Culinary Demonstrations
The WVU Healthcare Culinary Program provides for:
Market customers to sample local, seasonal food with examples of how to use products at home
Showcasing local chefs and strengthening their bond to market farmers and food
Displaying chef’s talents, promoting local restaurants, and feature cookbooks and their authors
Notes About the Program:
The WVU Healthcare Culinary Program is an EDUCATIONAL program, so first and foremost your role at the demo is to teach, using seasonal, local ingredients of your choosing.
The goal is to utilize local and seasonal products, which are to be the focus of your recipe. While we appreciate all you do back in your personal/professional kitchens, this is a time to focus on simple recipes using market ingredients that a market customer/home cook can replicate easily.
If you are a Chef interested in conducting a culinary demonstration, please contact our Market Manager.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of equipment will we be using?
We have four stainless steel preparation tables, a 6-burner commercial grill, a commercial flat top griddle, a 3-bowl food preparation sink that are all available for use. You will have to bring your own knives, pans, and cutting board, depending on what you plan on making. If you’re curious what it all looks like, then stop by the farmers market on a Saturday morning.
How many people will we be cooking for?
Plan on 200 samples between 9AM-11AM. You don’t have to feed all the customers. We average about 1,500 customers on a full market day.
Does everyone need to have a sample of what we make?
Definitely not.
Can we request the food that is needed for a demo?
We will try to accommodate your request with a donation from our vendors. Items that are in high demand, such as fruits, would be extremely difficult to get in high quantities, especially as a donation. Please remember this is a way to advertise your skills as a chef and what your restaurant might have to offer, if you have one. Advertising isn’t always this cheap, so help us support the local farmers by investing in their products.
Can we be given some ideas of what folks did in the past?
Belinda Nichols, Nutrition Outreach Instructor with WVU Extension
Stir-fry variations - including anything from chicken (cooked in advance), bell peppers, onion, broccoli, zucchini, squash, snap peas, and more (cooked rice in advance)
Frittatas
Cindy Gay, Registered Dietician of WVU Healthcare
Fresh berry smoothies (brought a commercial blender)
Ground beef meatballs (brought a commercial soup crockpot)
Drew Moore & Shane Zollner, of Antonio’s Italian Chophouse
Crostinis
Marion Ohlinger, Hill & Hollow
Breakfast burritos
Petite filet steak
Grilled zucchini & yellow squash
Open faced breakfast sandwiches