Chefs and farmers to linger over slow food

(CNS): As a pre curser to the agricultural show which takes place on Ash Wednesday a group of chefs and farmers will be getting together on Saturday morning for a Slow Food Day at Market at The Grounds at the Agriculture Pavilion in Lower Valley. Slow Food Day pairs local farmers with chefs who will give cooking demonstrations using the ingredients direct from the farms. A collaborative effort of the Cayman Islands Agricultural Society (CIAS), Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink and Slow Food Grand Cayman farmers the idea is to demonstrate the connections between the earth and the plate.

Chefs include Thomas Tennant,Michael’s Genuine; Nevin Patel, the Brasserie; Paul Carroll, Hemmingway’s Sara Mair Ortanique and Keith Griffin from the Culinary Society, Errol Watler, Patrick Panton, Joel Walton, Donna Connolly, Paul Bodden and Hamlin Stephenson.

The chefs will give cooking demonstrations between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., using ingredients from the farmer with whom they are paired.

“One of the main highlights of the Agriculture Show is to emphasise the ground-to-the-plate correlation between the food that is grown and what we eat,” explained Errol Watler, President of CIAS.

Chef Tennant will serve soft scrambled eggs, provided by Mrs. Connolly’s hens - over garlic toast and topped with mixed with local green onions and grated cheese. Other chefs will create dishes using local ingredients such as sweet potato, pumpkin, coconut, calalloo, tomatoes, Scotch Bonnet peppers, pork and chickens raised at Patrick Panton’s farm.

Admission is free. Patrons will be entertained by local bands and a bouncy castle and pony rides will provide fun for the kids.