Vineyard Dinner Recipes
Our Locally Grown Meal Chef Leon really outdid himself preparing a delicious dinner featuring locally raised bison and locally grown vegetables and fruits.
Here are Leon’s recipes and notes of the evening:
The Bison 4# Sir Loin Roast
Method:
Thaw frozen meat overnight in refrigerator day 1
Marinate in Lipton Onion Soup packet and 1 cup warm water overnight day 2
Add ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper
Heat Dutch oven to 300 Deg. Day 3
My 12 qt. Dutch oven will take 15 coals on the top, and 10-12 coals on the bottom to obtain 350 degrees.
Sprinkle roast with 1-2 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce (I used Bourbon Barrel Aged)
Inside the Dutch oven, I used a round cake pan to cook the roast, and to contain the liquids. It also helps make clean-up easy.
As the cooking progresses, keep checking the temp of the meat. The temperature should reach the 220 to 225 degree range, cooking for at least 4 hours, reading an instant temp thermometer throughout. The reading should be at about 180-225 deg. when fully done.
At this point, you can cook even longer at a temp of 225 deg. for 1-2 hours.
We took the Bison roast off the heat at 4 hours. And let it rest for 10-15 min. before serving.
The Potatoes
Method: The russet potatoes we used for this meal were gleaned from a field near Clitherall MN., with permission of course.
The potatoes were cut in half, then brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper.( I sometimes I use Mc Cormicks Montreal steak seasoning for this, but just the basics this time.) I put the cut side face down on the gas grill, at 350 deg. for 35-45 minutes, which also is cooking the squash in a Dutch oven and the apple cobbler, in a cast iron pan, at the same time. In the case that I’m not using the Dutch oven, I will place the potatoes face down on parchment paper over a cookie sheet pan. For 35-40 minutes in the conventional oven.
The Squash
The squash that we used for this meal was Buttercup. This squash has a bright yellow to orange colored flesh with a very tough outer skin. Some people find it easier to bake the squash with the skin still on, but I prefer to use a sharp knife to cut the skin off. After scraping out the seeds, I cubed the remaining flesh to ¾”-1” pcs. The squash was kept refrigerated for 2 days before baking. This squash yielded about 4 cups. Before adding the squash, I brushed the bottom of the pot with olive oil. With the cubed pcs. in the dutch oven, I sprinkled 1/2 tsp salt over the top and added 1 cup of water to the pot. I used ¾ C. of dark brown sugar over the top of the squash, not stirred. The baking time was about 60 minutes at 350 degrees. Test the doneness with the stick of a fork. Serve steaming hot!
Corn
The corn was supplied by Vicki Serverson. It had been frozen previously. I heated it on the gas burner in a cast iron wok, stirring as it heated. I added 1 tsp white sugar, and ¼ stick of butter to the 2 quart mix.
Bread
The bread for the meal was a French baguette, purchased from Falls Baking Company in Fergus Falls served with butter from Millerville creamery, Millerville Mn.
Salad
Our salad for the meal was a mix of light greens, with sprouts, and dried cranberries. The greens were dressed with a bottled vinegar and oil.
Apple Dessert
Based on a cobbler recipe, I used frozen apples from Vicki Severson’s trees, rhubarb cut just the day before. 2 cups frozen cut apples, 1 cup diced rhubarb, 1 cup white sugar, 2 tbsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg and 1 tbsp. dark brown sugar. Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cover the bottom of a loaf pan (I used a cast iron bread pan) with olive oil. Place a partial sheet of defrosted puff pastry over the top of the fruit mix and tuck in on the sides. Use sharp knife to make random slits for breathing as the mixture bakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Serve hot!
Peppers
We had semi hot peppers just cut to serve with a spinach dip. The peppers came from a vendor at the Alexandria Farmers Market. The dip was a dried vegetable mix from Meadow Farm Foods, mixed with sour cream and mayonnaise, the refrigerated overnight.
The Wine (The sip tells the story)
The wine we shared at this vineyard get together was provided by Vicki. The wine in these bottles was made by Bryan, the grapes were grown by him, cultivated for many years with skill and patience. He had a passion for the vines, the wine it produced, and the people that it brought together. At this Local Grower’s meal we shared Buzzy’s Blend, Classic Cherry, Big Red, Rhubarb Cherry, and also a bottle from Wolf Creek wines from western North Dakota, who used Dancing Loon’s grapes to make their wine.
The five of us who shared this meal, are so honored to be at the same table with Vicki to share Bryan’s legacy.
Growers of the goods
Here are the producers and growers who provided the wonderful ingredients for this very tasty meal:
Rolling R Ranch, Pelican Rapids, MN - Bison
Rick and Alex Foss of Glenwood, MN (Alexandria, MN Farmers Market) - Buttercup Squash, Sauerkraut
Peter Wydo, Glenwood, MN (Alexandria, MN Farmers Market) -Red, yellow, orange peppers and onions
Young Family Farms, Brandon, MN (Alexandria MN Farmers Market) - Horseradish
Lida Farm (thanks Ryan Pesch), Pelican Rapids, MN (Pelican Farmers Market) - Salad mix
Homegrown Farms (Rick Abrahamson), Fergus Falls, MN (Pelican Farmers Market and Fergus Falls Farmers Market) - microgreens
Falls Bakery, Fergus Falls, MN - bread
Millerville Co-Op Creamery - Millerville - butter
If you are interested in contacting these growers and producers, please touch base with them or send me a message at thelocalgrowers@gmail.com
