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What better way to enjoy the Fall harvest then with a couple of WildCheff recipes!!! I hope these recipes make you as happy when you eat them as I enjoy sharing them with you!!! 

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WildCheff Pumpkin Martini

Pre-preparation:

Making the cocktail is a multi-step process. The process usually begins in the Summer by infusing plums in vodka; to make your own, cut plums in quarters and place them in vodka for two to three days. It's a bit late in the season to find fresh plums, but you can substitute pear-flavored vodka or stick with straight vodka.

Then make a pumpkin puree. It's easiest to use canned pumpkin, but if you're a purist, or are wondering with to do with your leftover jack-o-lantern, it's easy enough to make your own.

Simply cut a small pumpkin (pie pumpkins are best, but any kind will do) in half and scrape out all the seeds and stringy bits. Place the halves skin down in a roasting pan and sprinkle them with salt. Add an inch or so of water to the pan, cover the whole thing tightly with foil, then bake for about two hours at 350° F, until the flesh is soft and tender. Let it cool, then scrape the flesh into a food processor and puree.

Once you have the pureed pumpkin, either fresh or canned, take 2 cups of it and blend it with 3 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp white pepper and 1 tsp fresh ginger root puree (use a blender or food processor to puree the ginger first). If you're feeling adventurous, you could also experiment with other pumpkin pie spices, like cloves, cardamom and nutmeg.

Next, make an apple and lime puree: Take a Granny Smith, peel and core it, chop it roughly and puree it in a food processor or blender with the juice of half a lime.

Ingredients

21/2 oz. plum-infused vodka (use plain or pear vodka if unavailable)

WildCheff Pie Spice Blend

2 to 3 oz. pumpkin puree (see above)

1 oz. apple puree (see above)

1/2 oz. maple syrup

1/2 oz. cognac

Directions

Place a small amount of pure maple syrup in a wide bowl. Place WildCheff Pie Spice Blend on a plate. Tip martini glass upside down and dip rounded edge of glass in maple syrup and then dip rim in cinnamon sugar. Mix all ingredients, and then strain with cheesecloth. Place the extracted liquid into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, then double-strain into a chilled martini glass. Note that even though you'll start with a large volume of ingredients, the actual drink itself will be about 2 to 3 oz.

Makes 1 serving

WildCheff Mushroom and Venison Chowder

Warm yourself up by serving this hearty chowder for lunch or dinner on a cool Fall evening. You can substitute half-in-half or low fat milk for the cream, but it won't taste as rich.

Ingredients

1 lb of venison loin, 1/2" cubes

1 T WildCheff Sagebrush Outdoorsmen's Blend

1 1/2 T WildCheff Air-Dried Shallots

1 C of leeks, thinly sliced

5 T of butter

1/2 C all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced (1 medium sized one)

1/2 C of sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 lb (about 8 cups) assorted wild mushrooms - shitake, baby portabella (crimini) and porcini, sliced

2 T of organic all-pupose white flour

1 T of paprika

1 Quart chicken stock (1 box container)

2 C of heavy cream

Olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Coat venison with olive oil and season with WildCheff Sagebrush Blend. Allow to marinate for 15 minutes.

Heat a medium sized saute pan over medium heat. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil into pan and 1 tablespoon of butter. When butter is melted, add venison and shallots to pan and cook until just beyond medium rare stage, then shut off heat and set aside.

Heat a stockpot over medium-low heat, add butter and saute the leeks for 10 minutes while stirring with wooden spoon. Place potatoes into pot and saute for 10 minutes longer while continuing to stir. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes longer while stirring frequently. Add flour and paprika, and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to a fast simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Add the cream; stir and cook until slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add venison and juices to pot and stir until all ingredients are mixed well. Serve with warm crusty or garlic bread.

Serves 4

Wine selection: Cabernet Sauvignon, Beaujolais, Pinot Nois

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Apple Cider Basted Wild Turkey

Ingredients

1 Wild turkey, neck, giblets and wing-tips removed

1 Medium onion, sliced

1 Medium McIntosh apple, cored and sliced (other tart apple can be substituted)

6 Large apples such as Cortland or Golden Delicious, peeled, halved lengthwise and cored

1 T of WildCheff Sagebrush Outdoorsmen’s Blend

1 Stick of unsalted butter, plus 1 T of unsalted butter – room temperature

Salt and pepper to taste

3 T of Unbleached organic white flour

1 C of Dry white wine

1 C of Sweet fresh cider

½ C of Apple Calvados, plus 2 tablespoons

2 C of organic turkey or chicken stock

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse the turkey, inside and out under cold running water.  Pat dry with paper towels. Season the inside of the turkey with salt, pepper.  Toss sliced onion and apples in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of WildCheff Sagebrush Blend, then place into cavity of turkey.  Cover the cavity opening with foil. Tie the end of drumsticks together with cooking twine.

Place 6 tablespoons of softened butter and 1 tablespoon of WildCheff Sagebrush blend into small bowl and mixed together. Rub the outside of the turkey with the seasoned butter. Place the turkey on the rack in a metal (flame-proof) roasting pan.

Combine the white wine with the Apple Calvados together and pour 1 cup of this into the bottom of the roasting pan.  Loosely cover the turkey breast with aluminum foil.

Roast the turkey, basting often, first with the remaining wine and Calvados mixture, then the pan drippings for approximately 2 hours.

If the liquid at the bottom of the pans starts to boil away, and the drippings look like they will burn, add water as necessary. Remove the aluminum foil and place the apple halves around the turkey in pan; baste the apples well with the pan drippings. Continue roasting, basting often, until the turkey is done – thigh meat should register 180 degrees (use a meat thermometer as there are no pop-ups on this bird J). You can figure on 20-25 minutes per pound. Most birds, depending on size take an average of 3-4 hours to roast.

If your apples are done before the turkey, simply remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in a covered dish to keep them warm.

When turkey is done, remove from oven and place on large cutting board. Loosely cover the bird with foil and let it rest for 20 minutes to let juices settle.

Meanwhile, take the pan drippings into a large measuring cup of bowl, and let stand for 5 minutes. Skim off the clear yellow fat that rises to the top. Add enough stock to make 3 ½ - 4 Cups of stock. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of Apple Calvados. Set the roasting pan on top of the stove over two burners on low heat.  Add 3 tablespoons of butter and melt. Whisk in flour and cook while whisking constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in the turkey stock and bring to a boil, scarping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Reduce the heat to simmer and whisk continually for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Serve in a gravy server with the carved turkey that is surrounded by the cooked apples.