More chefs are unleashing the tasty zest of American produce. The Culinary School of the Rockies is responding to the market for “sustainable cooking” with more courses involving the local flavor.
Call it farm to table, seed to fork, farm to fork, or sustainable kitchen — by any name, diners in today’s top restaurants are demanding locally grown seasonal food.
Whether in response to increasing concern for the environment or simply a desire for the delicious, restaurants around the country are finding ways to source local ingredients, even in bustling urban areas such as Manhattan, Houston, Seattle, Cleveland, Atlanta and Denver.
As the trend grows, so do help-wanted signs in these “sustainable” restaurants. Culinary education, primarily focused on classical training, has not kept up with the trend that requires chefs to know more than just the “back of the house.” Today, chefs are routinely unloading vegetables fresh from the farm — rinsing off dirt rather than unwrapping cellophane. Culinary School of the Rockies (CSR), located in Boulder, Colo., is the first private culinary school in the country to organize a culinary externship dedicated to the sustainable food movement. Called “Farm to Table,” the experience gives aspiring cooks and chefs the chance to gain both culinary know-how and a deep understanding of ways to source and use local ingredients.
“Farm to table is not a passing trend in the culinary world. It is a lasting cultural shift,” said Joan Brett, director and founder of Culinary School of the Rockies. “We want our students to respect and understand the intricacies and challenges of sourcing and serving local, seasonal food. We want them to develop a passion for savoring and serving the freshest ingredients available.”