A Reservoir, The Grand Old Party and A Culinary Delight

It is said that you should do something you haven't done before at least once a week.  This week I did three! 

It started with the Griffin Environmental Council's tour of Still Branch Reservoir.  Opened in 2008, the reservoir is located in Pike County off Georgia Highway 18, five miles south of Concord. Still Branch Reservoir consists of 850 acres of property; however, the reservoir itself is 500 acres. It serves Pike County, Spalding County, East Coweta County, North Meriwether County, Williamson, Zebulon, and Griffin.

In addition, Still Branch Reservoir is stocked with bass, bream, and channel catfish for your fishing pleasure. While fishing one can see three sets of bald eagles, Canadian geese, loons, numerous duck species, wild turkeys, deer and a host of other wildlife. Still Branch has thirty-nine wood duck boxes, hosting one of the largest wood duck populations in the area. 

Next up, the Spalding County GOP Candidate Meet & Greet at the Griffin Welcome Center.  As an Independent, I vote based on platform not political party.  This community event allowed me to chat about issues and hear from candidates running for GA Attorney General, GA School Superintendent, GA Congressional District 3 Representative, GA District 130 Representative, and from those running for local elections. 

 

For State Superintendent:
• Richard Woods
• Dr. Sonia Francis-Rolle

For Attorney General:
• Chris Carr, by Proxy

For District 130:
• Raymond Ray
• David Knight

Local Races
For County Commissioner, District 2:
• James Dutton

For Spalding Solicitor General:
• Tommy Ison
• Patrick Shepherd

For Board of Education, District 3:
• Michael Renew

For Board of Education, District 5:
• Tim Jones

The final adventure was the Southern Crescent Technical College Foundation and  Culinary Arts Program & Advisory Committee's Fifth Annual Food and Wine Pairings, which was held on April 5 at the Griffin Campus. 

The 175 guests enjoyed an evening of fine dining, wine, and fundraising.   Estimates indicated that proceeds from the event were just shy of $30,000.00, which supports student scholarships for the Culinary Arts program. 

 

As the evening began, guests gathered in the atrium for a piano reception.  Sangria was served with appetizers that included  savory palmiers with sun dried tomato basil pesto papenade, watermelon gazpacho with fresh mint and feta cheese, and yucca chips topped with bacon jam and a quail egg. 

We then moved into the Event Center for a dinner.  The five stations were as follows: 

Southern Crescent Chicken Paillard

Black Forest Ham, Gruyere Cheese and Leeks

Lemon Thyme Beurre Blanc

Haricots Verts Bundles, Creamy Basil Pesto Polenta

Paired with Hob Nob, Chardonnay, 2016 from Central Valley, California

 

Grilled Flank Steak a la Romagna

Rosemary, Roasted Garlic and Aged Balsamic

Saffron Duchesse Potatoes

Heirloom tomatoes and Ratatouille, Steamed Asparagus

Paired with Ruta 22 Malbec, 2016 from Mendoza, Argentina 

Singapore Spicy Shrimp

Bok Choy, Daikon Sprouts, Shitake and Edamame

Rice Pearls, Coconut Ginger Lobster Sauce

Paired with Villa Pozzi Pinot Gris, 2016 from Sicily, Italy 

Brie and Peach Chutney En Croute

Assorted Crackers

Paired with Pinot Noir, Hob Nob, 2015 from Languedoc - Roussilon, France 

The Dessert Station

Lemon Meringue Tartlets

Chocolate & Espresso Panna Cotta

Banana Caramel Pudding Parfait

Paired with Yellow Tail Moscato 

I was as full as a tick when I left! 

Needless to say, I had a delightful, informative and delicious week. 

Cheers to what next week will bring ...