Local chefs, Wildlife Council, DNR serve Harvest to Table Gala

SOUTHFIELD — The Michigan Wildlife Council hosted its first-ever Harvest to Table Gala Oct. 1 at the Great Lakes Culinary Center, 24101 West Nine Mile Road, showcasing the hunting, fishing and foraging heritage in Michigan and the role these natural resources play in addressing hunger statewide.

“The mission of the Wildlife Council is to promote all the benefits of hunting and fishing, that it’s a management tool to ensure that we have sustainable wildlife populations now and in the future, that hunters and anglers provide conservation funding, not only for game species like turkey and deer, but also nongame species like butterflies and salamanders, and it’s something that generates a lot of money and jobs around the state,” said Nick Buggia,  the chairman for the Michigan Wildlife Council. “This is the first time we’ve done an event like this, where we’ve invited people to come in. We tried to get a group of hunters and anglers and nonhunters and anglers to bring those two groups together over food and highlight all the natural resources that Michigan has to offer from things like wild game, like venison and fish. A lot of the sides and things today were foraged within an hour and a half of here. So they’re all things that are local. We wanted to highlight that and then educate everybody on the Wildlife Council and everything that hunters and anglers do as far as funding conservation.”

The gala’s menu featured a four-course meal inspired by Michigan’s natural resources and created by local chefs.

Chef de partie Danny Pesja, of Sylvan Table, located in Keego Harbor, prepared a wild mushroom salad for the first course, which displayed his love of foraging for wild mushrooms. He said he got into mushroom foraging around six years ago while he was working in the restaurant industry.

“Learning more about wild food and how it was what we originally had to eat back in the day was really exciting for me, on top of the flavors,” he said. “The flavors are unmatched compared to anything you can cultivate or farm. Not to mention that the nutrient value being so high makes that flavor come through so much more and so better for you, too — on top of getting outside a little more, which we don’t often do in today’s society.”

The second course was a kombu steamed walleye prepared by Mike Ransom, the owner and chef of Ima Noodles in Detroit and Madison Heights.

“This event resonated with me because I grew up fishing, and it’s one of my hobbies,” Ransom said of the enjoyment he found combining his love of fishing and outdoor recreation with cuisine. “I think it’s kind of getting back to us understanding where our food comes from and how the nutrient base can be much richer for us, and definitely getting away from too much processed foods. And I think if we get kids into hunting and fishing and foraging, then kids will probably understand how they can base their diets on things that are going to be more nourishing for themselves and also find themselves more connected to the world around us.”

Paul Grosz, the owner and executive chef of Cuisine Restaurant, a Schoolcraft College Culinary Arts instructor and the honorary “meat cutter” of the night, prepared a roasted venison loin.

The fourth and final course was an apple crostada prepared by Abigail Tull, a pastry chef at Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon.

“Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger is supported by the DNR. It is a collaborative effort of Michigan hunters, processors and charities aimed at reducing hunger across our state,” Joe Presgrove, a Michigan DNR Sportsmen Against Hunger representative, said. “Our mission is simple but impactful: to connect hunters and anglers with local processors and food banks to ensure that our wild game harvests can benefit those most in need.”

He said that this effort is a sustainable way to address food insecurity throughout the state, noting that of the 1.3 million Michigan residents experiencing hunger, 300,000 are children. He added that through Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger, Michigan hunters can donate all of their legally hunted game or just part of it, which will then be processed before being delivered to local food banks and shelters.

For more information on the Michigan Wildlife Council, visit hereformioutdoors.org.

To learn more about Sportsmen Against Hunger, visit sportsmenagainsthunger.org.