Most chefs begin cooking fish and game because they are outdoors aficionados or are heavily schooled in the traditionally game-inclusive cuisine of Europe—or both. But Doug Mack’s route to game cookery was different.

“I see food as a venue for change, and feel it’s important to connect Vermont’s small farms to restaurants,” he says. “Nowadays people want to know more about where their food comes from and be adventuresome in their eating.”

Doug and his wife Linda Harmon run The Inn at Baldwin Creek and Mary’s Restaurant in the small town of Bristol, Vermont, about an hour from Burlington, the state’s one actual urban enclave. Their restaurant Mary’s is one of two in the state of Vermont with the Slow Food “Snail of Approval,” which means they’ve met a series of stringent and exacting criteria required by Slow Food International, a global, grassroots organization linking the enjoyment of good food with a commitment to local communities and the environment.

Recipes include

1 -Vermont Rabbit cooked in Hard Cider with Apples

2 -Bacon-wrapped Venison Tenderloin with Red Wine Gorgonzola Sauce

3 -Vermont Pheasant with Sundried Bing Cherry and Applejack Brandy Sauce