This little story came
about due to the posing of a single jackrabbit.
Normally they’re zipping back and forth across roadways, or racing
through the desert trying not to smash into sage brush. Photographing them is next to impossible,
those buggers don’t sit still long enough, until that one day. Sitting at the front desk of Canyon Country
Discovery Center, well I have the best seat in the house. Large window panes allow me to look across
farmland and canyon rocks stretching eastward to Colorado; in the far distance
are the majestic San Juans. Typical
wildlife that entertains are mule deer, wild turkeys, red fox, antics of chipmunks,
aerodynamics of hummingbirds and the zipping of jackrabbits. Then it happened, a jackrabbit stopped on a
gravel path and began to “strike the pose…vogue” (Madonna song reference). He (assuming it was a he, I didn’t actually
check) sat back on those long, power punching legs; turned his head this way
and that; then turned his whole body so that the mild wind pushed his ears
back. His eyes slowly closed and I swear
that little bugger had decided to take a nap there and then.
So, back to the mention of
a little story and let me put the disclaimer now, so those experts on wildlife
won’t get all bent out of shape. The
story I’m about to tell about this jackrabbit is totally made up, a work of
fiction from my mind; call me crazy and I’ll say thank you for noticing.
Meet Jack, Jack the
Rabbit; he’s not much on commitment; loves the ladies, but doesn’t stick around
long enough for a lasting relationship.
He’s a bit of a cad, loves them and leaves them in a “delicate”
condition. Now the ladies, they have
their own issues; so busy running to no place in particular that when the babe
comes, it’s “pop it out, it fends for itself”.
Jackrabbits don’t build nests in the ground like the cute cottontails;
nope, their babies are born wide eyed, bushy tailed and raring to go-go-go. Jack has a sister, Jackie; who happened to
meet one handsome hare from Wyoming. The
Wyoming Alope family are well known in those parts for slick dealing at the
gambling table and serving up watered down liquor at their establishment. Yes sir, Jackie married and became…Jackie ALope.
Then there is Jack’s
uncle, Bob; the family don’t speak much about Bob, not since “the
incident”. Seems Bob got into a bit of a
mess when he was hungry and decided that elderberries would make a great snack. Well he was a bit lazy that day too, so
instead of picking those berries fresh off the bush, he ate the ones sitting on
the ground, not realizing they had fermented into wine. That Cat was so drunk, didn’t realize that
his neighbor’s third daughter was sleeping under that elderberry bush. Nope, he had his way with her, No, not that
way, get your minds out of the gutter; he done ‘et her! Yep, Bob’s his uncle, but they don’t really
talk about Bob in front of pleasant company.
Ah cooking, this column is
supposed to focus on cooking, so let’s cook up some rabbit, aye? In Native American cultures, the rabbit
resides in legends from being a good luck charm to a parallel of coyote; the
protector of witches and a trickster.
Mesoamerican belief was that a rabbit, not a man, resided in the
moon. No matter the legend, the rabbit
was prized for its meat; its fur and tanned hide made into gloves, caps, cradle
board cushions or padding.
In the cookbook, Pueblo
Indian Cookbook by Phyllis Hughes, there is a kitchen tested recipe for
Jackrabbit Stew. While researching
recipes for this article, I found that Native American cooking
techniques/beliefs resembled ones I am quite acquainted with. Before serving
the meal, a small portion is offered up to the spirits; similar to the offering
of a piece of bread and meat to the Greek Goddess, Hestia (protector of the
home and hearth; goddess of hospitality).
When it comes to measuring, it comes down to the senses; the feel of the
grains, herbs and spices, a sort of knowing, in your heart, what amounts are
correct. That’s what cooking with love
and passion are!
So here’s the recipe, and
if rabbit or hare are not your type of fare; substituting chicken will be just
as tasty.
Jackrabbit Stew
(Pueblo Indian Cookbook,
page 39)
Ingredients:
1 jackrabbit (or domestic
hare or 5 lb. baking chicken)
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
2/3 Tbsp. chile powder
(optional)
1 and ½ cups flour
2 quarts water
2 large onions
6 large carrots, halved
2 sweet peppers, halved
and seeded
4 tsp. salt
2 cups cooked lime hominy
¾ cup melted lard or
cooking oil
Preparation:
Cut rabbit (or other) into
serving size pieces. Dredge in
flour. Put oil in large kettle and heat
until sizzling. Brown all pieces of meat
on all sides, drain and pour off excess oil.
Return meat to kettle, add water and simmer for two hours, add all
vegetables and simmer until carrots are tender.
Note: Not sure if the repeat of onion and salt are
intentional or a misprint. The majority
of cookbooks also have ingredients listed in the order that they are used,
while this recipe is a bit of a hodge podge.
Mary Cokenour
