Cooking in the West

There are many extraordinary people living in Melstone, Montana (population 126) including Sage Newman, who has a commanding lead in the 2022 PRCA Saddle bronc standings and J.R. Vezain, who has inspired millions with his mission entitled "Will To Walk" following the tragic bareback, bronc riding accident that paralyzed him in 2018. Another iconic Melstone resident, whom many readers have met in his 90 years as a beloved Melstone resident, Eric “Bud” Hjelvik joined the Lord and his wife Betty Lou on October 20, 2022.

Bud was born November 17, 1931, and immediately became “Brother Bud” to four older sisters. The son of a Norwegian immigrant, Math, and his wife, Adela Shroeder, he was born during the Great Depression, so he quickly learned the value of hard work and a dollar. He attended school in Bascom, Sumatra, and graduated from Melstone High School. He worked his entire life on the family ranch except for a short stint in the oil fields. Bud met the love of his life Betty Lou Paulson at the grand opening of the Cozy Corner near Lavina, and they were married on December 18, 1955. They raised four children on their ranch east of Melstone.

Bud's granddaughter, Alyssa Hjelvik, wrote the following tribute to Bud, which captures the spirit of this man who was a truly fine gentleman and respected rancher:

“The measure of a man…they always say, “He was larger than life,” but that’s not accurate for my Grandpa Bud. He was always just right in life and especially at the most important moments. He loved to be the first or second person to the dance floor particularly at weddings with the bride. I think it was his undying love for his late wife (my phenomenal Grandma Betty Lou) that drew him to celebrate new love every chance he got.

He took pride in so many avenues of life, and one of those avenues was his relationship with God. He never tired of cleaning the church, and even in some of his last days, he was meticulously vacuuming the Lutheran Church in Melstone. I’d love to hear him singing off key to a hymn just one more time.

We often had conversations about his desire to welcome anyone and everyone to communion despite their lack of affiliation with the church. He never tired of talking about how everyone was welcome and how everyone was a child of his God.

He was frugal and specific in the way he interacted with the world. Aunt Lynette and I swore his last words would be something about how he wanted us to pick mustard out of the field. One of my fondest memories was of him scolding Eric and Dylan for spilling a 5 gallon bucket of grain and making them pick it up bit by bit saying they’d have been lucky to eat that during The Great Depression.

He was mechanically gifted and intuitive about crops and harvesting to the point that my dad constantly asked his advice even in his last spring and summer seasons. He was gentle in every aspect of his life especially with his bottle-fed calves, our passel of dogs, the ranch cats, and of course his grandkids and great grandkids.

I often recall my earliest memories with him being similar to my latest memories with him. From about age 7, it was our thing to share day-old weak coffee that was heated up in the microwave because he always tried to conserve resources. I will never forget those moments.

He never wasted time with not getting to the point of life. When I brought three of my med school friends to Melstone and took them branding, he told them to never forget how precious they were and how precious each moment was.”

My Grandpa Bud was a rare breed. He was never important because he spent his whole life making every other person in the room feel more important. Here’s to a life well lived and one of the best men I’ve ever known.

Even though cucumber season is waning, I have some great cucumber/pickle recipes to share this week.

Pickles on Steroids:

Buy 1 gallon of Kosher Dill Pickles (whole)

12 oz. jar Jalapeno pepper slices

7 buds of garlic

2 to 3 C. sugar

Pour off the pickle juice and slice pickles up like pickle chips. Place all of the sliced pickles back into the jar. Chop or slice the garlic buds and place in that jar. Add sugar to taste. Add jalapenos including juice into the jar. Put a Ziploc baggie under the lid and screw the lid on. Lay the jar on its side on a hand towel on the counter and roll the jar back and forth several times every day for six days. Store in the refrigerator after 6 days.

Easy Bread and Butter Pickles:

1 pound cucumbers, sliced 1/8"-1/4" thick

2 small onions, thinly sliced

3 T. sea salt

2 C. sugar

2 C. apple cider vinegar

1/4 C. water

1 T. mustard seed

1 T. turmeric powder

Combine sliced cucumbers, onions, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add water to cover and mix to combine. Refrigerate for 1-3 hours. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is just simmering. While brine is heating, drain cucumber mixture and rinse well. Transfer cucumbers and onions to jars. This recipe will fill 2 quart sized jars or 4 pint sized jars. Pour hot brine over cucumbers to within one-half inch of rim. Put lids on the jars and refrigerate for at least a week before sampling.

Cucumber Salad:

1 C. mayonnaise

1/4 C. sugar

1/4 C. white vinegar

1/4 t. salt

4 C. thinly sliced cucumbers

Mix dressing ingredients. Toss with cucumbers. Chill before serving.