Summer Chef Series with Chef Wade

It was a warm one this weekend, but that didn’t keep our marketeers away.  We credit our exceptional vendors along with the convenient parking and location provided by North Phoenix Baptist Church.  Keeping things exciting, Chef Wade Simpson from Bistro on Wheels set up a demo station and showed an enthusiastic crowd how to use market ingredients in simple dishes that can be made at home.  He’s an experienced veteran of the local hospitality industry turned food trucker and caterer.  He did oyster mushrooms three ways, featuring this beautiful variety fromDreamy Draw Mushrooms.  All three dishes he made were available on his truck.

First up was a staple from his truck, Truffle Mac N Cheese.  He used cream fromSuperstition Farm, the Dreamy Draw oyster mushrooms and a ziti pasta.  Chef Wade gave the crowd a great tip.  Don’t rinse your pasta in water after you pull it out of the boiling water.  Spread it out on a pan and drizzle with olive oil.  This helps for two reasons.  One, it doesn’t rinse away the flavor of the pasta.  Two, it doesn’t strip away the starches.  The starches are important because they bind the pasta and the sauce, preventing watery pools on your dish when you serve the pasta.

Also on hand again this week was a student from C-CAP.  We love introducing passionate students to seasoned culinary professionals.

Next he did a simple spaghetti featuring DeCio Pasta with the oyster mushrooms and other assorted veggies from Taste of Summer Farm.

The third and final dish was a decadent vegan sandwich.  The beautiful beet red hummus from Magestic Garlic elevated this veggie stack featuring Noble Bread’sCountry Earth loaf.  Chef Wade shared stories about growing up with a vegan Mom and his appreciation about making something tasty for everyone, even those with dietary restrictions.

Thanks to all of the participating vendors and for everyone who came out this week. Congrats to the raffle winners who entered and won $10 to Bistro on Wheels.  It’s our thank-you to you and to the chefs who are sharing their time and talents for this series.

Want to join us?  We’ll do it all again next Saturday, so subscribe to our weekly e-mail list and follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) to get the details.