Game Dinner at Leen’s Lodge a Hit

October 29, 2013

The Downeast Lakes Land Trust (DLLT) would like to thank Charles Driza and his staff for cooking an outstanding, delicious and interesting dinner for the “Feast from the Forest” on October 26th.

What started as an off the cuff idea became culinary lyricism as Driza set to work.  Putting on a spread of smoked duck, woodcock drumsticks, grouse fingers, duck in blueberry sauce, rabbit wrapped in bacon and jalapeno, mushroom-stuffed roasted quail gumbo, venison loin and ossobuco, Charles and his staff  made a spectacle of what the eastern forest has to offer.  “With game,” Driza told a full house, “It’s important to understand that it is very high in protein, especially things like a woodcock which eat worms.  If you over cook it, it can taste almost like liver.  To avoid that, you just have to be careful and serve it a little rare. Generally when people say they haven’t liked game, it’s because it was tough or ‘gamey’ and that generally means it was overcooked.”

A hearty crowd came from the local community and as far off as Perry, Calais, Eastport, and Bangor.  DLLT was pleased to attract new people to Grand Lake Stream for one of our fun community events that also helps people appreciate the bounty of our local forests.  We hope they will all be back to explore more of the Downeast Lakes and our community forest.

As the trust works to complete the West Grand Lake Community Forest Project, it is heartening to see so many people take an active interest in the products of healthy wildlife habitats – like those the local community can maintain through good stewardship of community forests.