JUNE 4, 2011 – FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TO THE FARMERS MARKET

The third season of the Chef’s Circle on the Salem Farmers Market opened with a bang as former White House Executive Chef, Walter Scheib, dropped by to entertain one the biggest crowds in the three-year history of the program.

Scheib was in charge of all of the White House dining from 1994-2005 serving under both Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.  He not only talked about food preparation, but he had the audience in stitches with his extraordinary storytelling ability.  He shared a number of personal stories from his days with the presidents and first ladies and talked even talked about some of the strangest dishes he ever prepared for the most powerful men and women in the world.

Scheib was joined in the kitchen by US Foodservice division chef, Jeff Bland, who was kind enough to prepare two of Scheib’s signature recipes – tequila lime glazed beef tenderloin complete with a roasted corn sauce and a fruit salsa, along with a mixed-berry cobbler in a chocolate shell.

Bland also treated the audience members to a refreshing raspberry lemonade as he talked about cooking for the likes of Paula Deen and the members of the legendary metal band Metallica.

You can find the recipes to these dishes in the 2011 recipe section.

See other images of Chef Walter Scheib & Chef Jeff Bland here.

JUNE 11, 2011 – LOCAL ROOTS DIGS DEEP WITH FRESH INGREDIENTS

Week two of the 2011 season of the Chef's Circle at the Salem Farmers Market featured the valley's ultimate "Farm to Table" restaurant, Local Roots, and its executive chef Nathanial Sloan. The Franklin County native grew up on an organic farm in Ferrum, and he reached into his bag of culinary tricks to produce two very unique dishes for those in attendance.

Chef Sloan opened up with a grilled flatbread offering made entirely from scratch – including the bread itself. Once the homemade bread had risen in the morning sun and was cooked on the grill top, Sloan coated it with a goat cheese pesto and then added fresh toppings that included squash, zucchini, radish greens and sesame seeds.

He then turned his attention to a palate tempting summer dessert – a pickled cherry compote. Chef Sloan used Salem Farmers Market cherries that he had pickled overnight, and he added fresh new peaches to the dish before dropping both items alongside a piece of homemade apple tart.

Then to top off the "sweet and tangy" fruit flavors, Chef Sloan added a dollop of a vanilla herb ice cream that was made with duck eggs.

Sloan and his staff at Local Roots specialize in dishes made with fresh ingredients that are grown as close to the restaurant as possible. Local Roots is located in the heart of Grandin Village in Roanoke. You can get more information on the restaurant at www.localrootsrestaurant.com

You can find the recipes to these dishes in the 2011 recipe section.

See other images of Chef Nathaniel Sloan here.

JUNE 18, 2011 – CHEF’S CIRCLE EXPERIENCES MEXICAN “MAC ATTACK”

The executive chef at the Salem Civic Center and Salem Catering for more than a decade, John McCrady, whipped up four Mexican dishes that included some traditional favorites and some new and very unique pairings.

The Denver native, who began his culinary career in his home state before eventually settling in the Roanoke Valley and preparing food at The Library, the Patrick Henry Hotel and Hollins University, opened his hour-long presentation with a vegetable based Gazpacho.

McCrady then followed that up with a very well received, yet unusual fruit salsa that included cantaloupe, Jalapenos, onions and cilantro. The mixture of the “sweet” and “hot” ingredients was a fan-favorite. Right after that tasty treat, McCrady offered the audience members a more traditional avocado-based salsa that included some dark chili powder to round out the various tastes found in the mix of ingredients.

McCrady then went to the main course and prepared each member in the audience a portion of a chicken quesadilla. He suggested that when fixing this entrée at home that the cooks use bone-in chicken thighs for not only the taste, but also for money savings. McCrady also offered up some very helpful tips on cooking with poblano and pasilla peppers. He topped off the quesadilla ingredients with a dash of cumin and oregano.

You can find the recipes for all four of these dishes and others in the 2011 recipe section.

JUNE 25, 2011 – CLASS IS IN SESSION WITH CHEF ZEISLER

Week four of the 2011 season of the Chef’s Circle at the Salem Farmers Market featured the valley’s best kept culinary secret – the folks from the Culinary Institute of Virginia Western. Chef James Zeisler, the director of the program that is orchestrated through Virginia Western Community College, once again brought several of his star pupils to the Chef’s Circle to help him with the presentation.

Needless to say, neither the teacher nor the students disappointed. They whipped up everything from a colorful apple and raw beet salad, to strawberry-rhubarb vinaigrette dressing to cold peach soup to bananas foster.

The chefs, both aspiring and established, took advantage of the large array of fresh fruits and vegetables on the Salem Farmers Market to create their dishes.

According to Virginia Western’s website, the Culinary Institute’s programs are designed to produce the trained hospitality and tourism workforce necessary to realize the Region’s goal in establishing the Roanoke Valley area as a travel, convention, and tourism destination.

You can learn about the program on the college’s website at Virginia Western Culinary Institute.

See other images of Chef James Zeisler here.

JULY 9, 2011 – CHEF PARKHURST DELIVERS AT THE CHEF'S CIRCLE

The month of July opened for the Chef’s Circle on Saturday, July 9, as Chef Chris Parkhurst entertained at the Salem Farmers Market by producing a number of outstanding dishes with unique tastes.  He was able to utilize everything from grass fed beef to fresh peaches to cucumbers as he delighted those in attendance with his culinary skills.

Parkhurst created cantaloupe chutney that included a number of unexpected ingredients like fresh basil, oregano, parsley, ginger, honey, lemon, cumin and red wine.  He also concocted a delicious cold cucumber soup complete with yogurt, sour cream, garlic and chopped mint.

After giving those in attendance a taste of some absolutely delicious rib eye steak, Chris delivered with a poached peaches and mint treat that proved to be the perfect summer dessert when served over vanilla ice cream.

See other images of Chef Chris Parkhurst here.

JULY 16, 2011 – MICHELE ONCE AGAIN DELIGHTS AT THE CHEF'S CIRCLE

Michele Carder, the popular Salem-based chef, who for years delighted the palettes of her patrons with her scrumptious menu items at the former Michele’s on Main restaurant, showed again that she’s still got it!

The current executive chef at Salem Terrace at Harrogate, proved once again that recipes do not have to be overly complicated to be completely delicious.  Michele gave the audience members a variety of items to sample during her time in the kitchen as she whipped up everything from fried pickles to Blueberry Strudel.

As one of the biggest crowds of the summer  gathered on the Farmers Market, Michele rolled out a complete meal demonstrations that included a main entrée  of Mini-Joes – little Sloppy Joe sandwiches. These were accented with “Sassy Slaw” and “Mediterranean green beans” that were full of flavor.  The bean dish began with fresh snap beans and included chopped garlic, chopped onions, tomatoes, lemon juice, white wine, and chopped mint just to mention a few of the ingredients.

Michele completed the meal with an appealing Blueberry Strudel.  The blueberries, cream cheese and a hint of cinnamon oozed from inside a puff pastry shell...DELICIOUS!

Check out the recipes in the 2001 Recipe section on the website.

See other images of Chef Michele Carder here.

JULY 23, 2011 – CHEF KOSTA RETURNS TO HIS ROOTS FOR THE CHEF'S CIRCLE

Kosta Kontogiannis, returned to his Greek roots during his presentation at the Chef’s Circle at the Salem Farmers Market.  The highly acclaimed chef at the “Local Roots Restaurant” in Grandin Village delighted those in attendance with not only his unique creations, but also his sense of humor and knowledge of world history.  As one excited guest mentioned at the conclusion of the session – “This was like being in a lecture hall with a professor – he was fascinating!”

Kosta whipped up some Greek Kabobs using fresh ground beef from the Sparks Family Farm. He  added a menagerie of spices to the meat along with a little bit of bread to hold everything together before forming it into oblong shaped patties and placing it on the grill. 

He suggested that the audience members use rosemary twigs as their kabob skewers to enhance the flavors in the meat.  He plated that up with a scoop of yogurt based dressing along with a delicious and authentic Greek salad.

Kosta talked a great deal about his family and his upbringing in Greece.  One of his fondest summer memories was eating watermelon.  So he used a Greenwood Farms melon and accented it with scrumptious feta cheese from Curtin’s Dairy to create the perfect, light palate cleansing dessert.

Find out more about Kosta and the Local Roots restaurant on their website www.localrootsrestaurant.com

See other images of Chef Kosta Kontogiannis here.

JULY 30, 2011 – POPULAR ROANOKE COLLEGE CHEFS DELIGHT ONCE AGAIN

Roanoke College is within a stone’s throw of the Salem Farmers Market and fortunately for the Chef’s Circle, the college has been a great partner of this culinary program since its beginning in 2008.  This year, Executive Chef, Bob Prophet, and Sous Chef, Matt Phillips, entertained one of the biggest crowds of the season with their skills in the kitchen and their unique personalities.

The dynamic duo loaded up on fresh ingredients from the many farmers on the market and prepared three unique dishes that were chocked full of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Fresh cooked beets and cucumbers perfectly highlighted the delicious summer salad that they served up first.

That offering was followed by a tasty risotto dish that was accented perfectly by some sweet corn right off of the market.  The risotto was topped with fresh parmesan cheese and a thin slice of prosciutto.  In order to prepare this fresh for the more than 100 fans in attendance, the chefs brought in a huge double sided gas grill to aid in the preparation.

Phillips and Prophet finished off their entertaining program with a fresh farmers market berry dessert topped with a baked pastry cookie.  The duo also made sure all were hydrated on this hot summer morning by providing three varieties of flavored water and lemonade.

See other images of the Roanoke College Chefs here.

AUGUST 6, 2011 – LINDSEY AND NANCY COOL OFF THE CHEF'S CIRCLE

Roanoke Times food columnist Lindsey Nair and local food enthusiast Nancy Maurelli joined together for a fun morning at the Salem Farmers Market. With the weather being so warm, both ladies decided to stay away from the heat with some cool salads and a desert.

The crowd was pleased when the ladies announced that life was too short and desert was to come first. A cannoli cream topping with toasted almonds, ricotta cheese, and chocolate chips on top of ripe peaches hit the spot early in the session – some of the quickest servings all season.

As Nancy delighted the crowd with her secret Italian cooking traditions handed down from her family heritage, she presented a zucchini-based creation called the “Zuke Pickle” that marinated overnight.

Meanwhile, Lindsey worked on tabouleh, a Middle Eastern salad with cucumbers, garlic cloves, spearmint and parsley.  The fresh garden smells of the combination of garlic and spearmint filled the market, bringing in even more onlookers.

Finally, the ladies whipped up an herb vinaigrette salad with an oil & vinegar based dressing. Nancy worked on perfecting her egg boiling ability as Lindsey whipped up the finishing touches on the salad before serving every last bit to the crowd.

See other images of Nancy & Lindsey here.

AUGUST 13, 2011 – SALEM FIRE AND EMS FIRE UP THE CHEF'S CIRCLE

Members of the Salem Fire and EMS department, led my Mike Cogen, turned the Chef’s Circle upside down during their mid-August appearance with a large variety of offerings for one of the biggest crowds of the season.  Cogen, Hunter Weikle and Brian Buccola kept the Chef’s Circle staff hopping by dishing out everything from pork tenderloin to grilled bananas. 

The trio began lighting up the appetites of the Chef’s Circle faithful with a juicy pork tenderloin smothered in carrots, celery and onions that definitely came loaded with a spicy kick!  Once that was plated the fireman stepped out of the kitchen and over to a back-up grill where they prepared a batch of perfectly seasoned grilled asparagus.  That asparagus was the perfect compliment for entrée number two – a chicken pasta dish stuffed with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese.

Next up was a serving of delicious garlic mashed potatoes – accented with a hint of cheese.  They then completed the menagerie of dishes with a super-summer shrimp soft taco that included steamed shrimp, cilantro, raw cabbage, lime and a special accent sauce.

The firemen finished off their intense cooking demonstration with grilled bananas that were sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with honey.  Makes you want be a fireman…doesn’t it!

See other images of Salem's Fire & EMS here.

AUGUST 20, 2011 – HOTEL ROANOKE'S EXECUTIVE CHEF DELIGHTS HUGE CROWD

The Hotel Roanoke and Conference is considering the measuring stick for accommodations and dining in the Roanoke Valley by many, and “The Grand Old Lady’s” Executive Chef, Billie Raper, did nothing to damage that lofty reputation during his recent visit to the Chef’s Circle.

Chef Raper and his assistant, Conner Johnson, delighted one of the biggest crowds of the season on a sunny Saturday morning by utilizing a number of fresh ingredients from the vendors on the market to construct four delicious offerings.    The duo began with a tomato-melon-jalapeno chilled juice that was blended and then strained overnight through cheese cloth.  Amazingly, the process removed all of the color from the juice, but none of the flavor.

That appetizer was followed by an incredible spinach vada vegetarian delight that the chef plans to soon offer on the Hotel Roanoke’s menu as a vegetarian burger.  It was molded into a ball and dropped into hot oil – which gave it the perfect crispy coating.   Raper’s main course was offered up as a “sneak preview” of what patrons at an American Cancer Society event at the Hotel can expect later this year.   The grilled chicken dish included fresh corn, October beans and a unique half-baked and half-grilled potato.

Raper and Johnson then closed out the show and cleansed some palates at the same time with cheesecake bites that were topped with a hot fresh peach sauce and blackberries.

See other images of Chef Billie Raper here.

AUGUST 27, 2011 – JEFF BLAND IS "FARMERS MARKET BOMB" IN SEASON FINALE

Jeff Bland, the biggest proponent of the Chef’s Circle cooking demonstrations from the culinary community, closed out the 2011 season with a performance for the ages.  Bland, who opened this summer in June with former White House chef Water Scheib, went solo on the final Saturday of the season and dished out an array of concoctions that no one expected.

Bland, who rarely misses a Saturday performance by his fellow chefs, is also a big dog lover, and he noticed all summer long that many of the patrons on the market traveled to the downtown area with their dogs in tow.  So, Bland opened up his program by whipping up some healthy homemade – oatmeal filled dog biscuits for the K9s.

The fun-loving division chef for US Foodservice then gave the audience something they’d never tasted in the history of the program – a juicy hamburger sandwiched between a sliced homemade Miller’s donut.  Bland accented the unusual mix of flavors with a bacon and onion marmalade topping that quickly turned skeptics into big fans.

Bland then went with a more traditional offering he recommended for the fall and winter months – a creamy Virginia seafood stew complete with pan roasted corn and winter squash.  By far, this was the biggest hit of the day even among those who aren’t always seafood fans.

But as you might expect – Bland saved the best for last with his Salem Farmers Market Peanut Butter Bombe.  He used a donut base and slathered it in homemade Amish peanut butter.  He then garnished it with fresh blackberries, whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

Check out Chef Jeff Bland’s incredibly creative recipes in the 2011 recipe section.

See other images of Chef Jeff Bland here.