simple gourmet

In the mountains from late July through August, you can certainly find some kind of edible fruit. There’s nothing better than a fruit reduction with whatever venison you’ve got on hand.

Pheasant breast stuffed with brie and blueberries and wrapped in bacon is delicious and is even worth buying the brie.

Rainbow trout are delicious. Their flesh is firm and tender. Best of all, they don’t taste “fishy.” This recipe for baked rainbow trout is terrific on its own, but combined with this light and zingy tartar sauce, it’s a meal even fish-averse people will love.

I like ground meats, but I prefer food made from the whole meat. This smoked elk pastrami is an excellent way to use the tough meat from the shoulder and create food you can take to work or on your next hunt on a sandwich.

My kids love heart, and they talk about eating it all year. It’s too bad elk (or deer, or bears) only have one. Fried elk heart is a great way to enjoy it.

Venison sausage, fluffy eggs, and toasty bread: It’s a match made in heaven. My kids eat this up, and my wife loves it, too.

When you bring home a bunch of fish, canning smoked trout is a great storage option.

I don’t love cooked mushrooms. Having said that, I love cooked morels. I’ll show you how I drizzle morel mushrooms over bear backstraps. Morels make you look like a great cook.

Scotch eggs are like a complete breakfast in a compact bundle. They are pub food in Britain, but I could eat them for any meal — serve them mustard, ranch sauce, or maybe maple syrup at breakfast. The best part is that they are simple to make and they put your wild game sausage to good use.