Upper Tonsina Roadhouse garden.
Upper Tonsina Roadhouse garden.
Hibrow Cow 
GORDON NELSON
The woman who offered me this recipe wished to remain unknown, but would accept Watts as an alias as long as I preceded it with Ms. She was blonde, with blue eyes and much more. The Tired Wolf had a momentary flash of rejuvenation, which faded all too fast. When she was gone, I managed to read the recipe. I had to try it. I hope you will, too. Leftovers can be reheated. Like so many dishes, this seems to improve with time to mature.
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground coriander
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 large onions, chopped
¼ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup tomato paste
5½ cups water
2 cups lentils
2 limes, cut in wedges (lemons okay)
• In a small bowl combine cayenne, paprika, ginger, cardamom, garlic powder, salt, coriander, cinnamon, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons water. Mix into a smooth paste and set aside.
• In a 5-quart pan over medium heat, sauté onions in oil for about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and spice-bowl contents. Add ½ cup of water and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring.
• Add remaining 5 cups of water and lentils. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook, covered, for 45 minutes, occasionally stirring. Test lentils. They should be soft to the bite. Add cooking time only if needed, and in small amounts.
• Serve in bowls while still hot. Place slices of lime or lemon beside each bowl.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS.
A Cache of Recipes LAURA COLE
The avocado and sour cream help cool the spiciness of these little cakes. Cooking the black beans in a rich vegetable broth infuses them with flavor.
1 cup dried black beans
6 cups rich vegetable stock
6 scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup diced red bell pepper
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1½ teaspoons minced jalapeño chile
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 eggs
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 cup yellow cornmeal
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 large avocados, peeled and pitted, each cut into 9 slices
6 tablespoons sour cream
18 sprigs of cilantro
• Soak the beans overnight covered in cool water. Rinse the beans well and drain. Transfer to a large heavy-bottomed stockpot and add vegetable stock to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are cooked tender, about 45 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool running water.
• Place the drained beans in a large bowl. Using a potato masher, mash the beans coarsely. Add the scallions, red bell pepper, cilantro, garlic, and jalapeño. Stir to combine well. Season with the cumin and salt, stirring to combine. Mix in the eggs, stirring to combine. Add the bread crumbs to form a dough. Place the cornmeal in a shallow bowl.
• Scoop out 2 tablespoons of the bean mixture and drop it into the cornmeal, turning to coat. Shape into a cake and repeat with the remaining bean mixture, making a total of 18 cakes.
• Preheat the oven to 250°F. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, start frying the bean cakes, working in batches. Fry for about 5 minutes per side. Drain the bean cakes on paper towels and transfer to a shallow baking dish. Keep them warm in the oven while frying the remaining cakes.
• Serve the bean cakes warm on slices of avocado, topped with a dollop of sour cream. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.
MAKES 18 CAKES, 6 SERVINGS.
A Cache of Recipes LAURA COLE
It is important to look for eggplant with a tight, dark skin that is free of blemishes. For this recipe, look for long, thin eggplant rather than the huge, pear-shaped variety.
½ cup olive oil
1 pound Japanese eggplant, cut crosswise into ⅓-inch slices
1¼ pounds zucchini, cut crosswise into ⅓-inch slices
4 large plum tomatoes, cut lengthwise into ⅓-inch slices
2 red onions, cut into ⅓-inch slices
1 pound red potatoes, cut into ⅓-inch slices
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
1½ teaspoons fresh thyme
8 ounces mozzarella, cut into ¼-inch slices
6 sprigs rosemary
• Preheat the over to 450°F. Brush 2 sheet pans with some of the olive oil. Arrange as many of the vegetables as possible in a single layer in the pans. Brush the vegetables with some of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables in the lower third of the oven until just tender and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a tray, arranging them by type in a single layer to cool. Roast the remaining vegetables in the same manner.
• In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
• Put 1 eggplant slice on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Spread 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture over the eggplant, top with 2 potato slices and then layer with 2 zucchini slices, 1 onion slice, 1 mozzarella slice, 2 tomato slices, 2 zucchini slices, and 1 additional onion slice. Spread a second tablespoon of ricotta mixture over the last layer of onion, and top with 1 eggplant slice. Secure the tower with a bamboo skewer.
• Repeat the process with the remaining vegetables, forming 5 more towers. Return to the oven for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are heated all the way through and the cheese has melted.
• Trim the rosemary sprigs so that they are 1 inch taller than the Napoleons, and remove the bottom leaves from the sprigs, leaving about 1 inch of needles around the top. After removing the Napoleons from the oven, remove the bamboo skewers and replace them with the rosemary sprigs to serve.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS.
A Cache of Recipes LAURA COLE
For the best flavor, we recommend making the sauce a day ahead.
Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, minced
¼ cup chopped celery leaves
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cups prepared tomato sauce
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• To make the sauce: In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Sauté until aromatic. Stir in the celery leaves and parsley. Sauté until aromatic. Reduce the heat and stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, bay leaf, pepper, salt, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until very thick, up to 4 hours. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Cool and refrigerate until ready to use. Remove the bay leaf before using.
Lasagna
1 (8-ounce) package small, wavy lasagna noodles
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 pound spinach, cooked and well drained
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
½ cups sliced zucchini
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
½ cup sliced black olives
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• To assemble and bake lasagna: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a deep-sided 9-by-13-inch baking dish, or extend the sides of a shallower pan with a double thickness of greased aluminum foil.
• Spoon ⅓ of the sauce in the bottom of the dish, and top with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. Spread the ricotta cheese evenly over the noodles, and top with the spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini. Spoon ⅓ of the sauce over the top, and layer with the remaining noodles. Cover the noodles with the grated Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheeses. Top with the carrots and olives. Spoon the remaining sauce on top. Cover loosely with greased aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes, remove the foil, and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 more minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow the lasagna to set for at least 15 minutes before cutting.
MAKES 12 SERVINGS.
The Riversong Lodge Cookbook KIRSTEN DIXON
We make different pies for lunches at the lodge. Europeans are delighted with this dish. Adapt the recipe for a river trip by preparing the pie in a large cast-iron skillet over the camp stove.
1 cup finely chopped onion
1½ cups sliced wild mushrooms
1½ cups sliced summer squash (a variety of types, preferably)
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons canola oil
5 eggs
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
3 cups fresh spinach, blanched, drained, and chopped
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch springform pan.
• In a large skillet, sauté the onion, mushrooms, squash, and garlic in the oil until softened, about 10 minutes. Combine the eggs and ricotta cheese in a large bowl. Beat until well blended. Add the sautéed vegetables, thyme, spinach, and feta cheese. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Pour into the prepared springform pan. Place on the center rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour or until set. Serve in wedges.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS.
The Riversong Lodge Cookbook KIRSTEN DIXON
We serve this hash as a breakfast dish or as a vegetarian main dish at other meals. We modify the ingredients according to the season.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 large potato, diced
⅓ cup homemade or canned chicken stock
1 red bell pepper, diced into ½-inch pieces
1 cup sliced wild mushrooms
¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1 egg
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup grated white cheddar cheese
• Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, carrot, potato, and chicken stock to the skillet. Cover and braise the vegetables until tender and the liquid is absorbed, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove 1 cup of the vegetable mixture and set aside. Add the red pepper, mushrooms, and basil to the skillet. Continue to cook uncovered for an additional 5 minutes, tossing the vegetables gently to mix.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F
• Puree the reserved 1 cup of vegetables, the egg, and the cream in a food processor until almost smooth. Scrape into a large bowl. Add the vegetables from the skillet to the bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the same skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable mixture, spreading it evenly in the bottom of the skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes over medium-high heat. Bake in the oven until browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Heat the broiler. Sprinkle the cheese over the hash. Broil until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Cut the hash into wedges and serve immediately.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS.
The Double Musky Inn Cookbook
BOB AND DEANNA PERSONS
4 or 6 medium zucchini
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons Pasta Spice
8 eggs
Splash of milk
2 cups Seasoned Bread Crumbs plus extra
Oil for deep frying
Horseradish Sauce
• Peel the zucchini and cut off both ends. Cut the zucchini in half crosswise, then split each half into wedges about ½ to ¾ inch thick. You want to end up with pieces the size of thick French fries.
• Mix the flour and Pasta Spice together in a small bowl. Mix the eggs and milk together in another small bowl. Put the Seasoned Bread Crumbs in a third small bowl.
• Next, bread the zucchini, using one hand for the dry breading and the other hand for the egg wash. First, dip the wedges into the seasoned flour and shake off the excess, then dip them into the egg wash and shake them around so that they are fully coated, then place them on the bread crumbs and cover them with more crumbs. Gently shake the bowl so that the zucchini wedges roll in the crumbs and are coated.
• Place the zucchini on paper towels; be gentle as the coating will easily brush off.
• Deep-fry the zucchini in oil preheated to 375°F until they are dark brown; drain on more paper towels to soak up any excess oil.
• Serve immediately with Horseradish Sauce.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS.
Pasta Spice
1 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1 cup paprika
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon thyme
3 tablespoons granulated garlic
3 tablespoons granulated onion
7 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons white pepper
• For Pasta Spice: Mix pasta spice well and store in sealed container. Makes approximately 1½ cups.
Seasoned Bread Crumbs
5½ cups dry bread crumbs
6 tablespoons oregano
6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
6 tablespoons parsley flakes
½ cup Pasta Spice
• For Seasoned Bread Crumbs: Fill a food processor bowl (metal blade installed) with the bread crumbs. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until mixed. You can also mix the bread crumbs by hand in a bowl, but some of the spices may settle if the crumbs are not mixed up again before use. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Horseradish Sauce
1 pound sour cream
5 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
• For Horseradish Sauce: Mix together horseradish store in refrigerator.
MAKES 2½ CUPS
