Every season, Chef Jason Puryear hosts Farm Talk & Tasting nights, when he invites local farmers to speak, and he creates dishes featuring their ingredients. It’s a way to connect growers to the community, and it also forces shy farmers to get off the farm for a night, take a shower, and go socialize.

When we eat a meal out, or pick up carry-out, it’s from Chef Puryear’s ZEST Kitchen & Pantry. Unlike so much restaurant food, his lunch bowls help you get through the second half of your day full of energy, and with a pleasantly full and content stomach. You can order from the chef here. Chef Puryear is a grower now, as well, and operates Orange Dot Homestead, so he’s not only the host on farm talk nights, he’s a part of the conversation.

For our farm talk, Silas, who astoundingly has almost zero fear of public speaking, told us he wanted to present about Lil’ Plot Twist Farm, so we put together a mini slideshow for him. He walked in with his “fancy” shoes on and his straw sheriff’s hat, to greet the always friendly small audience of friends and neighbors. Afterward, Chef Jason and Silas worked out a sales deal. On Silas’s way out the door after dinner the other night, he called over his shoulder, saying to let him know if any of his CSA members (his grandmas) or Chef Jason calls and needs anything. Take a message for him. And if we let the machine pick it up, let him know.

Thanks, as always, Chef, for a nice night in Meadville. Keep an eye on ZEST’s Facebook page for the July farm talk with our friends from Strawberry Lane Produce.

Here are a few photos of creations by Chef Puryear:

Pasta salad with radish green pesto and sun-dried tomatoes and green onions.

~ Stella