For the 11th year, Bon Appétit Management Co., Case Western Reserve University’s food service provider, will celebrate a deeply rooted commitment to local food by preparing a regionally authentic meal made entirely from ingredients harvested within 150 miles of the kitchen Sept. 29.
Leutner Commons, Fribley Commons, BRB Café, Tomlinson Marketplace and 8Twenty6 at Tinkham Veale University Center all will participate in this year’s Eat Local Challenge during lunchtime.
This isn’t just an annual stunt; since 1999, when Bon Appétit launched its Farm to Fork program, all Bon Appétit chefs have been required to source at least 20 percent of their ingredients from small, owner-operated farms within that radius.
Those perfectly ripe and flavorful ingredients are vital to Bon Appétit’s from-scratch cooking at CWRU and at locations all over America. What makes this event special is that Eat Local Challenge menus must be sourced entirely from within 150 miles, meaning everything from what makes the bread rise (no commercial yeast) to what makes the dessert sweet (no out-of-state sugar). The only exception allowed is salt.
For this year’s Eat Local Challenge, the culinary team will highlight Ohio’s best with dishes such as garlic and rosemary slow-roasted rib roast with au jus, and an eggplant, cheese, tofu and tomato stack that they will prepare using ingredients from local producers including New Creation Farm, University Farm and Cleveland Tofu Co.
“I’ve participated in many Eat Local Challenges, yet each menu always ends up being very different as we get inspired to raise the bar on just how local we can go,” says Jim O’Brien, Bon Appétit’s resident district manager.