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 a backyard full of 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 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.
Two years ago, 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 and cooked up today’s graphic. There’s obviously no “storybook ending” to this post if you’re a groundhog.
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Short Link: http://wp.me/p6sb6-cnG
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, woodchucks
NotionsCapital 
February 2, 2012 at 8:31 pm
UPDATES:
“7 Things You Didn’t Know About Groundhogs,” Jason G. Goldman, Scientific Amercan blog
Interesting summary of social organization.
“Our pickled prognosticator: Stuffed Sammi preserves West End groundhog tradition,” Chad Smith, Pocono Record
A groundhog is forever, thanks to taxidermy.
February 3, 2012 at 3:38 am
Love Groundhog Day, but [in Utah] we have these gorgeous huge prehistoric (Eocene era) birds, Sandhill Cranes, who nest here for six months a year. I won’t tell you when because half my blog hits these days are on how to cook them! Luckily they’re protected here.