• Venison tacos
• Chefs foraged feast
Ready for a culinary adventure? Maybe some venison tacos or whole fried perch with a side of melted butter? Whether you want to eat persimmon pudding all day or take a jet boat deep down Kentucky Rivers for barbecue, you'll find it in Indianapolis or just a day trip away:
A Taste of the Wild Cookout
Arrive no later than 11 a.m., when the food stations open at this annual Indiana State Fair lunch. Food is usually gone within an hour to an hour-and-a-half, according to cookout insiders. This year expect venison sloppy joes, wild turkey kabobs, venison tacos, deep-fried Asian carp and barbecued beaver, among other dishes. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources puts on the event with help from the Indiana Wildlife Federation, Indiana Deer Hunters Association, Northwest Indiana Steelheaders and the National Wild Turkey Federation. Wildlife Federation stages the event to help educate the public about the state's vast array of wildlife.
Foraged feast
Wild ginger, evening primrose, purslane, chanterelle mushrooms, elderberry, amaranth, stinging nettles, wild grapes, jewelweed, Queen Anne's Lace, horsetail, goldenseal, burdock, lamb's quarters, chicory, wild yam, spicebush, pawpaw. If you made a grocery list of wild foods that grow during late summer in Indiana, that's what it might look like. A trio of seasoned foragers supply chef Neal Brown and his team at Stella for a dinner showcasing edible treasures from Indiana's forests. All proceeds benefit the Indiana Forest Alliance, whose mission is preserving and restoring Indiana's native hardwood ecosystem for all to enjoy.
Jet boat river adventure
The quaint town of Madison gets wild down by the Ohio River. That's where Rockin' Thunder jet boat rides treat thrill-seekers to spins, slides and fishtails, but you can chill out on these mighty boats, too. A 90-mile Sunday dinner adventure takes you down Kentucky River, through two of America's oldest functioning locks. Along the way, you'll see bald eagles soaring over the wild shore and hear the captain's captivating, sometimes scary, river stories of men who prospered and perished along the waterway. The trip includes a few relaxing hours at historic Blue Wing Landing, a former peach plantation owned by Kentucky's first U.S. senator.
Kentucky barbecue and luscious
Indiana sugar cream pie have been on the menu. The 75-mile lunch excursion follows Ohio River to Captain's Quarters Riverside Grill on Harrods Creek.
Fish and frog legs
Fridays bring a big menu of fried fish and frog legs at Chuck & Irene's, a family business that dates to 1947. This is one of the few places where you can still get whole lake perch, on the bone, with a side of melted butter when the fish is available. Walleye, smelt and whole catfish are listed on the $9 to $14 menu.
Persimmon Festival
Every year since 1946, folks have been coming to downtown Mitchell to celebrate persimmons for an entire week in mid-September. Forget the Japanese hybrids you see at the supermarket. This festival honors the native American tree that grows in Southern Indiana. Persimmon pudding is the dish of the day throughout the weekend. Someone is always serving it somewhere. Cooks compete in a persimmon recipe contest. Find their persimmon pie, mousse, cake but mostly pudding recipes at the festival website.
*culled from www.indystar.com
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