Nov 4, 2015 4 min read

Farm-to-table restaurants are the newer trend. But, for me, it is like Back to the Future.

I can remember as a young prep cook (circa 1985), going to the auction block with Chef Arnold. We would buy our produce and chicken from the local farmers. It was not called locally-sourced or farm-to-table, it was common sense. But, that was in Southern New Jersey — the Garden State. We were farm-to-table because it made sense and saved cents.

When I opened my first restaurant in Fayette County, I was surprised that it was not as easy to carry on that philosophy. There was no co-op where the local farmers brought their wares. None of my colleagues could point me in the direction of locally-raised products. They had used large suppliers and had supplies trucked in from places unknown.

As the years progressed, I was able to build relationships with wonderful local purveyors. I looked to the Duda’s for the freshest vegetables and the Jackson family for the best cream to create my Crème Brule and cheesecakes. I have also relied on Jeff and Karen of JK Farms, Rogers Claussen of Red Range Farms, Emerald Valley Cheeses, as well as the Bruderhof communities, who have generously donated to fundraisers, along with many others who have come and gone. These products have allowed me to create dishes that had the wow factor that my guests expected.

Now in October 2015 (Back to the Future correlation), I continue to use these very important people. I consult with them on my projects and utilize their products in my catering and food clubs. This month, I did a wedding for the Galand’s, that upon their request, everything cooked was raised locally. I also ran into a food club member at a 5K race this weekend, who said their recent installment of Chicken Pot Pie (recipe follows) was the best they ever had. The secret? “Free range’ chicken from New Salem. This is something easily done now, moreso than when I first started cooking in the area.

Unlike when Arnold and I went to the co-op, it is typically more expensive to use locally-sourced products, mainly meats and eggs. But Duda’s produce, when in season, and Jackson Farms Dairy tend to be a savings. The secret to making locally-sourced products cheaper is as simple as supply and demand. As consumers, the more we buy locally, the less the cost will be.

Visit the farmers market, buy in bulk or get shares at Republic Food Enterprise Center, stop at the local market, get into buyer’s club at local farms such as Footprint Farms. Doing this will increase their yield and reduce pricing for you, the buyer.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 free range chicken (about 3 pounds)

Medium onion

2 carrots diced

2 celery stick diced

2 ears corn kernels (can drained)

½ pound green beans chopped

1/2 cup melted chicken fat or butter

1/3 cup flour

½ teaspoon dry sage

½ teaspoon dry thyme

2 cloves garlic minced

Salt and pepper

Quart chicken stock

Prepared double pie crust recipe (email me for the recipe)

Cook chicken about 1 hour at 350 degrees. Let cool and strip all meat from bones (if ambitious make stock from bones) and set aside.

Sweat onions, carrots and celery in butter or chicken fat. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add stock and rest of ingredients and simmer until thickened. Fold in chicken. Prepare double pie crust recipe. Line bottom of 9-inch casserole dish with crust. Pour in chicken filling. Top with the rest of the crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes in 400 degree oven.

Chef Joe Carei has been an award-winning chef in Fayette County nearly half of his life. The former PA Restaurateur of the Year now operates Ellie Mae’s Catering and Food Clubs. He can be reached at joe@elliemaescatering.com.