chefs collaborative

[OzarkRose]

Just curious ... how many of you out there are members of Chef's Collaborative (USA)?

[Chef Rob]

I've been a member for about 5 years, great organization .

Chef Rob

[OzarkRose]

I sorry to see we're the only ones! Where are you located? I'm in the middle of nowhere so don't get to the great events but at least read about it.

[chefrjl]

Big supporter here. Cincinnati has an unbelievable following. They host a party once a year, and it has quickly become a tour de force of the who's who of chefs and foodies in the the entire area. And it gets unbelievable press. Hope you guys have as much success. There is a website, I think.

Admin: If I find it, can I post the link?

You know what though?........no matter how big it gets and how great the farming is.........no one does quite as good as Farmer Lee. That should be a post by itself.

[OzarkRose]

Have either of you tried "educating" your clientel on seafood? What was your response? I had one diner tell me "we don't want to have to worry about all these things ...". Her point was, at least what I walked away thinking, she was out to have a good time, eating great food, and didn't want the "real" world burdening her time. Is it our responsibilty to make these choices for them ?... I kind of like the idea of being a "steward" for the future of food. But you know Americans, we make such a big deal about being given the choice.

[chefrjl]

.................?

O..K..seafood is a good topic as well. Not sure it has much to do with a thread about the chefs collaborative. (of which is an association of local growers in a given area.) I guess if you live near the water or something. I live in Cincinnati, therefore no major port.

[OzarkRose]

I thought Bill Clinton educated the world on where Arkansas was ? HA, HA!
I'm no where near the sea, but ecologically/enviromentaly sound seafood choices has been one of the main pushes of C.C.(which is about EDUCATION)and for my clientel it's a totally new idea which I'm having trouble with, so was looking for some feedback on other approaches.

[shroomgirl]

Rose,
Follow your conscience, make it a selling point in PR and put a nice blurb on the menu saying that you purchase sustainable seafood.

I founded the STL chapter of CC 7 years ago, folded it 2 years ago. The community is active, I just place a few calls and the like minded restaurantuers show up. Check out the market website on what's going on at Clayton Farmer's Market, STL, Mo. Aug 13th is the Heirloom Tomato Fest...6 chefs demoing tomato dishes, Amatuer cooking contest, kids activties, SLOW Food Booth with comparative tomato tasting, etc....everything is coming up Heirlooms!!!

I lived in Jacksonville and Little Rock from 3-9th grades....late sixties-early seventies....where are you?

[OzarkRose]

Fayetteville is in the NW Corner, Boston Mt.s of the Ozarks. Voted in the top 25 in the Nation based on quality of life. #1 last year and #5 this year in growth. Our Farmer's Market was voted one of the top 10 "things to do" in the south.
I'm doing a Dinner and Jazz night on Wednesdays for a Italian Venue (Scarpinos) beginning September and want a seperate web page to explain the menu; maybe I can link to Enviromental Defence Funds Fish Guide.
I wish there were more hours in the day...
Hey, do you know anyone down here who will contract out for morel hunting? I have access to lots of creek bottom, but no time to go. Turkey season = morel season!

[shroomgirl]

nope, thems that hunts um gets um.....you'd probably just do better putting the word out and buying them during the season....April essentially.
Illinois is Known for it's monster morels...literally a ft. or bigger. Hunters bring grocery bags to the back of restaurants...$12-18per pound is about ave.

Personally I hunt chanterelles and give them away rather than sell them, that's if it's been a REALLY good year. This year was horrible, the drought diminished returns to about 10%, very pathetic. You need heat and a whole lotta rain for a good shroom year.

Razorback Country! good for you. I wouldn't get preachy with product just talk about local/sustainable. You'll attract those that know and care, and may educate those that want to know.....Several restaurants list the farms/farmers in the menus, and those that heed the fish list say so at the btm in a sentence or two. Educate your waitstaff in responses that fit your message.

I hosted farmer/chef dinners for several years....one a month May-Oct. held at different restaurants with a featured farmer....really fun times/great food.
you may be able to find info in these archives, I developed the dinners around the time I started posting here....2000

[OzarkRose]

Gee, I thought 6-8" was big! I saw an article a while back about a guy who had a service of contract foraging. Seemed like a great idea, but can't imagine it cold pay enough.
Thanks for advice.

[Jennifer Iannol]

Hi Guys & Gals.

I worked on some projects for CC long ago when I lived in Boston, and I've been interested to see the road its taken in the past few years.

I am gratified to see that chefs at many levels of dining have switched to seasonal menus (which is how I believe we should be eating anyway), and I hope that consumers continue to embrace the joys that come with savoring the season's best.

What concerns me, though, is the sometimes militant tonality I've seen in press quotes, about "forcing" consumers to eat this way. (I think it may have been Alice Waters who said so, but can't be sure.) I hope this isn't the central mission of the CC initiatives, as I really thought (and think) that education is the best way to reach people.

Yes, people should care, but given the apathetic mindset of most American consumers, the approach of force is not the way to win them over. They'll just go to Applebee's instead. Any thoughts on that?

I'm in the Hudson Valley, by the way, so I'm in the center of a vault of jewels when it comes to produce. I'm eagerly awaiting the tomatoes.

Best,
Jennifer

[OzarkRose]

Sweet little Alice Waters said that?!
Yes, education is still CC's mission. What caused you to no longer participate? To be honest, for me, being so far removed from any large cities, the most "use" I get from membership is the warm feeling I get knowing that I am not alone! If I can get one person a day to stop and think about the what/why/where of what they are eating, I've made a positive influence in this crazy, mixed-up world!

[Chef Mike]

Originally Posted by shroomgirl

nope, thems that hunts um gets um.....you'd probably just do better putting the word out and buying them during the season....April essentially.
Illinois is Known for it's monster morels...literally a ft. or bigger. Hunters bring grocery bags to the back of restaurants...$12-18per pound is about ave.

Personally I hunt chanterelles and give them away rather than sell them, that's if it's been a REALLY good year. This year was horrible, the drought diminished returns to about 10%, very pathetic. You need heat and a whole lotta rain for a good shroom year.

Razorback Country! good for you. I wouldn't get preachy with product just talk about local/sustainable. You'll attract those that know and care, and may educate those that want to know.....Several restaurants list the farms/farmers in the menus, and those that heed the fish list say so at the btm in a sentence or two. Educate your waitstaff in responses that fit your message.

I hosted farmer/chef dinners for several years....one a month May-Oct. held at different restaurants with a featured farmer....really fun times/great food.
you may be able to find info in these archives, I developed the dinners around the time I started posting here....2000

Reminds me of going out in Milan, IL when I was about 12 with a friend's family, picking these weird spongy lookin' things- grocery bags full. Best thing I ever ate in my life- found out 10 or 12 years later they were an expensive delicacy. Went looking for Boletus in the Teton Park during the afternoon break working for RockResorts. We hadn't gone 30 feet when we spotted a mushroom with a stem the size of a girl's wrist and a cap over 8 inches across. We displayed it on our Sunday evening buffet, and an art student from Cal. asked us how we made it- wouldn't believe we'd foraged it.

[shroomgirl]

Hudson Valley, I'd love to talk to you about the area. My middle son is a freshman at West Point.....HELP!!!! my child is in a glorious growing area and I haven't found good places to eat. There have got to be some decent farmer's markets too.