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2C
♦ WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15,2006
From sea to shining sea
Montana - Big Sky, buffalo and fry bread country
ByJALOO ZELONIS
Journal Guest Writer
Montana is a land of para
doxes and extremes. The
fourth largest state in the
nation, it is 44th in popu
lation, with many counties
averaging six or fewer peo
ple per square mile.
The elk, deer and ante
lope populations outnum
ber the humans. No state
has as many different spe
cies of mammals. It holds
the record for the lowest
temperature recorded in the
lower 48 states (-70 degrees,
January 20, 1954) as well as
the world record for 24-hour
temperature change (103
degrees, from -54 degrees to
49 degrees.)
Montana is the only state
with a triple divide, allow
ing its rivers and streams
to provide water for three
oceans and three of the
North American continent’s
major river basins. The
Yellowstone River is the
longest un-dammed river in
North America. The Roe
River, which competes with
a river in Oregon as the
world’s shortest river, is fed
by the largest fresh water
spring in the United States.
Montana has sent only one
woman to the U.S. Congress,
but she was the first woman
ever to serve, and completed
her first term in office before
most women could legally
vote. It is a land of cowboys
and of Indians; fishermen
and hunters; glaciers and
hot springs.
I lived and worked in
Montana for 16 years, as a
U.S. Public Health Service
nurse officer, assigned to the
Indian Health Service. The
Indian Health Service has
responsibility for overseeing
the health care of Native
Americans in the state.
Montana has 11 Indian
tribes living on seven res
ervations. Together they
make up about 6 percent of
Montana’s population. They
have kept the rich culture
and traditions of their past.
This rich heritage contrib
utes to the distinct flavor
of Montana. Their culture
is celebrated through food,
dance, songs, games, lan
guage, and religious ceremo
nies.
Many of the tribes main
tain bison (commonly
referred to as buffalo) herds.
The bison and plains Indians
have a strong historical con
nection, the bison providing
food, clothing, weapons and
spiritual strength.
Buffalo may be used in
place of beef with any of
your favorite recipes if you
remember a few basic tips:
When oven-broiling buf
falo, move your broiler rack
away from the heat about a
notch lower from where you
normally broil beefsteaks.
Check buffalo steaks a few
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Glacier National Park
Montana is a land of spectacular scenery, where the elk, deer and antelope outnumber the people.
minutes sooner than you
normally would.
If you normally cook roast
beef at 325° F, turn the tem
perature down to around
275° F for buffalo. Plan on
the roast being done in about
the same amount of time as
with a comparable size beef
roast. To ensure the temper
ature you prefer, use a meat
thermometer indicating the
internal temperature.
Ground buffalo or buffalo
burger is also leaner (most
ranging about 88-92 per
cent lean). It will also cook
faster so precautions must
be taken to not dry out the
meat. There is very little
shrinkage with buffalo burg
er - what you put in the pan
raw will be close to the same
amount after you cook it.
Pre-formed patties tend to
dry out faster when grilling.
(Hint: the thicker the patty,
the juicier the burger.)
Although ground buffalo
is leaner, there is no need
to add fat to keep it from
sticking to the pan or falling
apart. All meat, no matter
the leanness, has enough fat
available to cook it.
A favorite fruit of
Montanans is the huckle
berry. They only grow wild,
although huckleberry prod
ucts are often found in gift
and gourmet food stores.
Often confused with the
blueberry due to its close
resemblance, huckleberries
are a wild blue-black berry.
Although very similar in
taste, the big difference is
the seeds within the huckle
berry that give it a crunchy
texture when fresh, and
its thicker skin. The flavor
is a little more tart than
blueberries, with an intense
blueberry-like flavor. The
entire fruit is edible, so no
need to remove the seeds.
Huckleberries can be used
interchangeably in most
blueberry recipes, so if you
find yourself with a huck
leberry harvest, just choose
a blueberry recipe and give
it a whirl. Huckleberry sea
son is normally from June
through August. To harvest
a large quantity, spread a
clean cloth on the ground
and shake the plant. Ripe
fruits will drop onto the
cloth. Store at temperatures
just above freezing with high
humidity.
Almost every culture has
some form of flat bread as
a staple. Among Native
Americans, it is called “fry
bread”. Although recipes
vary from tribe to tribe, it
consists primarily of flour,
water and some form of leav
ening. The dough is then
shaped and fried. (Some
more modern recipes are
baked for a more healthful
bread.) Fry bread is often
served topped with honey
or powdered sugar. Topping
with ground beef, beans, let
tuce, onions, tomato creates
an “Indian Taco”.
Savory Bison
Oven Roasted
Meatballs with
Dipping Sauce
Makes 24 meatballs
FOOD
1 lb. ground lean Bison
1/2 cup finely chopped
mushrooms
1/3 cup finely chopped
red onion
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground
black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian sea
soning
In a medium bowl, com
bine all ingredients and mix
until well blended. Form 24
meatballs about the size of
a large walnut. Spray a jelly
roll pan with nonstick cook
ing spray. Place meatballs on
pan and roast in preheated
400 F oven for 10 minutes.
Serve with Dipping Sauce.
Dipping Sauce (Makes 1
cup)
2/3 cup lowfat mayon
naise
1/3 cup dijon style mus
tard
3 tablespoons chopped
green onions
In a small bowl combine
all ingredients. Stir to blend
and serve.
Huckleberry
Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons corn
starch
2 cups huckleberries
1/3 cup water
2 tablepoons lemon
juice
Combine sugar and corn
starch in pan; stir in ber
ries. Add water and lemon
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THANKSGIVING DINNER FOR SIX
Contact Glenda Bishop
to place your order
All orders need to be placed by
November 20, 2006.
All orders need to be picked up by
Nobember 22, 2006
By 9:00 P.M.
Turkey Only $25.00
Dinner for Six $69.95
1504 Sam Nunn Blvd. • Perry, GA 31069
Fax: (478) 987-8100 Phone:(47B) 987-9494
06040840
juice. Stir while cooking
until thickened. Serve over
pound cake, pancakes or ice
cream.
Huckleberry
Fritters
2 cups huckleberries or
blueberries
3 cups unbleached
flour
1/2 cup granulated
sugar
Chicken, Seafood & BBQ
Ha&uty Ond&tA
‘Dement.
704 Carroll Street • Perry, 6A 31069
988-9867
40289
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Cgarden caff - )
(INCLUDES TIIE FOLLOWING)
Email: angelinasrestaurant@alltel.net
Fully Cooked Dinners
and Side Dishes.
Cakes and Pies.
Deadline Nov. 16, 2006
/ 10 to 12 lb. Roasted Turkey
Homemade Corn Bread Dressing
Almond Green Beans
Sweet Potato Souffle (with nuts)
lQt. of Giblet Gravy
\ Cranberry Sauce ;
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
1 1/4 teaspoons baking
powder
3 eggs
1/2 c water
Oil (for deep frying)
Wash berries and drain
well. Sift dry ingredients
together into a mixing bowl.
Beat eggs with water until
foamy. Mix quickly into dry
ingredients. Fold in berries.
Heat oil or shortening in
deep heavv skillet to 350
degrees FDrop batter by
tablespoonsful into the hot
oil. Turn fritters frequently
so that they brown to a deep
golden color on all sides.
Drain on paper towels and
serve hot. Makes 2 dozen.
MeltMrv
Your^Mouth'
Huckleberry
Cake
2 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cup fresh huckle
berries
Beat 1/2 cup butter or mar
garine in large bowl until
creamy; add 1 cup white
sugar and beat until fluffy.
Beat in egg yolks and vanilla
until light and creamy. Add
sifted dry ingredients alter
nately with the milk. Fold
in beaten egg whites. Fold
in the fresh berries. Shake a
little of the dry ingredients
over the berries, before add
ing them to the mix so the
berries won’t sink to the
bottom. Turn into a greased
8 by
See SEA, page 4C
00040689