On a recent brisk autumn afternoon, it was my pleasure to take one of my favorite drives on Route 24, heading north from Topsham to Bowdoinham. The leaves were at their peak and the views along the colorful curving road were an advertisement for our great state of Maine at its finest.

I was excited to be paying this very impromptu visit to the cozy kitchen of Carole Dyer, where I would also meet her long-time friend Judy Marsh of Brunswick. Back in 1978, these two cooks, both spouses of Maine game wardens, put their heads together to collect and publish “The Maine Way: A Collection of Maine Fish and Game Recipes.”

The gal-pals had been sharing their thoughts on the under-utilization of wild game as a food source and wondering if sportsmen and women were unsure about how to deal with what they were bringing home from their outdoor expeditions.

Together, they decided to create a cookbook with recipes that were simple and inexpensive to prepare, using ingredients that any Maine cook would have in their kitchen cupboards.

Dyer and Marsh also wanted to bring awareness to the vast quantity and variety of wild game in the region, and to its nutritional value. On the day of my visit, for instance, Dyer pointed out that compared to beef or pork, venison has much more protein and is also higher in iron and B2 vitamins, yet it has considerably less fat and calories.

To make that first cookbook a reality, the determined twosome called upon all their hunter friends and acquaintances, and obtained the blessings of the then-Maine Department of Fish and Game, now known as the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Along the way, they befriended Master Maine Guide Bonnie Holding of Coplin Plantation, an incredibly accomplished outdoorswoman whose amazing career has led her to the directorship of information and education at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Holding has been partnering with community colleges to instruct folks on the proper way to process wild game.

It was these three enthusiasts who gathered in Dyer’s kitchen on the day I visited, and where I was gifted with my own copy of “The Maine Way,” updated and reprinted last year. Dyer fried up some tasty “deer balls” (venison meatballs), which we chased down with homemade maple bread and a handful of M&Ms from the gigantic bowl on the counter. (Discussion included Dyer’s announcement that she had just returned from a multi-generational [and snowy] hunting trip to the Allagash region and her great-grandson had bagged his first moose.)

When I asked for specific advice on how to cook wild game, Dyer insisted that, as with all good cooking, just have fun experimenting with what you have on hand.

One specific bit of advice: She advised not to overcook the meat when roasting, because wild game is so lean, it tends to be dry.

And her biggest tip: “Use plenty of bacon.” Yes! I needed yet another reason to eat bacon.

Dyer also made sure to let me know Marsh’s recipes had been published elsewhere, showing off her copy of “The L.L. Bean Game and Fish Cookbook,” published in 1983 and signed by her friend, who humbly noted, “My recipe for coot stew is in there. It’s my one claim to fame.”

Accompanying this story are recipes that were slightly adapted from “The Maine Way” for consistency and ease of preparation. I recommend that if you don’t know what a coot is, have always wanted to roast a raccoon, barbecue a porcupine or present an elegant pheasant a l’orange to your guests, order your own circa 2014 copy of “The Maine Way. ” (To do that, hunt down the Department of Inland
Fisheries and Wildlife at www.maine.gov/ifw. Go to the online store tab and click on Publications. A copy can be yours for a mere $9.95. Game on!

Moose a la mode

(No amounts are given for this recipe as it depends on how many people you want to serve and your desired tastes for the seasonings.)

Contributed by Judy Marsh of Brunswick

Ingredients:

Moose stew meat

Chopped onions

Seasoned flour

1 cup red wine (optional)

Cinnamon

Cloves

Salt and pepper

Water

Bacon drippings, salt pork drippings, butter or olive oil

Procedure:

Cut meat into small chunks. Dredge in seasoned flour. Brown meat in fat, add onions and saute until transparent. Add wine, season with salt and pepper, cinnamon and cloves, cover with water and let simmer until meat is tender. Be sure to keep the meat covered with liquid. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Venison caraway meatballs

Contributed by Barbie Cross of Warren

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound ground venison

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 egg, beaten

Oil for browning

Procedure:

Mix together above ingredients and shape into about two dozen balls. Brown in oil in a hot skillet. Add:

1 can beef broth

1 8-ounce can chopped mushrooms, drained, or 1 cup fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onion

Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Gently stir in:

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Bring to a boil, then simmer 5 minutes. Serve with rice, noodles or over mashed potatoes.

Rabbit creole

Contributed by Mrs. Edward Nadeau of Casco

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 rabbit, cut into pieces

1 medium onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped fine

1 tablespoon chopped dried parsley

1/2 cup oil

1 28-ounce can (or about 3 1/2 cups) crushed tomatoes, including juice

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Green pepper rings (optional)

Corn relish (optional)

Procedure:

Saute onion, garlic and parsley in 3 tablespoons oil in heavy skillet until onion is golden. Strain tomatoes, retain the juice, then add just the pulp and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the onion mixture. Simmer on low heat. Dip rabbit pieces in milk; roll in flour seasoned with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Brown floured pieces in remaining oil. When browned, cover rabbit with retained tomato juice and the onion mixture and simmer until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Garnish with pepper rings and corn relish if desired.

Partridge cashew

Contributed by Linda Wolverton of Millinocket

3-4 servings

Ingredients:

6 boneless partridge breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

1 cup cashews

3 spring onions, sliced

3 cups stock*

Salt to taste

Cooked rice

Oil

1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)*

Procedure:

*Simmer partridge bones in 3 cups water to make a stock, adding bouillon cube if desired.

Meanwhile, pour oil in skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch. Dip meat into milk, then flour. Fry partridge in oil until lightly browned. Add stock to pan and simmer until thickened. Add spring onions and cashews. Remove from heat. Season with salt, and stir. Serve over rice.