The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences hosted their third annual local produce showcase dinner called “Farm to Flavor” Thursday evening.
Supported by Slow Food UW and the Friends of Allen Centennial Garden, CALS brought in four Madison chefs?Eric Benedict of Cafe Hollander, Dan Bonanno of Pig in a Fur Coat, Jonny Hunter of the Underground Food Collective and Tory Miller of Graze, L’Etoile, Sujeo and Estrellón.
The ingredients provided were the products of several local farmers. Each chef used the produce to create their unique, small-plate dishes. Miller, who made heirloom potato french fries with kale aioli dip, discussed the significance of educating the public on local produce.
“I think it’s incredibly important,” Miller said. “It gives a lot of diversity in the seed stock that’s out there, but it also gives people an idea of the different climates these plants can grow in and how prolific they are.”
UW-Madison freshman Zach Nelsen, who attended the event, agreed with Miller.
“A lot of people my age don’t know where their food comes from,” Nelsen said. “I think it’s something that our generation really needs to become conscious of.”
Keynote speaker Ken Greene of the Hudson Valley Seed Library spoke on the intersection of the seed industry and art during the meal.
Greene talked about knowing the origins of what one eats in his speech, specifically where it came from, who grew it and who cooked it.
Bonanno, who cooked vegetarian dishes different from his pork-centered restaurant, appreciated the theme.
“When we do events like these I want to do something different,” Bonanno said. “When they come to events, I want to do something more different and special?I put a little more love into it.”
