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October 2006 NewsletterJim Casada
Web site:
www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com Ode to October My favorite American outdoor writer, Robert Ruark, entitled not one but two pieces in his ongoing saga of the adventures and misadventures he enjoyed with his grandfather “September Song.” As he rightly suggested, September is a mighty fine month, with the first nor’easter putting an end to the visiting nuisance tourists the Old Man styled “Willies Off the Pickle Boat,” bringing the opening of dove season, providing the first hints of fall, and much more. Yet to my way of thinking, in the South especially but really all over the country, there’s no month to match October. I was powerfully reminded of this fact during a recent antelope hunting trip to Wyoming in company with Linda Powell, who handles public relations for Remington, and two fellow sporting scribes. While the weather was warm, unseasonably so, aspens were showing their golden glow, the sere fields of autumn bespoke the coming of the hunter’s moon, and there were antelope aplenty. In fact, by the end of the first day all of us had put our tag on pronghorns that ranged from respectable to trophy class, and I had taken a mighty fancy to the performance of the Remington Model 7 in .243 caliber which had been my gun of choice. Even as I admired my antelope (a decent one of just over 14 inches, with good mass and some character thanks to knobby protrusions on the inside of both horns), my thoughts turned to other sporting affairs. After all, October is a grand fishing month. Bass and bluegills, crappie and catfish, are all busy stocking up on food against the coming hard times of winter. Big brown trout are vulnerable to the savvy angler at this season more than at any other time, for they begin their spawning runs as well as feeding heavily. Nor should what was once the most popular of
all types of hunting in the southern heartland, squirrel hunting, be
forgotten. There is no finer way to introduce a youngster to the
joys of sport than through the means of easing along a hardwood
ridge amongst oaks and hickories still in full leaf and dropping
their nuts. Characteristics of solid woodsmanship such as stealth,
using one’s eyes and ears, patience, persistence, the ability to
read sign, and marksmanship all come into play. In fact, if I can
jump on the opinion bandstand for a minute, I think we do youthful
hunters a disservice when their first introduction to sport involves
sitting in a shooting house waiting for deer to appear in a food
plot. Where’s the preparation, the learning, the active involvement
as opposed to passive waiting, in such hunting? On top of all of that, there was the joyous anticipation of knowing that I would be coming home to the sort of supper sure to bring tears of pure joy to the eyes of a country boy gourmet. That meant a mess of mixed turnip and mustard greens freshly picked from the garden, a brown-crusted pone of cornbread made from corn meal ground the way it should be (slow ground by stones turned by a water wheel), pinto beans cooked with ham hock, and venison for the main dish. For dessert there was fruit in the form of the last fall raspberries from my garden and apples from the North Carolina high country. That’s simple, satisfying, and supremely scrumptious fare at its best. Today I leave for a weekend gathering of fellow outdoor communicators, the annual autumn meeting of the South Carolina Outdoor Press Association, and there’s no finer time to hold the conference than in October. I’ll catch up on a bunch of lies, doubtless tell a tale or two of my own, enjoy a morning of hunting quail at River Bend Shooting Preserve in Fingerville, S.C., and revel in the fact that the next two days are supposed to bring our first temperatures in the 30s. About the only way things could get better would be heading home with a gibbous hunter’s moon turning the horizon that indescribable shade of golden orange, with a trophy buck in the truck and another wonderful memory in the mind’s treasure chest. No wonder sportsmen sing mental odes to the month of October. Fine Fare and Fixin’s for the October TableColder weather brings heartier appetites, and the bounty of the good earth makes this a time for culinary celebration. Here are a few suggestions, all taken from one or another of the cookbooks my good wife, Ann, and I have written. PERSIMMON PUDDINGYou’ve got to show some gumption to get your share of that sweet, sticky treat that is the persimmon, because ‘coons, ‘possums, deer, foxes, and other critters love what is sometimes called “nature’s candy.” But get enough for a pudding, take the considerable time required to prepare it, and you have a delicacy that defies verbal description. 2 cups persimmon pulp Combine all the above ingredients and beat just until well mixed. Pour into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and just beginning to pull away from the sides. Remove form oven and cool slightly. Cover and seal tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Cut into squares and serve with whipped topping. PASTA E FAGOLII love a hearty soup on a cold day or at noon when taking a break from hunting, and this is one of my favorites. ½ cup chopped onion Sauté onion, garlic, celery and carrots in olive oil until tender crisp. Add chicken broth and simmer. Brown ground venison. Add venison, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Drain and rinse red and white kidney beans; add to soup. Cook ziti and chip with scissors; add to soup. Add seasonings. Simmer 20-30 minutes. Make four quarts. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese when served. FRIED TROUTA few days back I managed to get up to the North Carolina high country where I was born for a brief visit with my 97-year-old father. As usual, I also squeezed in a bit of trout fishing while there. It may sound egotistical, but so much of my life has been marvelously misspent on mountain streams that I can almost always catch a limit of trout. There’s nothing from the wild world much easier to prepare. Take cleaned smaller trout (they are much better eating than big ones) and roll carefully in stone-ground cornmeal that has been mixed with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, making sure to coat the inside of the body cavity as well as the exterior of the fish. Heat cooking oil in a cast iron skillet until it is almost smoking and introduce the fish. Turn once, making sure each side is golden brown, and remove from pan. Serve piping hot with roasted potatoes, coleslaw, or Waldorf salad. Thank you for subscribing to the
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