On the fourth day of Bush Cook Chef Cook at Sejah Farm, two dozen chefs fired up their pots and pans early Saturday to create gourmet food and drinks from selected local ingredients. The public was admitted in the afternoon and swarmed from tent to tent the rest of the day, sampling exquisite bites.
The chefs were set up under tents with plenty of room for cookfires, madras balloons, and impressive cooking utensils. All of the chefs were tasked with using fresh herbs, spices, mushrooms, protein, and ripe avocados. Dishes included concoctions with local pumpkin, breadfruit, greens, goat, rabbit, and poultry.
D.J. Star General provided music throughout the event. Announcements were made from time to time, including contests for chefs to win prizes. World Central Kitchen sponsored a cleaning station, and the non-profit Saafon manned the pantry.
Saafon is a non-profit organization that advocates for the collective power and prosperity of Black farmers. Ten chapters are located in the Southeastern United States, the Virgin Islands, and the Caribbean to promote Black farming, history, and culture. According to the website, the organization offers technical support to help farmers practice ecologically sustainable methods. They also train farmers, on site, and provide grants for education, infrastructure and emergencies.
Local farms provided many fresh ingredients for the competition and Eric Ahrens, known as the Mycelium Man, delivered 60 pounds of oyster mushrooms for the chefs. Some will be incorporated into Sunday’s five-course farm-to-table dinner.
Ahrens said the mushroom delivery included Lions Mane, Pink, Blue, and Princess varieties grown in his Estate Princess garden. The mycelium expert has discovered a native mushroom he calls the palm mushroom and is in the process of having scientists identify and catalog it. He learned it was not poisonous by eating it himself. Edible oyster mushrooms have gills even on the stem, unlike the poisonous varieties found after rain, which have gills only on the underside of the cap, he said.
This is the third time Ahrens has participated in Bush Cook, but it was the first time he joined the competition. On Saturday, he brewed bush tea with his home-grown herbs and spices, used a variety of basil and tarragon to bake herb bread, and prepared a slow-smoked brisket.
Throughout the day, the air was filled with the rich aroma of Sean Skerrette’s Ethiopian lentils and South African rabbit stew, Chef Ashley’s roasted goat, provisions seasoned with fresh mint, thyme and garlic and Roots Farm’s pumpkin cream fish soup.
The 4H chefs created Mongolian egg rolls, pumpkin fritters, and chipotle lamb wraps. They started by marinating lamb shanks in chipotle sauce and pressure-cooking beef shoulder for tender, sweet, and spicy egg rolls.
When chefs needed additional supplies, they visited the pantry, which was stocked with canned goods, spices, utensils, and paper plates. Alisha Johnson-Perry, who manned the pantry, was one of the 10 Saafon volunteers who helped with this year’s event.
This was Johnson-Perry’s first trip to St. Croix, but this is the second year Saafon has provided volunteers and workshops.
“We like it when we can get in, be of service and help people enjoy the festival,” she said.
An elegant farm-to-table dinner culminates the event on Sunday. During the week, there were presentations, workshops, and a cooking competition for schoolchildren.
