You hear a lot these days about the importance of eating locally grown and sourced foods, both at home and in the growing popularity of farm-to-table restaurants. What seems like a new trend has actually been a movement that’s been around for decades. The farm-to-table approach is often credited to the California restaurant Chez Panisse, which pioneered the movement focused on serving meals made with local, seasonal foods more than 40 years ago. But in fact the idea of eating what is grown locally and seasonally is probably one as old as humankind.
Chef Adam Andrews, Legacy Stables and Events’ executive chef, grew up with the farm-to-table approach without realizing it was a foodie trend. As a kid growing up in King, N.C., his family had a garden just like many of his neighbors, and fresh tomatoes, green beans and corn were a staple of many meals.
Today, Chef Adam realizes the importance of cooking with fresh vegetables in his own career, and understands how it elevates the dining experience for all of his guests, whether at one of his dining establishments in Winston-Salem or at an event at Legacy Stables and Events.
“It is so important to me that I know where the food I cook with comes from,” Chef Adam says. “It is not only fresher, but free of chemicals. Using locally sourced food is better for our health, and better for the environment.”
When Chef Adam began work in Winston-Salem, local farmers would come to his restaurant and offer their vegetables to him, but he found a lot of times it was more than he could afford to pay to buy their fresh produce.
“I thought about it a while, and decided to just start a farm of my own,” Chef Adam says. He was able to use land from his family home in King, and started out with a few raised beds and a small greenhouse.
“I read a lot of books and did a lot of Google searches that first year,” Chef Adam says. He also put in a lot of his own sweat equity, waking up at 5 a.m. to drive to King from Advance to tend the garden and harvest the vegetables, then wash, weigh and bag it. All the hard work was worth it when he was able to use it to make sandwiches and salads with fresh produce.
Chef Adam’s garden continues to grow, and so does the reach of his farm-to-table cooking. This past summer he hired a farm manager, and also added more raised beds at his restaurant on Liberty street in Winston-Salem.
For brides-to-be, event planners and others looking to host an event at Legacy Stables and Events, Chef Adam’s fresh ingredients play a big role in many of the creations available for guest menus. His harvest of grape, cherry and slicing tomatoes, green beans, snap peas, peppers, and a variety of herbs make salads, salsas, tacos, sandwiches and other foods burst with flavor.
A creative local chef working with locally sourced ingredients is just one of the many ways Legacy Stables and Events stands out among event centers. Call today to learn more about how we can help your next event be a success.
Photo Credit: Ashley Stone Photography
