Tuesday night, April 7, more than 80 people gathered at the Sandhills Rod and Gun Club in Ellerbe for the 24th Annual Wild Foods Cook-off. They were to taste and judge some of the best-prepared wild game, berries and vegetables that nature can provide.
The dishes that the cooks prepared in the meat category were mule deer soup, Mississippi goose, rabbit pie, deer sausage, deer chili, deer roast and rice — and probably a few more.
Dessert dishes included blackberry cobbler, persimmon pudding and orange mincemeat short bread bars. Wild nuts and vegetables were common milkweed and greenbriar shoots.
Each person, as they came through the door, was issued a ticket for each category of food. As the event started, volunteers served each person a small portion of each entrée on their plates. When the meal was over, each person placed a ticket for their favorite dishes in a box in front of the dish.
As the tickets were being tallied up, the Sandhills Chapter of the N.C. Native Plant Society presented a program. Presenters were Cami Gregg and Namaste Arey. The chapter is just starting and is the 10th one in the state. Their mission is to educate people about the many wild species of plants and flowers in our state. They said that some species were edible or parts of them but make sure you know before you eat them. They are planning tours of our Sandhills Game lands and other areas of the state.
After the program was over and the votes were counted, the winners of each category were announced and then presented with a gift.
The winner in the meat category was Kathy Allen with her rabbit pie. David Auman won the dessert category with his persimmon pudding. The Best of Show award was presented to Armon Waters for his bear-potato casserole. In the youth category, the winners were Kayle Hoffman and Lydia Shaw.
The wild game events are hosted and sponsored by the Sandhills Rod and Gun Club, N.C. Cooparative Extension and the Martha Faye Craft Club.
I want to thank all the ones who prepared the dishes and the volunteers and sponsors who help make this annual event possible.
Next year will be the grand 25th Wild Foods Cook-off so be ready for your chance to prepare one of your favorite dishes.
J.A. Bolton is author of “Just Passing Time,” “Southern Fried: Down-Home Stories,” ”Sit-A-Spell,” and “Early Years at Blewett Falls,” all of which may be purchased on Amazon or bought locally. Contact him at ja@jabolton.com .
