Andreas Müller Carries Revival to Morningside Farmers Market May 28

Kickstart Saturday morning, May 28, with a bit of Revival. Executive chef Andreas Müller is stopping by Morningside Farmers Market to lead this Saturday’s chef demo before hunkering down in his kitchen at the Decatur restaurant. The homegrown fruits, vegetables and fresh foods of Müller’s boyhood in Sweden stuck, igniting a passion for seeking farm-fresh ingredients throughout his chef-hood. Bingo. Hits the asparagus on the head for a farmers market cooking class. Shop the year-round market for locally grown organic from 8-11:30 a.m. but peel yourself away around 9-ish for this demo on the patio of market-adjacent Morningside Kitchen. Another reason to praise the morning, Morningside Farmers Market requires all produce to be certified organic.

Joey Ward of Gunshow Targets Chef Demo at Peachtree Road Farmers Market May 2

Gunshow executive chef Joey Ward mans the 10 a.m. cooking demo at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market on Saturday, May 2. This talented chef views cooking as a form of art inspired and elevated by locally sourced ingredients and framed by his treasured relationships with local farmers. Hate to nag, but remember to bring your own shopping bag to hold all of those fabulously fresh purchases so they’ll make it home unscathed and ready to go into some chef demo recipes from the market website. Market hours are 8:30 a.m.-noon, rain or shine. Photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee.

Bantam + Biddy and Chick-a-Biddy's Shaun Doty Thinks Fast at October 5 Peachtree Road Farmers Market Mash-Up

It takes a little more than produce and local wares to host a successful farmers market. One of those requirements? A police presence. To foot the cost of this requirement, Peachtree Road Farmers Market is hosting a Market Mash-Up on Saturday, October 5 from 9 a.m.-noon. Four chefs, including Bantam + Biddy and Chick-a-Biddy's own Shaun Doty, will have 200 market dollars to create a dish that shows off the season and market ingredients. Ticket holders choose the Mash-Up Ruler during a 9:45 -10:45 a.m. tasting and can shop at the silent auction. All proceeds go toward cop coverage. $10 per ticket and only 200 tickets are available. 

Pick Up Watsonia Farms Peaches Through Labor Day

Beat those back to school blues by staying peachy with mouthwatering produce from Watsonia Farms. Their organically grown and conventional peaches are available at Atlanta-area farmers markets through Labor Day. Stock up on these orbs of summertime awesomeness and carry the warm season well into winter. The Monetta, S.C. farm offers plenty of ideas to make the most of your treasure. Try your hand at canning and preserving peach jam, conserve, honey, relish or marmalade or put up some peach pickles. Watsonia Farms suggests checking this link for how-tos. If you’ve already snapped up a basket too many and they’re trending overripe, turn them into peach pie or cobbler, smoothies, puréed baby food or add to bread, muffins or pancakes. Try adding some to chicken stock with balsamic vinegar for a piquant meat glaze or sauce. Tuck away a few freezer bags of peach slices – you’ll be so glad you did when winter’s gray days are here. 

Peachy Pinterest Picks

It's been a long wait, but everything is peachy on Pinterest these days and we couldn't be happier. Peaches are hitting the stands at markets and produce departments across the region, and we've been filling our bags with these sweet Southern treats. We've pinned some perfect peach ideas for you to try with your fresh batch: Georgia peach pound cake, grilled peaches, peach margaritas, peach ice cream, peach mango pops and cornbread shortcake with ham and fresh peach salsa. Power to the peaches!

Three Cheers for Broccoli (and Learning How to Cook It)

Nutritional powerhouse broccoli boasts more vitamin C than an orange, phytochemicals, fiber, a skinny portion of calories -- and it's in season locally at Woodland Gardens in Winterville near Athens, Ga. This Saturday, October 27, No. 246 Chef Drew Belline will show Morningside Farmers' Market shoppers some sweet ways to prepare this emerald gem (and keep it that color). Shop 7:30-11:30 a.m. Saturdays at 1393 N. Highland. Super Broccoli for Halloween, anyone? 

Chefs Shop, Chop, Vie For Iron Chef Title At Friday Night Peachtree Road Farmers Market

Atlanta’s largest producer-only market will be open this Friday night from 4-8 p.m. for a special Iron Chef competition. The fresh-from-the-field action will be going down between Chefs Justin Balmes and Patric Bell, along with four other popular Atlanta chefs. The chefs will each be given $45 to buy ingredients. Before the clock strikes 6 p.m. they must turn those ingredients into farm-fresh plates for 100 lucky ticket holders. The ticket holders will be the judges by sampling the plates and choosing a winner. Tickets are $5 and go on sale at 4 p.m.

Not only will there be hot competition among some of the hottest chef’s in Atlanta, the usual 70-plus vendors selling fruits, veggies and handmade goodies will be there, plus live bluegrass by The Farmland Trio and dinner options from a fleet of food trucks.

If you show up Saturday morning you’ll miss out on all the fun! Plus the vender’s will be sleeping in after a big Friday night in the city. Repeat, no market on Saturday. So come spend your Friday happy hour at the Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market and you too can sleep in on Saturday morning.

Weekend Happenings: To Market We Go

Photo from Peachtree Road Farmers Market FB Page

Take home more than just veggies at two Atlanta farmers markets this weekend - pick up some valuable cooking tips from two awesome chefs! 


Partner/Executive Chef Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill is back on the local farm-fresh circuit, sprouting up at Morningside Farmers Market for the chef demo at 9:30 a.m. this Saturday.  Catch Chef Ford Fry of JCT. Kitchen (also host chef of this Sunday's Attack of The Killer Tomato Festival) as he leads a demo at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market tomorrow morning, too.  Happy learning!

Saturdays Are Demo-tastic at Atlanta Farmers Markets

Heading out for a Saturday morning stroll through your local farmers market is a local tradition these days, and it wouldn’t be a market morning without a talented local chef showing you the tricks of the trade for the very veggies in your basket.  This weekend, two of Atlanta’s top chefs will be teaching their trade!

JCT. Kitchen & Bar Executive Chef Ford Fry will lead the Morningside Farmers Market "Shop with a Chef" class at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 30.  Fry will work with produce from Woodland Gardens.  Shop the market for the freshest and finest organic produce, including hard-to-find herbs and unusual vegetables.  This is the place to find those Southern garden ingredients -- the kind Chef Fry loves to include in his JCT. Kitchen dishes! 

The Fall harvest brings a cornucopia of local produce to the Piedmont Park Green Market.  See what tricks Keira Moritz of Pacci Ristorante, a Kimpton Restaurant, has up her sleeve when she cooks at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 30 on the Community Center patio. Her Southern roots and Italian finesse will bring out the best in seasonal eating.

The fall is the perfect time to head to the market for a chef demo, so head into the sunshine and learn something new this weekend!

Farmer's Markets are the New Kitchens, for Chefs That Is!

What else are you going to do in the Georgia heat besides going to a fresh and fabulous farmer’s market! Atlanta chefs are leaving the kitchens and heading out to the farmer’s market, too.

Mark your calendar for Thursday night and watch Woodfire Grill Executive Chef and Owner Kevin Gillespie slice and dice at the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market (1231 Glenwood Avenue) on July 29. Other than his colorful tattoos, we never know what Kevin Gillespie has up his sleeve for a farmers market demo. See Kevin in action and glean kitchen pointers at 6:30 p.m. The Thursday evening market, open from 4 - 8 p.m., is timely for those of you who can't make it to a morning market. Meet friends for a summer's night of eating, learning and shopping at vendors such as Love is Love Farm, Gaia Gardens, Scharko Farms, Decimal Place Farms, H & F Bread and Hidden Springs Honey.

Over in Buckhead at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Gerry Klaskala of Aria will command the demo action at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 31. Even better, you can now take in all of the award-winning chef's tips under the soothing shade of the market's new tent. Market hours for the Saturday shopping tradition are 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in the parking lot of The Cathedral of St. Philip (2744 Peachtree Road, NW). Fill your shopping bag with local goods and garden-grown produce and pick up a couple of tickets to the Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival. This all-out tomato bash will take over JCT. Kitchen & Bar from 1 - 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 8 -- tasty, harmless, fun and for Georgia Organics.

Up north at the Riverside Farmers Market in Roswell, chefs from Roswell's own Aqua blue will show guests how to roll sushi on July 31. Freshly made sushi is just one of the many items offered at Aqua blue. Watch how to make the healthy and delicious favorite at 11 a.m. This weekly Saturday morning market is held from 8 a.m. - noon at Roswell City Hall (38 Hill Street).

Chef Julia LeRoy gets the early bird demo award. Her demo at the Morningside Farmers Market starts at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 7 (1393 N. Highland Avenue across from Alon's Bakery) and features her working with produce from Crystal Organic Farm. The market is open from 8 - 11:30 a.m. Time it right and you can shop, watch and then stop in for a hot cup of joe or brunch at one of the nearby restaurants.

Save Atlanta Farmers Markets!

We had intended this post to be an excited update about Chef Gerry Klaskala doing a chef demo (we do love those!) at the Piedmont Park Green Market tomorrow. My, how things change in a few days! Atlanta Dish received word yesterday that our farmers markets are in need of our help as the city evaluates their policies regarding the markets – specifically, there aren’t any currently. If current city event rules were applied to Atlanta farmers markets, it would create expenses that most markets cannot afford since most of them are a labor of love run by volunteers.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t and don’t want to imagine an Atlanta without our farmers markets. The Atlanta City Government is generally supportive of the markets which is much appreciated, but they do need to hear our voices against these extended policies that would financially cripple or close down the markets. To find out more about the policies involved and about how you can contact the mayor to let him know how important these farmers markets are, please visit the Facebook event page!