CAFÉ Talks Ep. 42 – A Farm with a Restaurant
Melissa Kelly, ChefSome may speak of Farm to Table, but a few chefs truly live the concept. An appreciation for the work of the farmer is a great first step, but engaging in the work of the farmer, planting, weeding, nurturing and harvesting; fully integrating ingredients in your menu, working with their seasonality, minimizing waste and when it occurs – building it back into the soil as compost or feed for the animals that a chef raises; and teaching the restaurant staff to respect the animals and the crops that they are privileged to use – this is true farm to table. Join our podcast interview with Melissa Kelly, owner, operator, and chef of Primo Restaurant in Rockland, Maine – a chef who brought her culinary education through the kitchens of Larry Forgione and Alice Waters, operations in San Francisco, Miami, and New York City and through the farms of New York. After 20 years – Primo, her nationally renowned farm with a restaurant is still going strong.