Steamboat Springs Nonprofit, Yampatika, to Host 2021 Wild Edible Feast

On Thursday, May 27, 100 lucky diners at Aurum Restaurant in downtown Steamboat Springs will be testing their taste buds. The Wild Edible Feast, now in it’s 21st year, has become a staple fundraiser for Yampatika, Steamboat’s environmental education nonprofit organization. For the first time in the event’s history, the format will include a five-course dinner served to two sittings of 50 people. The chefs at Aurum will be kept on their toes until the last minute, when the team at Yampatika delivers the week’s harvest. “Every year, the produce is always a little different based on the weather,” said Joe Haines, Yampatika’s Executive Director.

This year’s feast will include moose, elk, antelope and duck eggs, with seasonal staples such as wild onions, ferns and dandelion leaves. Chefs will find a mystery smorgasbord in the pantry with unusual pickings, such as cattail root, to create their culinary masterpieces. Local naturalists will teach a master class on wild edibles between sittings for an additional fee. Those who aren’t lucky enough to secure a coveted ticket, or would like to dabble in their own kitchen, can sign up for Yampatika’s virtual master class series ‘Dig In’ at www.yampatika.org.