We had a great time at this event. Every year for the past seven years, Chef Michael Smith and a vast army of local volunteers (including members of the actual armed forces) make it happen. The dinner is a fundraiser for four charities. PEI-based Farmer Helping Farmers builds cook-houses in Kenya with donations from the feast. Other money goes locally to the Souris Food Bank, Coats for Kids, and the Main Street Family Resource Centre.
What struck me was how well-organized it was and how helpful and cheerful the volunteers were. One of them told me they had 1,100 meals ready to go this year. And as you shall see, this wasn't just hot-dogs-on-a-bun fare, but a delicious three-course locally provisioned meal. When you consider Souris, the largest place around here for about 25 miles, has a population of 1,600, that is quite a feat.
The physical layout was a big part of the success. Moving so many people through the event over just three hours and keeping everyone was happy was what really impressed me. It was like going through a combination of IKEA and that Swiss-based restaurant in downtown Toronto whose name I forget. Aha ... Movenpick!
Our ticket is propped up against a bag of lettuce as a centrepiece. It had tear-offs all around it — missing in the photo, but you can see the perforations — which we used at each food station.
Because of the high winds due to Tropical Storm Arthur, the event was held inside this year — necessitating last minute changes that seemed to us — as mere attendees — to go off without a hitch.The entrance to the Eastern Kings Sportsplex is not pretty, but the bales of hay were placed in such a way that a large crowd could congregate but then get narrowed into a line to go in to the building. You just followed the labyrinthine path.
I suspect the same farmer who last year donated the hay bales at Micheal Smith's wedding also donated to the Feast. We visited Sweetwater Farms last year; this is the hay barn.
Anyhow, once inside, we were met with a volunteer at the entrance to the dining area,which is the ice rink in the winter. Her sole duty was to give us and everyone else useful advice to make getting our food easy.
Find your chairs first, tip them up, go get your chowder and dessert, and then afterwards, head out for your main course. Sounded sensible to me!
However, we were immediately distracted by the oysters, and not reading the sign too carefully decided on two for $5, much to the amusement of the volunteer shuckers.
As the salty dog on the left said, it's all for a good cause.
Having tipped up their chairs, our table mates had gone for their dinner:
The chowder stand was out back. The shrimp, lobster, and potato-filled delight was served by members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Next, each of us picked up one of the 1,100 rhubarb shortcakes and whipped cream for our dessert:
Here is what things looked like at about 5:00. The feast ran from 3:00 to 6:00 in the afternoon.
Chowder eaten, it was back out the way we came in for our main course:
The steak, garlic mashed potatoes, and gravy station was first. Such a clever way of dividing the crowd: by the degree of doneness each person wanted for their meat. But no well-done steaks on offer, as you can see.
The lobster station was next, made obvious by the lobster boat! I wonder who lent it.
A couple of eager young people handed out the greens with gloved hands from huge bowls, another time saver. Alas, no picture of them in action.
A nod to Kenyan cuisine was given in curry-flavoured githeri, consisting of beans and maize. It was a tasty vegetarian addition.
Next stop: Acadian bread baked in that nifty oven, which usually lives near Michael Smith's kitchen.
Here is the final product; we had already devoured the lobster- and shrimp-laden chowder.
Greg had gone the surf and turf route and did not have enough room for the lobster, which we took home for our next day's supper.
Lots of silly entertainment was orchestrated by Michael Smith while we ate. These 12 people paid $100 each to wear a funny Anne-hat, put on a potato bag apron, shuck an oyster, peel a potato and apologize (we're Canadians) to the person next to them. The money was donated to Farmers Helping Farmers.
I think they also had to drink the strawberry cordial:
Later, the crown gave a standing ovation to the orange-clad Feast volunteers.
Time to go home. The crowd is breaking up.
I suggested to Greg he buy another giraffe, as his previous one had its nose knocked off in one of our moves. This one does have feet; I was concentrating on its snout for the picture.
So many sponsors:
I can hardly wait until next year. I may not only attend, but also volunteer to peel potatoes or maybe slice up rhubarb.
No comments:
Post a Comment