Here on the homestead we like to take advantage of all the things that we harvest and grow. Our dinners are often made without store bought ingredients.  This meal is no exception. Our family had a good year hunting so venison is abundant, this makes us search for new and creative ways to prepare it. If you don’t like venison this recipe will change your mind.

making the pasta

Unfortunately we do not have a way to make mass quantities of flour on the homestead. This year we did make some blue corn flour which i’m sure we will use later this winter.  To make our pasta we start by making a basic pasta dough using our kitchen aid mixer and dough hook.

pasta dough recipe

4 cups of flour

1 tsp salt

4 eggs (from our chickens and ducks)

2 tbs of olive oil

water

In the mixer, blend the flour and salt together. With the mixer off, make a well in the center of the flour/salt mixture and add the eggs to the center of the well along with the olive oil. With the dough hook attached, start blending in the eggs on a slow speed, increasing speed to 4 as the eggs incorporate. Once combined, continue mixing and add water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough all sticks to the dough hook. Once the dough is in a ball, allow the dough to knead for 5 minutes. Then place dough in a bowl covered with plastic wrap to rest for at least 30 minutes.  After 30 min it is time to roll out and cut or use a pasta press like we do.  This is a wonderful attachment that hooks to our kitchen aid mixer.  You just put the dough in and out comes  pasta.  We then hang the pasta to dry briefly before cooking al dente.

 

Venison stir fry

We start with homegrown vegetables from the summers garden that we had blanched and frozen. Carrots, onions, green beans and peas all go into a large pan and get sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with black pepper, garlic powder and ginger until they are just warmed but still crispy.  Then they are removed to a plate and set aside.  In the same pan we saute strips of venison until brown and season with the same spices. Once the venison is browned  a cup of beef stock mixed with a tbs of corn starch. Next you can add back in your vegetables and stir to combine. Cook for five minutes or until the stock thickens . Add soy sauce to taste and toss with fresh pasta and serve.

 

Our family gets great satisfaction from eating our own food and trips to the grocery store have become fewer and fewer.  This meal cost us less than $2 to prepare.