Earth
to Table. Finding the freshest ingredients has always been something that I
have spent a lot of time on. In the different places I have lived there have
always been products that were specialized for that region. To give one or two sentences about why or
even how my respect for direct food to table ingredients and cooking has
evolved would not do it service so sit back and enjoy my story. (This is the
shortened version. You can read the full
version on another blog, stay tuned).
The Biggest Lesson: All of my exposure and experiences were about
to come full circle. It was about to hit
me...I was tasked to "tryout" a dish for the menu, something all the cooks
were tasked with. I don’t really recall the dish but I do recall I wanted mine
to use tomatoes and I thought, “Boy am I going to nail it!” The chef took one look at it and said “NO”. Feeling a tad perturbed I asked him
“Why?” After all, he did not even taste
it and it looked great! The chef calmly
looked at me and then the dish and very matter of factly informed me that it
had tomatoes on it that it wasn't tomato season. He went on to tell me that the tomatoes
started to get really good around the end of July. In my
mind I thought “Well, there have been tomatoes at the farmers market for
months.” Although confused, I knew better then to plead my case. Weeks later the chef and I were at the market
and we tasted tomatoes, “See, these are good tomatoes.” He was right, they were
delicious and thus a major lesson was learned.
Fast forward to Cincinnati,
Ohio.
It has been seven years since I arrived.
My tomato lesson has been carried with me like a lucky penny. Keep in mind every young chef when they first
come to a new city want to do the “right thing”. However, I was feeling disconnected between
what I was putting out there and who I really was as a chef. Trusting my gut, I went and began doing what I
believed in and wanted to cook. I've
tried to instill this lesson in the cooks I have worked with along the way while
at the same time creating my own style.
Initially, there were plenty of growers in and around Cincinnati but no
one was able to supply our restaurant on a regular basis with regular items. I
began to source products through small relationships that I had built at the
market, taking classes or even through cold calling local farms.
Chef’s Garden, a
relationship born: I started reaching out to farmers/
producers that had the same mind set as I did. While having a conversation with
my brother, Brad, who is also a chef, he asked if I was receiving product from
Chef’s Garden. I said they were on my
call list. The first time I met Farmer Lee, I was at a lecture he was hosting. The crowd was riveted by his stories as was
I. I saw a picture of my brother in his
presentation so at the end of the lecture I went to introduce myself. The first question he asked, “How's Brad?” Then he thanked me for our business and we
started talking about the property where I currently work. Although it was our
first meeting I felt he knew what we were trying to accomplish and he was going
to do everything possible to help get us there...and he has.
The relationship
grows:
While doing book signings at the regional American Culinary Federation
(ACF) conferences, I ran into Lee 3 or 4 times. Listening to him and getting to
know him brought me to really share his culture and his passion for the produce
he was growing. It's really contagious once you work with the beautiful
vegetables that he grows, the sweetest carrots, spicy radishes, tomatoes that
explode when you bite into them, beautiful lettuces, and the most unique of
greens.
First trip to Chef’s
Garden:
We were asked to take part in the Food and Wine Celebration that was
hosted by Farmer Lee and the Chef’s Garden.
This was going to be my first trip out to Huron, Ohio. Talk about more than one could imagine,
Chef’s Garden was it! The products that
were being pulled from the fields and greenhouses, wow! It was amazing and the
thought that I was out there seeing and helping give back to the land was as
awesome as seeing the products that were being pulled from the land. The
stories about family heirloom seeds being passed down to the Jones’ family were
inspiring.
I
realized, while we all tell stories, I choose to use food. The combinations and the ingredients are a
huge part of the story. Methods and techniques are part of it as well. I have learned that you can have great
stories with poor product and never will achieve the right outcome. I truly
believe keeping relationships with our farmers and artisanal producers is as important
as any job that we have in the kitchen.
Funny Story: I received a call from Farmer Lee. It was a little early for me to be working
but Lee, the farmer, was up and had been working for hours. He was calling about an extern who was moving
to Cincinnati and thought he would do well for us. His reference was very
accurate and honest, like most things he says. Having Justin, the extern, join
our team was like having an inside salesperson for the Chef’s Garden on
staff. He is very knowledgeable about the
wide variety of products available and on hand. One day, Justin asked if we
were interested in going up to the CVI and being the guest chef for an Earth to
Table dinner. I entertained the idea but
let it ride until I got the call…Farmer Lee called and extended the invite and
we gladly accepted.
The Dinner: January, the best month for harvested
food? Not really. However the advantage I have is I am using
Chef’s Garden products so the freshness and flavor will be there. I am bringing a small army to the January
dinner, not necessarily because I need their help but because they need to see
the incredibleness of Chef’s Garden. The
passion and dedication that the employees of Chef’s Garden produce, we bring to
the table. It really is a good story…and
a tasty one!
-Todd Kelly
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