I'm Game!

I don't know about you, but when an invitation arrives for a grilled meat fest, I say yes. Immediately. That was the case recently when my friend Betsy announced that her parents were loading up their Suburban with fresh Minnesota trout, salmon, steelhead, venison and wild turkey and packing it West, for the sole purpose of hosting a good ol' Midwestern cookout for Betsy's uninitiated California friends. It was like all of Betsy's childhood comfort foods were pulling up to her doorstep, with plenty to go around. Needless to say, I cleared my schedule.

Betsy's dad is the hunter/fisherman/grill sergeant; her mom is the kitchen commander. Between the two of them, they put on quite a spread. Between the smoked salmon and wild turkey pâtés, the savory Jell-o salad (that's right - a lemon Jell-o and herb concoction), and the heaps and heaps of grilled meat and fish, the eating and socializing went on for hours. There were two choices of grilled fish (both steelhead and trout from Lake Superior); slices of venison loin that melted in your mouth, and wild turkey breast on skewers that would have done Paul Bunyan proud. Everything was beautifully marinated, seasoned and cooked - but I was too busy gorging (and listening to the hunting and fishing tales that accompanied each course) that I didn't even remember to beg for a recipe. (That's probably ok - not sure I'll have access to fresh venison any time soon!)

But in the spirit of why I created Fare to Remember, where community is all about sharing good times and making good memories over splendid meals, this one tops the charts. Thanks Mueller clan for the invitation - I hope I can return the gesture someday!

Smoked Trout

Venison Loin