Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam
And the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day
For my birthday, John whisked me off to Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, for a return rendezvous at Triple Creek Ranch, where we enjoyed a four-day weekend of nature photography workshops, horseback riding, luxury accommodations and gourmet ranch cuisine. During our first visit three years ago, we dined at the Chef’s Table with Executive Chef Jacob Leatherman, who also welcomed us into the kitchen to observe and photograph preparation of a special wine dinner. Another culinary highlight was when guests were invited to Craig Barrett’s private cabin for a cocktail party and viewing of his magnificent art collection. Craig, retired Chairman and CEO of Intel, bought the Ranch as a birthday present for his wife.
Before leaving for Montana, we celebrated at Concert in the Park with the culinary theme of Home on the Range, featuring a combination of gourmet chuck wagon and ranch-style fare.
Everyone dressed for the occasion…
We started the evening with Ranch House Pâté, Bouchon-style, as an assiette de charcutier. I wrote a separate blog post for the pâté recipe, here.
Of course, the men were properly welcomed to the picnic with a shot of Buffalo Trace, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Hillari rode into the park with a basket of Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
perfect with a bowl of Kai’s Venison Chili
Corn was well-presented, with John’s Amarillo Grilled Corn on the Cob
John made a special sauce for the corn, which I will also share later…
Men of the Corn (from left to right) Kai, Jim, Brent, John and Alec
and Alec and Nina’s Macque Croux and Roasted Butternut Squash duo
Brent, the skilled hunter in our group, shot the venison for Kai’s Venison Chili, the antelope for Kai’s Antelope Meatballs…
the elk for the most amazing Elk Tenderloin stuffed with Feta Cheese….
AND, did I mention the Wild Boar Sliders?!
Jim grilled Pljeskavica – thin, large, juicy Serbian hamburgers made with beef, lamb and pork. Jim and Carmen came over the night before to grind beef cheek and pork for the burgers with our grinder
For dessert, Mom shared Tyler Florence’s Bourbon Peach Cobbler with bourbon-spiked whipped cream
and I finally had the opportunity to try my hand at Momofuku Milk Bar’s Crack Pie. It’s definitely gooey and drool-worthy. You can find the recipe, published in the Los Angeles Times, here.
Birthday roses…
Last night’s Concert featured the exotic cuisine of Thailand. Please visit There’s A Newf in My Soup! for continuing Concert in the Park themes and recipes. Next week, New Zealand cuisine!
