My first rabbit

Writing and cooking in: Pittsburgh, PA

I’ve been discussing vegetarianism and veganism with a lot of people lately. I’ve talked health benefits, environmental benefits, and animal rights. When I was a teenager, my family did a 6-month experiment in vegetarian living that ended when we wanted a turkey for Thanksgiving. No matter what discussions I have, I always come back to the same conclusion: I like meat. I adore vegetarian food as well, but cutting out meat altogether just isn’t something I’m willing to do.

I realized all that about halfway through cutting a whole rabbit into serving pieces on Saturday. Even though I’d never done it before, I found myself comfortable with the process and comfortable with the animal. I was comfortable that it came from a humane source and that it probably got to play in the grass at some point.

And it’s a good thing, too, because this rabbit was delicious.

I used a simple Irish recipe for Roast Rabbit that I found online. It’s actually from a cookbook that I bought for my mom on my first trip to Ireland. So, Mom – now you know where to find a good rabbit recipe!

It serves up pretty ugly but tastes delicious:

When the Kennedy’s have rabbits again, you can bet I’ll be after one. Rabbit is not only tasty, but packed full of protein and iron - perfect for someone like me who has wobbled on the border of anemia recently and great because even a small piece of rabbit can fill you up quickly with a salad and maybe a potato on the side.

Today’s local ingredients:

Rabbit and bacon, Kennedy Meat Stand at Farmer’s Market Cooperative of East Liberty

Potatoes, onion, and popcorn sprouts (for garnish), Zang’s at Farmer’s Market Cooperative of East Liberty

Milk, Turner’s Dairy

One year ago: Smoky Dark Chocolate Brownies