Blog: Farm to Fork

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From beets and carrots to radishes and ginger, root vegetables are the foundation of countless delicious dishes, bringing depth and earthy flavor to your plate. Celebrate the breadth of root vegetables and explore dishes that highlight these ingredients.

When Bon Appétit Fellow Elise Dudley and over a dozen Vassar College students caravanned out to Amenia, NY earlier this year, they expected to learn firsthand about the dairy industry and meet a storied local Farm to Fork partner. They got even more, including a lesson in emerging cooperative models that protect small dairy farms.  

Horse Listeners Orchard has been a long-time Farm to Fork partner of Bon Appétit-served colleges and universities in the northeast region from Connecticut to Massachusetts. Beyond cultivating 23 varieties of apples, and vegetables too, they partner with neighboring growers to aggregate produce — enabling them to source a yearlong supply of crushed tomatoes for our chefs — and deliver it all themselves.

One of the easiest ways to eat all-local meals is through versatile entrées like the trendy and delicious grain bowl. We have compiled a flexible formula that will help you get creative with locally available ingredients. Wherever you shop, from farmers’ markets, farmstands, and local co-ops to grocery stores, the tips and tricks below will help you develop delicious bowls, again and again.

During this year’s Eat Local Challenge, Bon Appetit is helping our guests not only eat locally, but shop locally too. And while we all enjoy visiting a farmers’ market or a local farmstand, it’s worth exploring the myriad other benefits that local food and strong local food systems can provide.