It’s February 2nd, time to monitor Marmota monax and dream of winter’s end. Whether or not you believe in woodchuck weathermen, one thing is certain: you can’t have groundhogs if you want fresh garden veggies.
Groundhogs (aka woodchucks, whistlepigs, and marmots) are insecto-vegetarians and confirmed locavores. If you plan to plant this spring, harvest those hairy beasts now. Celebrate Groundhog Day with with critter cuisine.
Serving suggestions:
Woodchuck Recipes from Michigan (Oriental Groundhog,Waco Groundhog in Sour Cream,Woodchuck Stew, Woodchuck Meat Loaf)
More groundhog lore and recipes here and here.
In his book Groundhog Day, Don Yoder reprints a classic groundhog recipe from Cooking with the Groundhog, published as a fundraiser by a hospital auxiliary — in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, home of the “official” Groundhog’s Day Festival (there are more than a few others ). A Georgia groundhog is on Twitter.
Last year, whilst stalking the elusive picturebook Geoffrey Groundhog Predicts the Weather, we espied an ad for the Range Kleen Preseasoned Cast Iron 10 Inch Fry Pan on the book’s Amazon.com page. There’s no “storybook ending” if you’re a groundhog.
Image (“Marmot sauté, after John James Audubon”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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Tags: food, Groundhog Day, groundhogs, Groundhogs Day, holidays, marmots, meat, recipes
NotionsCapital 
February 2, 2011 at 9:33 am
Updates:
1. “No shadow for groundhog Phil: Winter to end?” Jason Samenow, Washington Post blog
2. Groundhog forecasters get a poor job performance review from the National Climatic Data Cente.
February 2, 2011 at 11:30 am
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