Rabbit's Nap

Really great weekend - had a meal at Fish Sauce in NW Portland, a little more upscale than your everyday Pho place. I'm not usually a mixed drink fan, but the exotic cocktails here were worth tasting. I especially liked the spring rolls. I guess I like my Pho a little gristlier.

We also visited our local Farmers Market. Pine Mountain Ranch had a bag of bones waiting for us - Bison bones for making stock through the winter - 22 pounds, that's a lot of stock! We also got a rabbit for the pot Sunday night, and I really have to say, I'm pleased with the way Rabbit turned out.

I made a mustard and white wine sauce in hot Bluey. I used Coleman's mustard flour and mustard seeds which I crushed in a mortar, mixing that in with softened onions. While waiting for this, along with half a bottle of white Two Buck  Chuck ($2.50 now) to come back to a boil , I broke down the rabbit - just putting the legs and the saddle (the best bit) in a 3.5 quart pot to braise with the sauce, along a handful of pancetta,  carrots and tiny turnips. The rest went into a stock pot - rabbit and bean soup this week! (Yes, it smells good here as I type this.)
 Bunny turned out nice and tender. (I use a meat thermometer.) The mild zip of the mustard sauce went well with the savory flavor of the meat for about as "old school" a dinner as you could cook or eat. A fleet but welcome guest on many tables, Rabbit and mustard and wine have been friends for a long time.

Tonight I'll be serving the bunny and bean soup, along with butternut squash and roasted cherry peppers. There's a nice bit of meat and stew left for today's lunch. None of Rabbit is going to waste.

Update - been serving and eating bunny soup with butternut squash and onions, along with crispy kale and a few roasted peppers. Brown rice alongside, and I've been favoring mache, or lambs lettuce, with salads ever since we got back from France.

Back home in Oregon there's our friend Pinot Noir. She likes Rabbit too!