Chef John Panza, of BiGA and John’s Chophouse, will be a featured chef at our Farm to Table Dinner on September 8, 2019. PFM Executive Director Kathleen Yetman sat down with him to chat.
Prescott Farmers Market: How long have you been in the Prescott area?
Chef John: I’ve lived in the Prescott area for five years.
PFM: What is your favorite dish to make and/or eat?
Chef John: I love to make risotto.
PFM: What is your favorite vegetable?
Chef John: I love to cook with tomatoes but I personally love artichokes.
PFM: What’s the importance of supporting local agriculture?
Chef John: Freshness and quality in food and keeping small business economy alive and contained in our town.
You might find John at a Saturday market, stocking up on fresh produce and locally raised meats to serve at his restaurants.
PFM: Tell me about your passion for food. Where did it come from, what sustains it?
Chef John: I’ve had a passion for food ever since I can remember. A lot of my childhood celebrations involved heavily influenced with food. I’ve always gravitated towards the kitchen any chance I could. Having the ability to bring people and the community together through food is what drives my passion everyday.
Chef John was recently the Chef in Action at PFM, preparing and sharing samples of a chorizo summer hash created with fresh ingredients from the market.
PFM: The Farm to Table Dinner is right around the corner! What are you making and most excited about?
Chef John: We are preparing a few things for the farmers market dinner, including a chorizo and corn griddle cake hors d’oeuvre, a summer asparagus end gazpacho and a green bean salad. We’ve currently started the curing process for egg yolks to be used on the salad, which I am looking forward to the most.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Chef John: We are very excited to be a part of this amazing dinner again this year. It’s been very eye-opening to see how much the local scene has grown in our small town within the past 5 years. I can’t wait to see for what the next 5 years brings!