Jean’s cuisines
by Jean Peterson
New to Raised in the West, Jean Petersen contributes her favorite recipes from her cookbook and her kitchen.
The Big Sky Bounty Cookbooks-Elk Chili
by Chef Barrie Boulds and Jean Petersen
Serves 8-12
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds ground elk
1 large onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 can (15.5 oz.) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15.5 oz.) chili beans
1 can (15.5 oz.) red beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes with juice, crushed by hand
1 small jar (about 8 oz) of your favorite salsa
¼ to ½ cup grape jelly
3 to 5 cups water (or whatever consistency chili you want)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high and add elk, onion and celery. Sauté until the meat is brown and the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cayenne, cumin and chili powder and stir for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil and immediately turn down to low, partially covered, and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with Gaboo Boo Bread on page 113 of the Big Sky Bounty Cookbook, or your favorite cornbread.
Pleasantly Perfect Peach Cobbler
Serves 4-6
8 -10 fresh peaches or 3 pints, canned peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into wedges
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 heaping teaspoons cornstarch
Topping Mixture:
5 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Sprinkle of nutmeg (approximately at 1/8 of a teaspoon)
¼ cup butter
No fail Pie Crust recipe found in the Big Sky Bounty Cookbook-Local Ingredients and Rustic Recipes on page 161, or premade refrigerator piecrusts.
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice, and 2 heaping teaspoons of cornstarch. Mix all ingredients together to coat evenly, and pour into a 2-quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. In a separate small bowl, combine 5 tablespoons white sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, sprinkle of nutmeg for the topping. Remove peaches from oven, and layer piecrust in a lattice pattern across the top. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon topping mixture. Cut ¼ cup butter into even pieces (about 6) and lay atop the piecrust. Bake until piecrust topping is golden, about 30 minutes. Remove and cool. Serve with homemade vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream topping.
*Preparation tip-to easily remove peach skins; In a soup or stock pot add peaches until skins look soften, for approximately 10 minutes, then carefully remove the peaches from the boiling water and place in a pot of ice cold water. Let sit for another 10 minutes and gently wipe the skins way from the peaches. Pits should be easy to remove, and peaches are soft to cut into wedges.
