A Partidge in a Pear Tree

It’s December. Carols, presents, mistletoe and food, food, food, food, food! Thanksgiving is wonderful because of all the food, but it’s only one day. Christmas is one whole month of culinary dreaming and I mean more than visions of sugar plums dancing in my head.

One of the beauties of Christmas food is that, unlike the Thanksgiving feast, it is not limited to American fare. My brother-in-law Kurt’s ancestors are from Sweden. So my sister likes to cook a traditional Swedish yuletide smorgasbord for their Christmas. My grandfather Clarence spent three years in Germany so we love to nosh on some authentic German snacks like braunschweiger and liptaur cheese. When we lived in Santa Barbara, our holiday tradition was to drive up to Solvang. Seeing all the Scandinavian stores really made it feel like Christmas, even without the snow.

It’s neat to see all the various international Christmas traditions that differ from the ones we Americans inherited from England and Northern Europe. The Catalan folk in Spain have a Christmas tradition of making chocolates that look like…well, Baby Ruths come to mind. Think Mr. Hanky to you South Park fans. Yup, he’s real!

So, starting today (and hoping I can make it! If Julie Powel can do 365 days of Julia Child, then I think I can manage 12 days of Christmas!), I’m going to do a recipe a day to represent each of the 12 days in that immortal song. It was inspired by last years Christmas episode of Bravo Channel’s Top Chef competition. Each contestant drew a day and they had to prepare a dish corresponding to that particular day. So, here we go…Day one!

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

Cold Pheasant Salad with Baby Greens, Bleu Cheese, Fresh Pears and Hibiscus Champagne Pear Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette -
½ C Champagne Vinegar
1 12 Oz can Pear Nectar
2 C Olive Oil
4 Oz dried Hibiscus (found in Mexican section in the supermarket or in health food stores)
Dash salt

Warm the oil in a sauce pan, but don’t let it get hot! 200° F will be enough. Remove from heat and add all the hibiscus. Let it seep 12-24 hours. Strain into a seal-able jar.

Blend together the vinegar, nectar and salt. While the blender is on, slowly drizzle in just ONE cup of hibiscus infused oil. You can save the other cup for another time.

Salad -
1 lb cold, cooked Pheasant (or chicken), shredded
1 lb bag mixed baby greens
4 Oz bleu cheese crumbles (or Gorgonzola, Roquefort or Stilton)
2 fresh pears, cored and cubed

Mix everything together with the vinaigrette.

If you’re a hunter and can bag a nice pheasant (we have a couple lurking around out house) just roast it at 325° F until a meat thermometer reads 165° F, about 2 hours. Let it cool before pulling it apart. Sometimes you can find pheasant canned. Any poultry or fowl will do with this recipe!