Chef Johnny Vee Wants to Know

May 30, 2014: Local Flavor

“With the arrival of warm weather and summer just around the corner, foodies are getting excited about the new produce at farmers markets around New Mexico and the crops they hope to reap from their own gardens. Restaurateurs, too, gear up for this bountiful season, particularly at one very special dining destination in Albuquerque’s North Valley. At Farm & Table, which opened in 2012, owner Cherie Austin and her team of chefs, staff and farmers are dedicated to what has become a national movement, the celebration of local, organic, sustainable food. To Cherie, the farm-to-table concept is not a trend but rather “how she rolls.” I spoke with Cherie about how she pulls it all together. My favorite quote: “I don’t work with pirates.”

Chef Johnny Vee: When you were planning the concept for your restaurant two years ago, did you feel you were following a trend or starting a new one? And how essential was the farm–to-table concept to your business plan?

Cherie Austin: Farm and Table’s philosophy and mission are entirely hinged upon local and sustainable ingredients. I don’t believe utilizing local ingredients to be a trend at all, despite its growing popularity. On the contrary, I believe working with local farmers and utilizing seasonal ingredients that are sustainable, and grown and raised to be that, is as back-to-the-basics as it gets. My family has been in the Alameda Valley for over seven generations. Like most here in New Mexico with deep histories, they grew up raising and farming their own food. I’m inspired by our elders to bring back good food—and to employ the most creative culinary professionals to take it to another level….”

Read the full Local Flavor Article here – http://www.localflavormagazine.com/chef-johnny-vee-wants-know-3/