"A successful mushroom hunt in the spring deserves the light nutty flavor or wood parched wild rice. This flavorful dish pairs well with wild game.”

3 cups water

1 cup wild rice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh morel

mushrooms

1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted  chestnuts

2 green onions, chopped

6 ounces sour cream

1 green onion, chopped (optional)

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1.

Bring water, wild rice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the wild rice is tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

2.

Stir morel mushrooms, chestnuts, and 2 chopped green onions into the rice; simmer until mushrooms and green onions are tender, another 15 minutes.

3.

Drain any excess liquid. Mix sour cream and 1 chopped green onion into wild rice mixture; season with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup wild rice

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons honey

2 kiwis, peeled and diced

1 cup seedless red grapes, halved

1 1/2 tablespoons toasted, chopped

pecans

1.

Place broth in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes, or until tender. Drain excess liquid, cover and let cool.

2.

Whisk together lemon juice, oil, and honey in a small bowl until honey is dissolved. Season with salt and pepper.

3.

Place cooled rice in a salad bowl, along with kiwi, red grapes and pecans. Add dressing, and gently toss.

2 acorn squash, halved and

seeded

1 (6 ounce) package dry corn

bread stuffing mix

2 teaspoons butter

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

1 cup long grain and wild rice mix

2 sprigs fresh sage, chopped

2 cups vegetable stock

1.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 2 baking pans, and place the cleaned-out squash, cut sides down, into the pans. Bake in the preheated oven until barely soft to the touch, about 25 minutes.

2.

Make the stuffing mix as instructed on the package, and set aside.

3.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan, and cook and stir the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook and stir until they give up their juice, about 5 more minutes. Add the rice mix and sage, and cook and stir the rice and vegetables until the vegetables begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock, stir to combine, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer the rice mixture until tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

4.

Lightly mix the cooked rice mixture with the stuffing in a bowl, and pile the mixture into the centers of the squash without packing it. Return the stuffed squash to the oven and bake until the squash are tender and the stuffing is hot, about 15 more minutes.