Elk Stuffed Bell Peppers

Yet another dish spawned from my trip to Carbondale, Illinois in early July. While helping set the 4th of July menu at Arnold's Market I happened upon some all natural, free range, ground Elk meat. How could I pass that up? While I've made it a priority to eat less red meat in the last 3 years, I am always open to trying new things. Even as a child I never passed up an opportunity to sample something odd and usually outrageous. I even recall giving Head Cheese a whirl at the tender age of 10. I'll let you Google "Head Cheese" as opposed to describing it. Needless to say, since the advent of Mad Cow Disease, it's no longer legal and it may explain a few things about why I am the way I am.

Anyway, one of my favorite dishes growing up was always my mother's stuffed bell peppers. And I was lucky, 90% of the meat that found it's way onto my family's table was locally raised. And while not devoid of ALL the bad stuff found inside the red dyed selections at your chain supermarket, it was healthier, and the cows had a much more natural "life". I'd like to claim that we were just a head of the curve, but in reality (and I wish more people would realize this) it's so much cheaper (in the long run) to buy a deep freeze and then a half a cow every year. Not to mention healthier. But, back to the task at hand, I tweaked what I could remember of my mother's recipe and the results led to a standing ovation. A reminder, all of the vegetables I use to cook with are either my own or locally/regionally grown organics. It does make a difference, and in more ways than one.

1lb ground elk (or whatever meat/meat substitute your heart may desire)
4 large peppers (of any color you wish)
3/4 cup dry long grain wild rice
1 large tomato (diced)
1 medium onion (yellow, white or red, diced)
2 green onions (sliced thinly)
2 black hungarian peppers (or jalapenos if you're not a gardening freak like me)
2-4 garlic gloves (I always max out the garlic)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tbsp chopped parsley (fresh)
2 tbsp chopped sliced basil (fresh)
1 tbsp oregano leaves (fresh)
Breadcrumbs and Parmesan for topping
Salt and pepper to taste

Get the wild rice going first, it will need 20 to 30 minutes (do i really have to explain how?).
Slice off the top of the peppers and clean out the seeds, hallowing the peppers out doing your best not to puncture their bottoms, otherwise all the good juices will drip out!
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Warm the olive oil in a medium pan. Add the meat and cook on medium/high for 2-4 minutes, all the while flipping and stirring until the red is almost gone. Do not over do it!
Add the garlic and a few onions, continue to stir for 1 minute.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat with the diced tomatoes, strained wild rice, remaining onions, black hungarian peppers, basil, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix it up. Go crazy!
Now begin stuffing the bell peppers with your mix. Don't leave a heaping mound on top! That's where the bread crumbs and Parmesan go.
Now oil the bottoms of the bell peppers and place them in a large oven safe dish filled with about a quarter inch of water. You can also throw in your remaining green onion stems to add a little something extra.
Place the dish in the oven for about 30-45 minutes. Check on it regularly after 30 minutes. When the peppers begin to wrinkle and their rims start turning brown, all systems are go.

I also threw together a little tomato paste and sauce with some garlic and onions to create a sauce to compliment the dish. Toss a fresh salad and you are golden. I enjoyed a Pinot Noir with this, but any dry red should do!