Wild Game Feast planning continues

Your Wild Game Feast Committee is meeting weekly to put the finishing 'garnishes' on this amazing 20th annual event. Here's an update on what we're up to these days, and how you can help make this year's Albert D. Downs Wild Game Feast one of the most successful in history.

1. Display the 2011 Wild Game Feast Poster - Share the news about the Wild Game Feast by displaying one of our new posters at your place of business. Pick some up at Thursday morning's meeting.

2. Buy tickets online - Please encourage your friends, family and co-workers to purchase their tickets from you or online at www.wildgamefeast.org. Online, you can buy tickets via PayPal or with a major credit card. And, purchase 4-wheeler raffle tickets online, too. All tickets will be available for pick up on the day of the event (May 5) as early as 4:30 p.m.

3. The menu is coming together - So far, we have on the menu fried frog legs, rattlesnake, turtle cooter, prarie chic, gator tail, venison, catfish and hushpuppies; smoked venison, chic wings, pulled pork and turkey; side items of black beans and rice, corn on the cob, collard greens, baked beans, Mississippi cavier and swamp cabbage; cold side items such as cole slaw, hearts of palm salad; and desserts that include sour-orange pie.

4. Sponsor commitments complete - We have successfully recruited more than $45,000 in sponsorship dollars for  this year's feast, and you'll see a full list on our website soon. Thanks in advance for patroning these awesome community partners and local businesses.

That's it for now. Thank you for continuing to spread the word about the Wild Game Feast, selling your Feast and raffle tickets, and encouraging others to participate. 

Sincerely,

Mark

Mark Watts, 2011 Wild Game Feast Chair

(386) 736-7700

Where would we be without our sponsors?

Where would the Albert D. Downs Wild Game Feast be without its sponsors? We'd probably in the woods somewhere, hunting down a deer in off-season and begging for someone to loan us a commercial-sized grill for a few hours. (Who knows what kinds of laws we'd be breaking without that insurance, too. Sean Ryan shutters at the thought.)

Thankfully, local non-profits and Rotary projects will be able to rely on the Wild Game Feast again in 2011, thanks to our generous sponsors! The Wild Game Feast committee has received commitments for tens of thousands of dollars for the benefit of those organizations and projects the DeLand Breakfast Rotary supports.

Special thanks to the following club members who joined me secure vital WGF sponsorships:

Deric Kaiser

Derek Mears

Sean Ryan

Steve Sally

Terry Williams

  

Special thanks to Quality Brands, our title sponsor, who will be providing our adult beverages.

TD Bank, "America's Most Convenient Bank," has generously stepped up to fully sponsor our April 27 VIP / Sponsor Event at the Athens Theatre with at $5,000 gift. Progress Energy has come through again this year with a $5,000 gift, too. And, all of our $5,000 - $1,500 sponsors are listed to the right.

In addition, we have commitments from 33 local businesses and individuals who have committed $300 - $500 to support the event.

Please show your support of our sponsors by sharing the message of their philanthropy

and using their services.

  

Thank you for continuing to spread the word about the Wild Game Feast, selling your feast tickets, hocking raffle tickets, and encouraging others to participate in our 20th anniversary event. 

Sincerely,

Mark

Mark Watts, 2011 Wild Game Feast Chair

(386) 736-7700

All-new Wildgamefeast.org is up and running

We have revamped and restored http://www.wildgamefeast.org/, and the site is up and running! It's just in time for you to share the good news about the 20th Annual Albert D. Downs Wild Game Feast, purchase your tickets and encourage your friends and colleagues to do the same. (Start by clicking on "Forward to a Friend" in the right-side column and share this e-newsletter!)

On http://www.wildgamefeast.org/, visitors can purchase tickets for the May 5 event ($50 each, plus $5 handling per order), as well as $10 raffle tickets for the 4-wheeler give-away (no handling charge). All tickets purchased online will be available at will-call on event day. And you can shop with confidence online knowing all transactions are secure through PayPal; buyers can pay with their credit card or through their own PayPal account.

Also on http://www.wildgamefeast.org/, we've listed our annual Citizen of the Year (who will it be this year?), included information about the charities and programs the Wild Game Feast supports, added FAQ about the Feast, posted a sample menu, included detailed sponsor opportunities, as well as some fun photos of past years' events.

Thanks in advance for your support of the 20th Annual Albert D. Downs Wild Game Feast! It will be another fantastic event, thanks to you.

Now...go buy your tickets!

Sincerely,

Mark

Mark Watts, 2011 Wild Game Feast Chair

(386) 736-7700

Swamp Cabbage: The ultimate Southern camp food

Swamp cabbage is the name given to the heart of the Sabal Palm. The Sabal Palm is indigenous to Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and coastal North Carolina. They are very common and readily available in most areas. They grow wild in such abundance that they are not cultivated as a harvest vegetable.

When you are ready to serve a meal, use a semi-sharp blade to cut a straight line down the "skin" of the cabbage and then peel away the outer layers one by one until you have a creamy white cylinder about 5" inches across. This is the heart of the palm.

Once you have removed all the hard outer boots, chip away at the bottom of the swamp cabbage, as if slicing it for coleslaw. Once you have chipped enough from the end, the raw cabbage will be sweet on the tongue with no trace of bitterness. Be sure you have removed all the bitter parts BEFORE cooking!

When fully cleaned, the trimmed cabbage should weigh from 5-10 pounds depending on the tree it was harvested from. After the bitter parts are gone, shred the remaining swamp cabbage (heart of palm) into a large pot.

After chipping up all that is usable, you should have filled a large pot nearly to the top with chipped swamp cabbage. The most popular recipes for swamp cabbage are boiled swamp cabbage and fritters.

Boiled Swamp Cabbage Recipe

Ingredients and items needed for preparation:
1/4 pound salt/white pork
1 medium sized swamp cabbage
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper.

One large pot with a lid.
One small frying pan to cook the pork.

How to cook swamp cabbage:

Fry 1/4 pound of diced salt or white pork bacon.
Once the salt/white pork is fully cooked, drain the excess grease.
Add two cups of water to your large pot of chipped swamp cabbage and bring it to a full foil.
Add 1 tablespoon of salt.
Add 1 teaspoon of pepper.
Add 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Add the salt/white bacon you have already prepared.

Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This recipe makes a delicious vegetable and serves 8-20 people depending on the size of the cabbage. Serve hot with any entree, but goes especially well with grilled meats or fried fish.

Source: http://www1.epinions.com/content_4975337604

20TH ANNUAL WILD GAME FEAST RETURNS TO FAIRGROUNDS MAY 5

From 5 - 9 p.m. Thursday, May 5, 2011, the DeLand Breakfast Rotary Club  will host the 20th Annual Albert D. Downs Wild Game Feast at the Volusia County Fairgrounds, 3150 E. New York Ave., DeLand.

The Wild Game Feast has become one of the largest annual fundraisers in West Volusia County, Fla., and typically hosts more than 1,000 people for an evening of wild-game delicacies and camaraderie.

The Wild Game Feast has raised and distributed more than $1 million to non-profit organizations and community groups over its 19 years, including The House Next Door, Volusia Honor Air, and more than 50 other local organizations and programs. 

Tickets for adults are available through club members or online at www.wildgamefeast.org, and are $50 each. Parking is free at the fairgrounds.

Though the menu changes slightly from year to year, a typical Wild Game Feast menu includes smoked pork, fried and smoked venison, venison curry, blackened gator tail, fried gator tail, fried frog legs, crawfish, catfish, turkey, venison chili, pulled pig, fried rattlesnake and Jamaican mountain goat.

Trimmings and desserts have included hush puppies, Cole slaw, baked beans, “swamp cabbage,” corn on the cob, collard greens and sour-orange pie.

For more information about the Wild Game Feast, call Mark Watts, 2011 Wild Game Feast Chair, at (386) 736-7700 or e-mail info@wildgamefeast.org.