Come down to Prairie Fruits Farm this Sunday (tomorrow, March, 14, 2010) from noon-5PM.  Not only will you be able to see some adorable little baby goats, a sure sign that Spring is nearly here, but there will be some tasty bites available as well.  Paul Virant, award-winning executive chef of Vie Restaurant in Western Springs, IL, will be contributing some of the dishes to be shared on Sunday.  He’ll be enjoying the farm with his family while local chefs Alisa DeMarco and Molly Rygg put the finishing touches before serving a very eager (and hungry) audience.  I got a chance to talk on the phone with Virant on Friday as he was shopping with his wife at his local Whole Foods Market.  We talked about this weekend’s event and a slew of other questions I had, including a preview of what you might taste on Sunday.

At his restaurant, Vie (French for “life”), Virant focuses heavily on inspiration from local, seasonal ingredients.  Anyone who’s visited our local farmers’ markets knows the most important reasons why: it’s fresher and it tastes better.  Some studies even suggest there’s much more nutritional value in food that’s been grown well and not shipped and stored long distances.  He also stressed the importance of knowing where his food is coming from and who is growing it.  When looking at the record of many industrial food producers, it’s not hard to appreciate the value of being able to put a face and a voice to the person that raised your food.  When dining at Vie, Virant hopes that his guests learn about what’s available here and now and leave feeling proud of the “great bounty of the Midwest.”

Virant proudly features Prairie Fruits cheeses in his dishes.  He has a good relationship with Wes and Leslie, and has been a featured chef at a previous farm dinner featuring some delicious Triple S pork (Champaign Taste did a great write-up).  He’ll be doing another farm dinner this September, so keep an eye out for when those tickets become available.  This weekend, he’ll be bringing down some chicken liver mousse and rillettes, a traditional French meat spread.  He’ll also be bringing bread baked at Vie and a few vegetable dishes to round out the menu.  Keep an eye out for the turnips, they sounded delicious.

I’m sure this event will draw a large crowd, because hey, baby goats are adorable, and free food is always welcome.  For more information about this Sunday’s open house event, see the whole invitation on Prairie Fruits Farm’s site.  Learn more about chef Paul Virant on the Vie Restaurant site.  After the event, I’ll be sharing the recipe for one of the dishes he’s bringing.  I’ll also be sharing many more things that he shared with me in our conversation.

If you need just a little extra push… here’s a little video I took last year at Prairie Fruits:

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