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Mastering the famers' market with Chef Noah...then eating our spoils in gourmet fashion.

Monday Sep 11, 2006.     By Julia Steinberger

Lifestyle Feed

Chef Noah Bekofsky is the kind of guy that makes me swoon—almost as much as does a perfectly ripe avocado. Since taking over executive chef duties for the luxe Fairmont Chicago, this West-Coaster has brought his obsession with organics to his kitchen, showing off the glory of dishes centered on seasonal, locally-grown produce.

And when it comes to produce shopping, my heart is in the right place. But I find the array dizzying, and often load up on way too much mismatched stuff (gourmet eggplant spreads but no bread? Bundles of kale and nothing to serve them with?).

So when I heard about the "Shop With The Chef" outings—guests meet Noah at the Fairmont on a Wednesday morning, head to Green City Market, learn to shop like a pro, and return to aria for a spectacular tasting lunch paired with wines—I couldn't sign up fast enough.

Because feasting on pesticide-free gourmet eats is always better with a friend, I brought along a partner in avocado-swooning and daytime boozing. At 10 a.m., the two of us shook hands with the affable Noah, who ushered us into his car (he'll accommodate parties of two to eight; larger groups take a limo) and set off to the market.

Noah explained that he likes Green City because many of the vendors who sell at smaller markets congregate here, making for a broad selection. Our first stop was at a booth offering pints of end-of-season berries. "You should always taste the fruit," Noah advised, "even if you're at Jewel. If they don't let you taste the fruit, there's probably something wrong with it."

I didn't need to be told twice, swiping a fat blackberry from a packed pint. It burst open on my tongue, sending sweet-tart juice trickling down my throat and leaving me babbling superlatives. "That was the best, juiciest, most flavorful..." Noah forked over $10 for two pints and said that he'd happily work the fruit into our lunch.

We trailed Noah from booth to booth, tasting everything and talking to the farmers. He was easygoing, letting us guide the tour with our questions and interests (my interests, for example, had us stopping at every cheese booth for multiple toothpick-speared squares), but drove conversation whenever we fell silent.

We learned about microgreens, heirloom squash, basil, heirloom apples, mushrooms, baked goods, honey, melons, cheeses and homemade canned preserves. Normally I'm quiet at markets for fear of sounding stupid or being a bother, but having a chef in kitchen dress at my side gave me courage to ask questions like crazy, and I found out that most of the vendors love to talk about their products, from the family recipes they use to "this kind of apple is better for sauce." I will definitely be more verbal on future visits.

I managed to curb myself to just a few purchases: a pint of bite-size, bright orange tomatoes, a few ounces of spicy radish sprouts and tender beet sprouts, some heavenly homemade cumin-infused cheese and a jar of crystal-clear honey, for a grand total of $15.

Homegrown organics can be pricier than conventional products, but Noah is vehement that it's worth it: Locally-grown heirloom fruits and vegetables contain more nutrients and more natural sugars, because they are left to ripen longer rather than picked green and left to ripen in the back of a truck. Because their high quality is more fulfilling on the whole—in taste, smell, texture, and even the food comfort factor—you don't use nearly as much butter, sugar or salt and feel satisfied with smaller portions.

We headed back to aria, where Noah and the gracious restaurant staff ushered us through a five-course lunch filled with the same things we ogled at the market, from the side-by-side caprese salads (mozz-and-tomato next to beet-and-goat cheese, sprinkled with sunflower greens) to a creamy mushroom soup bursting with the rich flavors of half a dozen types of mushrooms.

As if the day could get any more perfect, dessert arrived, and I found myself face-to-face with my perfect market blackberries, peeking out from the crispy crust of a golden-baked berry buckle. I got a little choked up about the whole thing. Then I dove in and gobbled it up.

In sum, it was an incredible day. The program's $100 price tag makes it the kind of indulgence I almost never spring for, but in this case, I loudly encourage an exception. With the customized, wine-paired lunch, you're actually getting an unbelievable deal, and learning the farmers' market ropes is a foodie's dream come true.

To sign up for you own blissful day with Chef Noah, contact aria at (312) 444-9494.

Chef Tips...For Your Next Market Trip

Don't be sad about the strawberries The berries may be gone, but the markets aren't. Many run into the fall. Chef Noah encourages changing your eating habits to suit the seasons. Even though global trade means tropical and summer fruits are in stores year-round, this is your chance to check out cold-season squashes, apples and dark greens at their best.

Pick the freshest mushrooms Check the thin membrane around the top half of the stem; the more flush the membrane is to the stem, the fresher the mushroom. When the membrane starts to open up like a flower, it means the mushroom is a few days old. Store mushrooms in a cool, dry, dark place, like in a paper bag in your veggie crisper.

Choose the sweetest melon For honeydew and cantaloupe, check the round scar where the fruit was pulled from the vine, called the "slip." If the slip is deep, the melon was pulled early and won't be as sweet. If the slip is flat and not much deeper than the rind around it, the melon was left to ripen longer, and will have a sweeter taste.

Don't refrigerate When you put uncut tomatoes, peaches or melons in the fridge, the low temperature stops the flow of natural sugars inside the fruit, meaning they'll have less flavor when you eat them. Cut fruits need to be refrigerated, but leave the uncut ones in a paper bag on the counter.