirrel? I must confess, I was a bit skeptical about squirrel consumption at first, but having tried some recipes to post here, I have to say, it is mighty tasty! It is also a perfect way to get youth excited about bringing game to the table. Here is a tried and true recipe from a local ag leader...

Mike's Squirrel Fricassee

4 squirrels
2 cups flour
1-2 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning
Olive oil for frying
2 large onions, chopped fine
8 tsp lemon juice
6 cups chicken broth or consumme
4 bay leaves


• Cut squirrel into serving pieces. (3 pieces/animal, 2 thighs and mid section)
• Rub seasoning into meat.
• Roll meat in the flour and fry until brown in hot oil in a large heavy skillet.
• Place browned meat pieces in a large glass casserole dish.
• Add onion and remaining flour to left over oil and brown.
• When onion and flour are brown, add chicken broth or cosumme to make gravy.
• Pour gravy over the meat pieces in the casserole dish, enough to just cover the meat.
• Add lemon juice and bay leaves and bake @ 300 F for 2 to 2.5 hours (until meat is tender).
• Serve over rice or whipped potatoes

Cagey T's Cherry Goose Recipe

Wow your family and friends with this elegant and delicious appetizer

2 goose breast halves (from 1 goose)
1 1/2 cups of port
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 garlic cloves or 1 T. minced
2 T. maraschino cherry juice and ~15 cherries for serving
1/4 cup dried cherries
2 T brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
dash of chili powder or cayenne pepper
Dark chocolate sauce (such as a melted bar or Hershey's sauce)

Marinate the goose in about 1 cup of port, 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1 T. of minced garlic, and a dash of salt and pepper mixed in a glass, ceramic or plastic bowl. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 days, turning the goose occasionally.

When ready to cook, have ready a skillet, tooth picks and a serving plate. Drizzle the dark chocolate on your serving plate in a decorative pattern and set aside. Heat 1 T. olive oil over medium high heat in a heavy skillet until hot (about 300 degrees). Add the goose breasts and sear both sides, 1-2 minutes a side until brown. Remove pan from heat and remove goose from the pan and cut into bit sized chunks (when cool enough to handle). Lightly flour the goose (about 1 T. of flour sprinkled over meat). Put skillet back on medium heat and add 1/2 cup of port, 1-2 T of Maraschino cherry juice, and 1/4 cup of dried cherries. Bring this mixture to a gentle boil and scrape up any bits of browned goose from pan. Add the goose chunks back into the pan, along with 2 T. of brown sugar and cook the goose a bit more, turning it in the sauce as the sauce thickens. Stir the sauce constantly as it thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Add a dash of salt, pepper and chili powder to taste (just a sprinkle should do). Remove the pan from the heat and remove each piece of goose, swirling it in the sauce, with a tooth pick (for serving) and carefully place each piece of goose on the chocolate drizzled serving plate. You may add a maraschino cherry to each bit of goose for serving.

Venison steaks! Tomorrow is opening day for Deer (gun) in Seneca County

Here is tried and true way to make venison steaks....

Swiss-steak Style Venison
1 lb. venison steak or boneless chops
1/4 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 T. olive oil
1 small onion (about 1/2 cup), chopped
1 clove of minced garlic (1-2 tsp)
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped peppers
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 pint diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
2 tsp Italian seasoning or a mix of oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, etc.
salt and pepper to taste

Flour the venison steak and pound with a meat mallet until about 1/4-1/2" thickness. In a large braising pan or cast iron skillet(properly seasoned, of course)heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the steaks and cook about 3 minutes until well browned. Flip and brown the other side. Remove the meat and set aside on a plate. Add the onion, carrot, pepper, mushroom, garlic and 1 tsp herbs to the skillet. Saute the veggies 3-5 minutes. Push the veggies aside, put the steaks back in the pan, and arrange veggies around and on top of the meat. Mix the other 1 tsp herbs with the tomatoes and pour on top of the meat and vegetables. Cover pan and cook in a 325 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. Serves 4. Can be served over brown rice or whole grain noodles with a side salad for a balance, nutritious meal!

Waterfowl season opened Saturday

Ducks opened Oct 24th until Dec 6th for the first season in Seneca County. Canada geese also opened Oct 24th and go until Nov 21. NYS DEC has a very informational migratory game bird pdf that includes a waterfowl hunter's code of ethics, some guidelines for waterfowl consumption, license requirements, shipping information, etc. Of particular interest to wild harvest feasting is a short section that reads as follows:

"The NYS Department of Health recommends
that:
• You eat no mergansers.
• You remove all fat and skin from waterfowlt
before cooking.
• You discard stuffing after cooking waterfowl.
• You eat no more than two waterfowl per
month."

Here is an easy way to prepare duck or goose breast in a way that masks any hint of gameyness...

Thai (red or green) Waterfowl Curry
1 duck (both halves)or goose (1 half)breast cut into thin slices
1 Tbsp red or green thai curry paste found in the asian section of many grocery stores (check for a curry recipe on the jar)
1 can coconut milk (low-fat if possible)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
3 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 cup fresh veggies, such as thin sliced onion, carrot, broccoli, celery, etc

Par boil the thin sliced duck or goose breast for 1-2 minutes and drain liquid. Then proceed to make the recipe for red or green curry dish on the label of the Thai curry paste. Basically, simmer all above ingredients for 10-15 minutes.