Friday, December 3, 2010

Results of the Harvest

We have been so blessed this year to have good friends who have invited us to hunt with them on their farm which joins the Wildlife Management Area in Tellico Plains. When Chub was a young boy of about 10 to 12 years of age he taught me the basics of squirrel hunting when I was the 22/23 year old pastor of the church his family attended. Not only does he allow me to hunt, but also supplies me with squirrel and deer meat and turnips and turnip greens. Frances fried some of the turnips in butter and just barely browned them. Fried us some squirrel meat, turnip greens on the side. Man! What excellent cuisine! O Yes indeedy! We are HAPPY HARVESTERS!


Frances is preparing squirrel meat for a meal! First she boiled the squirrels, then fried two of them - then the rest were prepared to go in squirrel dumplings!


These pieces have been fried. This is my favorite way to eat squirrel.


Some meat draining and ready for eating. Yummm Gooood!


Yes, there is work to it - but what wonderful results!


Taste this and you'll become a happy harvester!


A "mess" of turnip greens, gathered from the patch on the farm where the deer was harvested! They go great with any meal.

6 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

What does squirrel meat taste like, and how tough or tender is it? Much fat? I have never seen such a thing, you would love to visit us, we have squirrels all over the place!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Oh My Gosh Fred.... We have TONS of squirrels around our house... Since they love to eat our bird food--they are plenty fat... Why don't you just drive up here and take home a bunch for your dinner???????? I'd love to get rid of them!!!! ha ha

Don't know about squirrel---but I do love turnip greens....

Have a great weekend.
Betsy

jack69 said...

I love squirrel. Mama used to pan fry most of it, but the gravy was my favorite. Rice or mashed potatoes. I sure know what a 'Mess' of greens is.(Mess is singular I think).LOL

Looks like all that time in Africa didn't change your diet. I figured you'd have imported Elephant liver or something. hahahahaha

Love you guys, see you are ready for the winter with all the meat packed in.
have a great weekend.

Favorite One said...

Fried Squirrel meat and I didn't get any - waaaaa! That's one of my favorite things that you used to cook for us. I can remember in Waynesboro - you always cooked our breakfast. You were the best pancake maker and fried squirrel maker! Mmmmm, makes my mouth water to think about it!

Of course, I like squirrel meat in dumplins too - but my favorite - which I haven't had in YEARS is the fried squirrel.

Thanks for sharing some of your deer meat! Curtis prepared a yummy powl of chili with it! Chloe didn't think she'd like it since it was deer meat - but she gobbled up two bowls of it! lol I'll teach that girl to be "country" for sure. LOL

Love ya!

George said...

Squirrel dumplings sound very good to me, although everything you've mentioned sounds yummy. It looks as if you're enjoying your feast as well.

Deborah said...

This is so funny that I'm reading this...my son and I were just talking tonight about eating squirrel and I didn't think you could and he said you can! So, he was right! I'm going to tell him!
This was very interesting.
Thank you for sharing.

About Me

My photo
Cleveland, TN, United States
I am Fred Alton Brannen, the son of Louis A. Brannen (deceased) and Bonnie Jones Brannen, Louis was an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God. Bonnie is an Ordained Licensed Minister and at 89 years of age is still actively engaged in speaking and singing engagements. I am married to the former Frances Hildreth. We celebrated 53 years of marriage this past June and we are the parents of 3, grand-parents of 10, and great-grandparents of 10. I pastored in Tennessee for 24 years and served the Church in some capacity in missions for over 23 years. I retired from full-time ministry in August of 2008 but remain active, speaking and singing and teaching whenever opportunity affords itself. In January of 2010 I received a letter of commendation for having been credentialed as a minister in the Church of God for 50 years! My family is very important to me. Our get togethers are always noisy affairs and most times will include family sing-alongs. The children love their Mom's cooking so we have the privilege of seeing them regularly! WE LOVE having them over.

TheCabin on Day One

TheCabin on Day One
Fred Alton