Farm to Table in Peoria

Photo by Maris Mednis

Bringing family and friends back to the table to slow down, relax and relish a meal together is at the heart of the farm-to table movement, writes Chef Golda Ewalt in the Sep/Oct issue of Art & Society magazine.

This movement celebrating locally grown foods and farmers continues to grow here in central Illinois as well. Here are a few upcoming farm-to-table events to put on your calendar:

September 17, 2017
Harvest Feast at Spence Farm, Fairbury
Spence Farm Foundation works tirelessly to connect the pieces of a healthy food system: farmers, food professionals, healthcare professionals and eaters. It's a once-a-year celebration of delicious dishes crafted by artisan food professionals, all from the sustainable bounty of local farms. For more information, visit spencefarmfoundation.org.

September 21, 2017
Farm To Table Peoria at Junction City, Peoria
Sample central Illinois chefs’ dishes created with locally sourced ingredients while enjoying music and drinks under the fall night sky. For more information, visit osf.foundation/farmtotable, email OSF.FoundationEvents@osfhealthcare.org or call (309) 566-5662.

October 8, 2017
Fall Feast at Jenkins Country Comforts & Farm Market, Metamora
A four-course dinner is served in a historic barn built out of trees harvested from the property many years ago. Pat Jenkins seeks out locally grown ingredients that are used by the Heart of Illinois Professional Chefs Association to prepare a gourmet meal. For more information, call (309) 369-5080 or check out the Facebook page.

In addition, here are a few Peoria restaurants that procure locally-sourced ingredients:

• EDGE, located at Junction City (but soon moving to Peoria Heights), celebrates locally-sourced, in-season products daily on the menus created by Chef Dustin Allen;
• Pere Marquette Chefs Aaron Flores and Jonathan Scrivner and their culinary team can be spotted weekly shopping the RiverFront Market. They prize the local honey they find at the market and they also utilize fresh vegetables from the EP!C garden.
• Zion Coffee Bar and Midnight Espresso both have monthly chef-driven dinners that feature local ingredients. Check out their Facebook or Instagram pages for more information.
• Hearth, Thyme and Childer’s also use locally sourced ingredients.

Check out “What’s Old Is New Again” by Chef Golda Ewalt in the latest issue of Art & Society!