Recipes for Superb Owls
We hear there’s a big game coming up. We’ve also heard that folks are really interested in owls. That makes sense, because owls are superb. So we thought we’d offer some food suggestions for celebrating those Superb Owls. And if you happen to be watching the game… well, these might work for that, too. Read on for superb owl game day recipes!
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Tiny, Tooty, and About the Size of an Avocado
The Northern Pygmy-Owl is suuuper cute. If you’re really lucky, you might spot one when you’re hiking in the woods since they’re out and about during the day. You’re probably more likely to hear one, though: they make a series of toots that sound almost as cute as these tiny owls look.
Northern Pygmy-Owls are only about the size of an avocado, though they weigh a lot less. So in honor of this Superb Owl, you might make something with an avocado. Guacamole, perhaps? You can find our recipe for a simple but delicious guacamole here.
Great Horned Owl
Bold Bites, Great Horned Owl–Style
Great Horned Owls are much larger. They tend to make other birds a bit nervous. If you’re ever at the park and a flock of crows is cawing like crazy, pay close attention. You might see them dive bombing and harassing another bird in a tree. It might be a hawk, or it might just be a Great Horned Owl.
The crows are nervous for good reason: Great Horned Owls will absolutely eat young crows on the nest. And they aren’t super picky about what other birds they’ll hunt, either, as long as they’re big enough to be worth their while. They’ll feast on backyard chickens if given the chance. So you might celebrate this Superb Owl with our Buffalo Chicken Wings recipe. If you’re a little less carnivorous than an owl, you could try these Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites instead.
Short Eared Owl
A Mothlike Flight Inspires Some Serious Dipping
A Superb Owl that you might find skimming over grass fields around dusk is the Short-Eared Owl. Like many owls, they rely on their exquisite hearing to detect mice and voles. They fly slowly and erratically just over the ground, ready to drop down at the tiniest whisper of a rodent’s movement through the grass. Their flight is almost mothlike, rising and dipping again and again.
You might dip again and again with a few of our dip recipes, too. Try our recipe for Blue Cheese Dip with veggies or chicken wings, or our recipe for Baked Artichoke Dip with some crusty bread. Our Vegan Caramelized Onion Dip recipe is great with potato chips!
Barred Owl
Who Cooks for You?
The most controversial of our local owls is a relatively recent arrival. Once confined to the eastern half of the continent by the treeless expanse of the Great Plains, trees planted in cities and for agriculture allowed the Barred Owl to expand its range all the way to the West Coast, where it is proving to be bad news for the Western Screech-Owl and the endangered Northern Spotted Owl. Like some other owls, they can also be aggressive during breeding season. Salem gained national attention in 2015 when a Barred Owl in Bush’s Pasture Park attacked several runners.
Is this owl superb? It depends on your point of view. But it’s not unusual to hear them around town at night. You can recognize them from their call, which sounds like “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?”
If the answer to the Barred Owl’s question is that you are doing the cooking, try our recipe for Tamarind BBQ Pork Ribs. Sweet and tangy and made with locally-raised pastured pork from Lonely Lane Farms, there’s no question about whether these ribs belong here.
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