Chef Demo 8-16-08
demonstrates canning techniques - Part 1
demonstrates canning techniques - Part 2
Chef Demo - August 9
Chef Demo - August 2
Chef in Residence
Sherri will provide chef demos on September 20 and October 11.
(July 19, 2008)
Strawberry Salad
(June 21, 2008)
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A significant factor in the long-term health of sustainable agriculture is the education of eaters/preparers regarding various ways to prepare and/or preserve products with which they are either (a) unfamiliar or (b) overwhelmed with in terms of the quantity of product, which ripens in a short time frame. The historical practice of “eating off the land”, and thus finding ways to eat everything produced (of necessity) has mostly disappeared. Part of the result of having products (grown far away) available year round is that the need, desire and knowledge regarding how to “live on local” have in large part disappeared.
 
We propose an education program - Chef in Residence at the Farmers Market- that will address these issues. Chef demos at farmers' markets add value to both customers and producers. The customers learn new ways to use products from the market (and thus buy more) and the vendors benefit from increased sales of products featured. This has been confirmed by feedback from both customers and producers.
The Litchfield Hills Farm-Fresh Market will be the lead market for this program, developing program details. We will read the success of the program by reading satisfaction with it from both customers and producers.
The Local and Luscious demonstration/cooking series will focus on educating eaters/preparers about how to use, cook and store (a) unusual market products (e.g., ramps, kohlrabi) and (b) large quantities of iconic seasonal items (e.g., strawberries, tomatoes). The Local and Luscious cooking series program will start with the farmers, eliciting from them both the products they CAN grow more of IF there were customer demand and those products with the highest “go to waste” levels. Based on this information, a program will be developed identifying products to be highlighted. That information will be shared with farmers prior to their planting season so that supply will meet the increased demand we expect from the demos.
The series will occur on ten (10) market days throughout the season. Tastings and recipes will be available to customers. The series of ten cooking lessons is divided into two themes.
- “What the hay do I do with this?” offers easy to follow recipes for lesser-known ingredients. These sessions demystify what might be considered intimidating ingredients. Eaters come away with the information they need to expand their farmers' market repertoire.
- “Fields of Plenty” provides eaters with fresh, exciting recipes for familiar market favorites. New ideas keep market goers interested in bountiful crops that often produce a seemingly endless supply.
- Specific timing of the sessions and product to be featured is dependent on crop availability. A sample demo schedule and topics (placeholders) might be:
June: What the hay do I do with garlic scapes or ramps?
July: Fields of Plenty: Savory strawberries
August: What the hay do I do with kohlrabi?
September: Fields of Plenty: Peaches (possibly canning demo)
September: What the hay do I do with: Root vegetables
October: Fields of Plenty: Kale, collard
Importantly, staffing these ten sessions will be augmented by chef demos, with chefs with whom we had experience this past year.
Who will do the work?
Many farmers' markets have had chef demo programs, but they have been inconsistent and not reliable for two reasons. First, getting chefs to commit to time at the market requires their taking time away from their business, which is difficult and costly for many. Second, even when they do commit, unforeseen circumstances, which are daily occurrences in food service (no show staff, product not delivered, etc.), always take precedence to a market day commitment. A committed Chef in Residence whose job it is to develop and run the program would guarantee the execution of the program. This program would occur at one-half or more of the market days, and thus become an on-going part of the market.
A consultant, Sherri Brooks Vinton, will do the program development and execution of the six Local and Luscious sessions. Sherri is ideally suited for this program, and in fact initiated the idea. Sherri's first book, The Real Food Revival: Aisle-by-Aisle, Morsel-by-Morsel, is a result of her search to find foods raised with integrity. She offers practical tips for eaters who want a more delicious, sustainable future.
Sherri's discussions and workshops on “how to reclaim the food chain” have been offered at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture and the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Market among others. Her monthly newsletter, “Sustainable Solutions,” is a resource of advice and recipes for anyone who wants to join this exciting food movement.
Sherri is a Regional Governor of Slow Food and is a member of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, the Northeast Organic Farmers Association, International Association of Culinary Professionals, and Chefs Collaborative.
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