Each episode takes viewers behind the scenes, from the farm to the industrial kitchen at the Culinary Vegetable Institute, where Farmer Lee and chefs like Emma Bengtsson, Curtis Duffy, Jenner Tomaska, and Rachael Ray use the farm’s harvests to craft innovative and mouth-watering dishes. From beet granita with cured salmon and chilled corn soup to Thai-spiced shepherd’s pie and crab-stuffed burrata with roasted watermelon, each dish showcases the vibrant flavors of nature’s bounty. The chefs don’t just cook—they experiment, innovate, and collaborate to push the boundaries of what can be done with farm-fresh produce.
“The Chef’s Garden” invites viewers into a world where flavors and creativity meet, and the farm’s vibrant offerings fuel the culinary imagination.
Executive Chef and owner of Michelin-starred Esme in Chicago, Chef Jenner Tomaska is visiting the farm for the first time. He and Farmer Lee are strolling the fields talking about the importance of knowing where your food comes from and extolling the virtues of serving food at its ripest stage. Then they head to the test kitchen where Chef Tomaska is playing a riff off of burrata, roasting watermelon and intensifying the tomato in a new and exciting way.
Watch his creativity come to life in The Chef’s Garden series, now streaming on FYI! We invite you to be part of the conversation! Follow The Chef’s Garden on social media using the hashtag #TheChefsGarden, and connect with us as we share more behind-the-scenes moments, recipes, and highlights from the series.