Mustard & Wine Marinated Game Chops

4 game chops (elk, caribou, venison)
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
3 Tbls stone ground mustard
1 C red wine

Rub chops with mustard. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with wine and marinate overnight in refrigerator. Broil or grill to medium rare basting with the marinade.

Herbed Yukon Gold Potato Latkes

3½ lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
5 eggs
½ C matzo meal
¾ C chopped fresh chives
½ C chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbls salt
1 tsp pepper
vegetable oil for frying
10-12 oz smoked salmon
sour cream
garnish with: thinly sliced red onion, capers, chives...

When I made these, I had fresh chives and thyme, but I used dried parsley and rosemary. Of course, fresh is best, but let's be realistic folks -- who has all these fresh herbs on hand year round? Do the best you can. :)

Yukon Gold potato skins are so thin that there's no need to peel them; simply remove any brown spots or eyes. Grate potatoes and soak in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes.

Drain potatoes in a colander; squeeze out excess water: wring out potatoes, by handfuls, in a kitchen towel and return to bowl. Use a fresh towel when needed.

In another bowl, stir together eggs, matzo meal, herbs, salt and pepper. Pour over potatoes and mix well. (If liquid ever begins to pool in the bottom of the bowl, drain it off, or...more matzo meal can be added, 2 Tbls at a time.)

Pour ¾" oil into a 10-12" frying pan over medium-high heat until it reaches 350° on a candy thermometer. Scoop ¼ C of potato mixture from bowl, using a wide knife or spatula to flatten and shape into a patty about ½" thick, and gently slide pancake into hot oil. Don't crowd latkes in the pan. Cook until edges are crispy and well browned and undersides are dark golden brown (about 3 minutes each side).

Transfer latkes to paper towels to drain, keep warm in a 200° oven while cooking remaining latke pancakes. Serve hot with smoked salmon, sour cream, red onion, chives, and/or capers.

This recipe didn't list it, but I've often seen latkes paired and served with applesauce.

Asparagus Mushroom Quiche

1½ C whole-wheat flour
10 Tbls cold butter
3 eggs
1 C mushrooms
1 C slender asparagus
1½ C half-and-half
3/4 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 C shredded gruyere cheese
½ C green onion

Cut butter into chunks
cut asparagus into 2" pieces
slice large mushrooms
finely chop green onions

Whirl in food processor (or cut together) flour and butter until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add 1 egg and mix until dough holds together. Press evenly over bottom and up 1¼" of side of 9" spring form pan. Chill.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Blanch asparagus in a saucepan of boiling water until barely tender-crisp, about 1 minute; drain. Transfer to a bowl of cold water to cool. Drain and pat dry.

In a large bowl, whisk remaining 2 eggs to blend; whisk in half-and-half, salt and pepper. Sprinkle gruyere and onion in prepared crust, then arrange asparagus and morels on top. Pour egg mixture over vegetables.

Bake on lower rack until filling no longer jiggles when gently shaken (40-45 minutes). Let cool in pan at least 30 minutes. Loosen quiche from pan rim with a knife, remove rim, and slice. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Salmon with Dill-Yogurt Sauce

½ English cucumber
½ C sour cream
½ C plain yogurt
2 tsp chopped fresh dill
(extra for garnish)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbls lemon juice
1½ lbs 1 inch thick salmon fillets
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350°.
Grate cucumber, squeeze out excess water.

Ina small bowl, stir together the cucumber, sour cream, yogurt, dill, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 Tbls lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Rinse salmon and pat dry; put skin side down in a baking dish lined with aluminum foil and lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining minced garlic clove, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Bake until barely opaque in the center (10-15 minutes).

Serve salmon warm or cold with yogurt sauce. Garnish with extra dill sprigs if desired.

Quick & Easy Lemon Berry Tartlets

Here's the recipe, as is. The only thing not instant or out of a can is the lemon zest. Even the instant version is light and lemony for a quick and easy dessert. And it's not bad. But not anything impressive either. The whipped topping, graham crusts and preserves could, of course, be replaced with fresh whipped cream, crusts made from scratch, and fresh berries instead of preserves... If I make it again I'll dress it up; maybe a layer of real lemon curd under a thinner spread of the whipped tart filling. The fresh berries were a definite improvement over preserves.

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
¼ C lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 C frozen whipped topping
6 mini graham pie crusts
½ C berry preserves

Whisk sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon peel until blended and mixture begins to thicken. Fold in whipped topping. Divide evenly between the 6 mini pie crusts. Use a spoon to make a 1" deep depression in the center of each tart. Refrigerate until firm (about 2 hrs). Refresh depression if needed; fill each tartlet with preserves (or fresh berries).