New Initiative Farm to Restaurant Delivers joins the popular Cook with the Chef

Santa Fe, New Mexico - After reaching out to almost 200 locally run restaurants in Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Alliance has identified about 45 restaurants and caterers that deserve the Farm to Restaurant recognition. These are restaurateurs who take the initiative to source local food into their kitchens, either by establishing relationships directly with the farmers, shopping at the Farmers Market, purchasing through local distributors, or through the Santa Fe Alliance's local food delivery system Farm to Restaurant Delivers. These chefs are committed to supporting regional farmers, strengthening our local economy, improving our community and protecting our environment. To the Santa Fe dining community, they offer food that is of higher quality, fresher, healthier and tastier. Learn more and come out and meet some of them at Cook with the Chef!

More food establishments have been able to receive the Farm to Restaurant recognition this year because of the new Farm to Restaurant Delivers program. This local food delivery system was launched by the Santa Fe Alliance due in part to funding from a United States Department of Agriculture grant. F2R Delivers works with regional food producers to provide local product to Santa Fe chefs from July through October. It is responsible for all aspects of distribution, while preserving the identity of food producers whose products are sold to chefs. This service allows for chefs who were previously not able to purchase locally to obtain farm-fresh food delivered directly to their kitchen door and opens up another avenue for regional food producers to market their products.

Let these chefs know you appreciate their sourcing of local food at the Cook with the Chef series, a showcase of area chefs featuring their signature dishes yet reflecting the season and ingredients that are available locally. These culinary demonstrations will coincide with the Thursday evening Santa Fe Farmers Market that runs from 3:00-7:00 p.m. The one-hour demos will start at 5:30 p.m. beginning June 30 through October 6 culminating in a Cook with the Chef Challenge October 13.

The 2011 participants offer a wide range of options in dining fare. Ask what is local on their menus! Look for the Farm to Restaurant logo this summer at the following establishments:

• Healthy vegetarian cuisine from Annapurna's World Vegetarian Café and BODY of Santa Fe
• Juicy buffalo burgers and more from Cowgirl BBQ and Joe's Restaurant
• Afro-Caribbean cuisine from Jambo Cafe
• New Mexican favorites - Atrisco Café & Bar, The Shed, La Choza and the Plaza Café Southside
• Italian restaurants calling you to dine with them - Andiamo! and Il Piatto
•  Native American cuisine from caterer Red Mesa Cuisine
• Well-known places right off the tracks - Flying Star Café, Back Road Pizza, Second Street Brewery
• Green restaurants south of town - Harry's Roadhouse and Real Food Nation
• Ultimate comfort food ­from Aztec Café and Louie's Corner Cafe
• Hotels offering restaurants with local buying power - Inn of the Anasazi and Luminaria at the Inn & Spa at Loretto
• Top-notch restaurants - Amavi, La Boca, La Casa Sena, Café Pasqual's, Ristra  and 315 Restaurant & Wine Bar
•  Local caterers Walter Burke Catering and Bon Appétit (serving Institute of American Indian Arts and the Santa Fe Opera)
• A grocer and deli synonymous with local food - La Montanita Co-op
• Don't forget the sweets and the savory from Chocolate Maven, Dulce Bakery and the Tree House Café
• And teaching us how to put it all together - Santa Fe School of Cooking

The season kicks off with the second of two fundraisers hosted by nationally acclaimed Chef Matt Yohalem with all proceeds going to the Santa Fe Alliance/Farm to Restaurant project.

• June 22^nd at the newly remodeled Aztec Café featuring an affordable, family-style, alfresco dinner for $25 per person. (The first fundraiser was a successful night at Il Piatto. Many thanks to Chef Matt!) 

The Farm to Restaurant project is sponsored by edible Santa Fe, La Montanita Co-op, Santa Fe County, Santa Fe Reporter, Santa Fe School of Cooking, Trafficdeveloper, and through a USDA grant from the Farmers Market Promotion Program, the Stokes Family Foundation, Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation and many generous community contributors.

Cook with the Chef is sponsored through in-kind donations from Advanced Janitor Supply, Chef Link Commercial Kitchen Supply, Moon Recording Services and the Santa Fe Farmers Market.

The Santa Fe Alliance is a non-profit coalition of independent businesses, organizations and community members dedicated to supporting locally based economic development and preserving a strong sense of community. www.santafealliance.com