Taking It to the Tents: The Magic of Farmers Market Cooking Demos

Most of the cooking classes we offer at The Chopping Block are hands on, meaning the guests do all of the chopping and preparing of the food and they get to sit down and eat everything that they make. I consider it one of the best experiences in Chicago if you are ever looking for a fun night out.

But I think all of my chefs and I definitely agree we all love our demonstration-style classes, where we get to teach the students in real time how to put together a meal. The students can get a baseline for how it should be done and what it should taste like before attempting to recreate the recipes at home. We all have a passion for cooking and teaching; and in this format I believe we excel! Our Chef’s Tasting Table series let chefs create their own menu to share and teach along the way.

This time of year is especially fun for me because it is farmers market season, and I am fortunate to go around to all the best markets and do live demonstrations utilizing all the markets have to offer. The Chopping Block has a longstanding relationship with the Lincoln Square Farmers Market where we host demos every other Thursday night. We shop for the ingredients at the Tuesday morning market and then create a recipe to show you on Thursday.

There is a distinct kind of energy that hums through a midsummer farmers market. The aroma of freshly picked basil hits you before you even reach the first stall, color spills over every table, and vendors proudly share stories about this week’s harvest. As a chef and educator at The Chopping Block, my absolute favorite place to be, outside of our own kitchen classrooms of course, is under a pop-up tent at the market, propane burner lit, sharing live cooking demonstrations with enthusiastic food lovers.

Why Live Demos Are Pure Magic

Cooking at a market is wonderfully spontaneous. Unlike a traditional classroom setting with pre-measured prep bowls and controlled temperatures, market demos are all about leaning into what’s fresh right now and adapting on the fly.

• Highlighting Peak Produce: The goal isn't complex, hours-long technique; it's showing off what happens when top-tier ingredients meet simple culinary logic. A quick pan-sear on heirloom tomatoes or a bright vinaigrette tossed over crisp market greens can completely transform how someone sees a basic vegetable.
• Demystifying the Unknown: Ever stared at a strange root vegetable or an unfamiliar variety of squash and thought, “It looks cool, but what do I actually do with it?” A 10-minute demonstration bridges that gap. Once people taste a quick sample of glazed kohlrabi or roasted pattypan squash, their hesitation disappears.
• Real-Time Chef Tips: While the skillet sizzles, we talk about fundamental skills; how to properly hold a chef’s knife, why preheating your pan matters, or how balancing acid and salt brings flat dishes back to life.
• Getting to know where your food comes from and making relationships with the farmers

A Simple Framework for Market-Fresh Cooking

When you bring your market haul home, you don't need a rigid recipe. Instead, rely on a few versatile techniques:

• The Sauté: High heat, a splash of high-smoke-point oil, and seasonal veggies (like tender zucchini or sweet corn) cooked just until tender-crisp. Finish with fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon.
• The Roast: Pre heat oven to 425 degrees and roast your favorite produce until caramelized. This is an excellent meal prep option.
• The Raw Shaved Salad: Use a mandoline or Y-peeler to shave dense items like radishes, fennel, or beets ultra-thin. Toss with olive oil, sea salt, and crumbled fresh cheese.
• The Pan Sauce: After searing meat or mushrooms, deglaze the hot pan with a splash of wine, broth, or vinegar, scraping up those flavorful browned bits (fond) to build an instant, rich sauce.
• The Quick Pickle: Take any vinegar, sugar and salt, boil and pour it over your fresh sliced onions, radishes, cucumbers, zucchini…. the possibilities are endless and it is a great preservation technique for your abundant haul.

The recipe that I came up with this past Saturday at the Green City Market was a panzanella salad. I went into the market with only two goals, to showcase as many farmers as possible and to teach as many techniques as possible! I am proud to say it was a huge success.

Farmers Market Panzanella

For the pickles:

1 bottle chive blossom vinegar from Bushel and Peck

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon John Bailey honey

3 small red onions from Kajers Greens, sliced

Boil liquid and pour over sliced onions, or any veggie!

For the salad:

1 loaf of focaccia bread from Banter, cut into cubes

1 pint of cherry tomatoes from Frillman farms, cut in half

4 ears of corn from Wholesome Harvest Farm, kernels removed

2 small zucchini from Kajers, diced

1 head of fennel from Wholesome Harvest Farm, sliced thin

1 bunch basil from Smits farm, chiffonade

1 wheel of aged camembert cheese from J2K Capriaio, grated

1. Sauté bread cubes in oil over medium heat until golden brown and crisp, set aside in a large bowl.

2. Sauté corn in the same pan over high heat, until lightly caramelized. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the bread bowl.

3. Sauté the zucchini next over high heat, take care not to overcook. Season and add to the bowl.

4. Add sliced fennel, halved tomatoes, chiffonade basil, grated cheese, and strained picked onions.

5. Dress the salad with the pickling liquid and oil. Season to taste.

The best part of any cooking demo is the conversation afterward. I love making new friends and connecting over food! Whether you want to talk knife skills, brainstorm what to make with three pounds of peaches, or grab a sample, stop by our tent at the next market event. You can get all your questions answered and I would love to talk with all of you.

Hopefully you can come out and see what I come up with my next demos at Farmer at the Green on August 18 or the Edgewater Farmers Market on August 24. We also offer a Farmers Market class where we take the students to the Lincoln Square Farmers market, purchase the ingredients there and come back to our kitchen where the chef will then demonstrate how to use them and create a fabulous menu for the students to enjoy! It is so much fun.

In the meantime, head to your local market, grab whatever looks vibrant, and get cooking!