Calling all chefs for the Taste of Cordova

This year’s Taste of Cordova award categories emphasize locally harvested ingredients

I am beyond excited to announce that Taste of Cordova is coming soon! Grab your gloves and put on your XtraTufs because this year’s competition will involve some harvesting. The Copper River Delta is famous for her wilderness and abundance of wild foods and that is what this year’s categories are about.

Devil’s club has many edible parts to the plant, but you must be careful, so you don’t get poked. The stalk can be peeled, and the inner cambium layer can used as a flavor for any dish.

Dehydrate and let it infuse in oil to cook with, add it to kombucha to enhance the flavor, or chop it up finely as garnish! There are many ways to incorporate this beautiful plant into any wild dish.

Nettles are another plant that can be found during July. Nettle is tasty, nutritious and adds a nice boost of vitamins, minerals and protein to any meal. My favorite way to utilize this plant is by incorporating it in a nettle pesto. Another great way to utilize nettles in soups and drinks. You can even make them into chips!

An easy plant that is not too far from the road’s edge is Wormwood. Wormwood is both an edible and medicinal plant, so make sure you do not consume too much. However, it is a great flavor to add to any drink or dish. My favorite way to incorporate this beautiful and flavorful herb is into the “Cordova Spritz” shown on Kitchen Necessary’s 5th episode on YouTube.

These are just a handful of the different types of Alaska Native plants that can be harvested in July for Taste of Cordova!

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Check out some of my favorite books for inspiration:

Enter a dish, or two, and stop by to sample the spread and enjoy a set by one of our talented Salmon Jam performers. Entries range from inventive Copper River wild salmon dishes to mouth-watering local berry desserts.

The Taste of Cordova begins at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 13 and will be conveniently located on the Festival Grounds at Mt. Eyak Ski Area. Chefs, please have your delicious dishes to the Taste of Cordova table no later than 6 p.m. for judging. Enter to win great prizes and be first in line to try all the entries when the Taste of Cordova opens to the public!

This year’s categories will be:

  • Copper King – best dish made with Copper River Salmon
  • Devil’s Advocate – best dish utilizing Devil’s Club
  • Berry Brilliant – best dish utilizing two or more of Cordova’s berries
  • Born to Be Wild – best dish utilizing wild game
  • Fabulous Flora – best dish utilizing Alaska Native plants

Find out more about Taste of Cordova and Salmon Jam at salmonjam.org or email raven.alayna@yahoo.com.

Raven Madison organizes Taste of Cordova and is on the Salmon Jam committee. She is a life-long resident of Cordova, Alaska. She is inspired by the land and loves to participate in subsistence activities. Follow her on Instagram as @raven.alayna.

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