Since spring of 2020, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has partnered with the Vermont Farm to Plate Network to host the Vermont Wild Kitchen, a Facebook Live cooking show taking place on the third Thursday of each month. March’s episode will feature Abenaki Chef Jessee Lawyer who will prepare traditional Abenaki ingredients with a modern twist. Some wild and local ingredients Lawyer plans on using include deer shank, bear fat, garlic, sumac and more.
“We’re so grateful for Chef Jessee to join us in the Vermont Wild Kitchen to demonstrate how to create a seasonal meal showcasing Native techniques and ingredients,” said Shane Rogers, Farm to Plate communications manager at the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund. “He brings such a wealth of knowledge to the table and we are excited to be able to help share that to Vermonters around the state.”
Since the first episode aired in April, the series has gained a considerable following by featuring easy recipes using wild and local Vermont ingredients available to anyone along with demonstrations on how to identify and process wild ingredients. All of the featured guests are home cooks who are also hunters, anglers, foragers, and farmers demonstrating their own favorite recipes utilizing local foods that are rooted in Vermont. Segments have included how to fillet and fry a fish, roasting squash au gratin, and preparing nettles.
“Vermont Wild Kitchen allows us to explore wild food and make it more accessible to Vermonters,” said Nicole Meier, Hunter Education Program Coordinator for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. “With the episodes being unscripted and run by home cooks in their own kitchens, it has been such a fun way to connect to Vermonters, especially as many of us are doing more cooking at home and looking for new and fun ingredients to work it.”
The next episode of Vermont Wild Kitchen will air on March 18, at 5pm on Facebook Live at facebook.com/rootedinvermont.