Sep 10 & 11: Wild Foods Dinner and Foraging Walk

Wild Foods Weekend: Ever feast on the tender asparagus flavored stalks of Solomon’s seal? The exalted and elusive morel mushroom? Succulent coiled fronds of the woodland fern? If not, come experience the gourmet elements of wild foods in the Georgia Mountains. Our events are devoted to all things wild and local to remind your senses why the traditional wild ingredients of Appalachian cuisine are now the hallmark of culinary innovation in restaurants across the country.

Friday Evening at 5:30pm wine and appetizers. You will get to taste appetizers prepared from a number of wild ingredients.  

Saturday Morning Walk: At 8:30AM Immerse yourself in the lush cove forests of the Southern Appalachian Mountains to experience a taste of wildness as you forage for dinner. Herbalist Cindy Halbkat will lead the walk.  She is a noted herbalist and wild foods chef.  She teaches classes in herbal medicines and wild edibles.   The Friday morning walk begins as Ms. Halbkat introduces you to the many plants that have been used as foods and medicines by American Indians and local mountain people for generations. You will get to pick shoots and leaves, dig roots, pick berries and experience lots of new flavors while you learn about the unique ecology of the area and the use of wild foods. Wear comfortable hiking shoes. 

Saturday Night Gourmet Dinner: 5:30 Appetizers and Live Music by Mountain Hoodoo. On Saturday afternoon enjoy music Al Fresco - live music with wine and appetizers on our tree-top porch. Then, on Saturday night you will enjoy a unique multi-course dinner that showcases gourmet possibilities of combining local wild edibles with Rabun County farm produce all paired to wonderful regional wines.

• Wild Food Appetizers and wine tasting Friday afternoon at 5:30pm Complimentary for Beechwood Inn guests $25.00 for non-guests
• Visit to the local organic farm Friday Afternoon (optional)
• Complimentary glass of wine before dinner on Saturday with music by Mountain Hoodoo
• Multi-course Wild Foods Dinner Saturday night paired with regional wines
• A set of our recipes featuring wild ingredients

Stay the Weekend and Save $50.00: Stay Friday and Saturday and sign up for the Walk and Dinner and Save $50.00 per couple.

Joie Power of Hayesville, NC attended our wild foods dinner in June 2009 and e-mailed to say, "I've been to wild foods dinners before but nothing like this; this is the first one where I didn't feel like a grazing herbivore or one of the last surviving humans in some post-apocalyptic throw-back saga. Elegant and delicious!" 

Friday appetizers and wine complimentary for Beechwood Inn guests. Saturday dinner is $75.00 per person, plus tax and  gratuity. The Saturday morning guided foraging-herb walk is $25.00 per person. For more information contact the Beechwood Inn at (706) 782-5485 or visit our websites at www.beechwoodinn.ws  

This is what we expect our menu to be but it depends on what we find in the wild - so this is a dinner for the adventurous palette.