Spring Break
VIDEO: Athens produce as a sustainable food source
CANDICE BATES
Issue date: 7/17/09 Section: Variety
An Athens native and supporter of local produce, The National's chef Peter Dale sat down with me to share the importance of buying local products and serving Athens-grown produce in restaurants. As a chef, his primary concern is the flavor and quality of the food he is cooking and the customer's reaction to that product. He believes that local food not only strengthens the local economy, but that local products "just taste better".
"From my perspective as a chef, local food is fresher, it's picked ripe instead of picked under ripe and transported from California or South America, it's just a superior product" said Dale.
Dale has been at the restaurant for two years and appreciates the flexibility he has to change the menu as it is affected daily by what's available from local farmers.
"We print the menu in-house, which gives us the flexibility to change it every day and to make little changes. We also have local farmers and people with home gardens who stop by and bring us things out of their gardens, and we can put those things on the menu and react really quickly".
Dale added that the amount of local produce implemented varies according to season, but presently, because there is such an abundance in the summertime, his kitchen uses nearly 80 percent of locally grown ingredients. He recognizes, however, that he has this advantage due to the clientele which he serves. He hopes that less-expensive restaurants begin implementing more local produce through weekly specials and events such as this week's Taste your Place, thus achieving a more sustainable food environment in the Athens community.
"We do charge more and so we can use local produce because we can pass the cost along because it is more expensive. I don't know how more mainstreamed and more moderately priced places can implement this. You just have to create more demand, have more farms, and that brings the price down and makes it more accessible. I think that's the overall end game here."
That overall goal of having local produce more accessible starts with local restaurants. That is why P.L.A.C.E. (Promoting Local Agricultural & Culture Experience) has organized fifteen local restaurants, including the National, to include items on their menus made entirely from local products during their second annual food festival, Taste your Place. By offering dishes containing local produce, restaurants will hopefully increase interest and therefore promote the trend of buying and serving local.
P.L.A.C.E. promoter Erin Barnhart started working for executive director Craig Page this summer because of her interest in what he strives to accomplish with the non-profit organization. She shared with me the importance of P.L.A.C.E. to the Athens Community as it is uniquely driven towards promoting local agriculture and using locally grown produce. She also added that starting out small and buying locally while staying within one's budget can help promote the overall goal, which is to use a local and sustainable food source. Her interview, as well as an interview with Casa Mia's manager, who will be participating in Taste your Place by offering a local dish, is featured below.
Information and a complete schedule of events for Taste your Place can be found on P.L.A.C.E's website www.localplace.org
"From my perspective as a chef, local food is fresher, it's picked ripe instead of picked under ripe and transported from California or South America, it's just a superior product" said Dale.
Dale has been at the restaurant for two years and appreciates the flexibility he has to change the menu as it is affected daily by what's available from local farmers.
"We print the menu in-house, which gives us the flexibility to change it every day and to make little changes. We also have local farmers and people with home gardens who stop by and bring us things out of their gardens, and we can put those things on the menu and react really quickly".
Dale added that the amount of local produce implemented varies according to season, but presently, because there is such an abundance in the summertime, his kitchen uses nearly 80 percent of locally grown ingredients. He recognizes, however, that he has this advantage due to the clientele which he serves. He hopes that less-expensive restaurants begin implementing more local produce through weekly specials and events such as this week's Taste your Place, thus achieving a more sustainable food environment in the Athens community.
"We do charge more and so we can use local produce because we can pass the cost along because it is more expensive. I don't know how more mainstreamed and more moderately priced places can implement this. You just have to create more demand, have more farms, and that brings the price down and makes it more accessible. I think that's the overall end game here."
That overall goal of having local produce more accessible starts with local restaurants. That is why P.L.A.C.E. (Promoting Local Agricultural & Culture Experience) has organized fifteen local restaurants, including the National, to include items on their menus made entirely from local products during their second annual food festival, Taste your Place. By offering dishes containing local produce, restaurants will hopefully increase interest and therefore promote the trend of buying and serving local.
P.L.A.C.E. promoter Erin Barnhart started working for executive director Craig Page this summer because of her interest in what he strives to accomplish with the non-profit organization. She shared with me the importance of P.L.A.C.E. to the Athens Community as it is uniquely driven towards promoting local agriculture and using locally grown produce. She also added that starting out small and buying locally while staying within one's budget can help promote the overall goal, which is to use a local and sustainable food source. Her interview, as well as an interview with Casa Mia's manager, who will be participating in Taste your Place by offering a local dish, is featured below.
Information and a complete schedule of events for Taste your Place can be found on P.L.A.C.E's website www.localplace.org
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Paul
posted 7/17/09 @ 12:16 PM EST
I read the article, but didn't read anything about sustainable agriculture. I did read about locally grown food though.
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