JoAnne's Archive

A Cook or A Chef?
By JoAnne Leone

I'm not a chef. I'm a cook. I love the challenge of opening the door of the fridge and seeing what I'm going to create next – but it isn't with flair or from formal training. My inspiration to be a good cook came from my parents. They cooked without recipes. They spoke at the dinner table of the merging of flavors, what worked and didn't work when they experimented and what they'd do differently the next time. And then, of course the food itself was inspiration; so much of it that had come from Dad's garden.

When I pondered career paths back in the 70's, a chef was not ever a consideration. It was not an occupation that women were welcome in at the time. And culinary schools were few and highly competitive. Today, chefs are trained right here in Union County . North Georgia Technical College has a superb Culinary School , headed by Chef David Drake. What a wonderful opportunity for the Union County Farmers Market and the NGTC Culinary School to team up.

This Saturday, Sept.11 th , the Farmers Market will be honoring our Safety Employees and Volunteers in Union County . The date alone evokes memories of a tragic day in our country's history. If there was any light that shined through this horrific disaster it was the heroism of those called to duty to keep us safe.

Saturday, Chef Drake and his students will be cooking lunch for 100 of our Safety employees and volunteers. Their challenge is to use the produce and food products available at the market. Just to add a little competition for the students, the Safety honorees will get to vote on their favorite dish. For the rest of us, we'll have to be satisfied with the recipes, which will be handed out that day, and will later be available on our website. They will be serving at 11AM at the market.

Union County has been fortunate that we've never been faced with the devastation such as the events on Sept. 11, 2001, or any major catastrophic event that puts us in harms way. If something of this magnitude were to happen, the Red Cross would be an immediate responder. The Red Cross in this region is in need of blood donations. This Saturday, the Red Cross will be conducting a blood drive at the Farmers Market. We hope that when you stop by to pick up your favorite produce, you'll consider a blood donation. And while you are mingling through the market, take a moment to shake the hands of our local police, deputies, firemen and safety first responders. Let them know how much you appreciate their dedication to our community.

See you Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 7am-1pm.