
Hello from Eastern Europe! Not the first place you think of when it comes to great food, right? Well, I wanted to find out for myself, so I decided to kick the summer off with a trip to the Czech Republic in search of great food, new restaurants, hot trends and old world techniques.

A quick flight through Germany (airport in Dusseldorf). Everywhere you look, you find farm raised, organic “fast” food and advertising. Love the concept! What a difference from the US standards!
There is no denying the history you feel when you are in this part of the world. The architecture is amazing and the connection you feel when walking through these old towns and villages is undeniable. The first stop was to get to the farms and find out what grows great in the earth over here. It’s much like the US where different climates produce better ingredients then others. Most of the seasons are pretty close to the Northern US climate. Summer is a great season for fresh vegetables likes wax beans, peas, carrots, potatoes, radish, kales, cauliflower and other root vegetables. All those are amazing right now!
So, you ask how did I find great produce around here? Easy! I bought some of the local product and worked backwards from there. I went to the farmers markets in the local town square, talked to the farmers and showed interest in what they do. Since farmers have a passion for farming and they are proud of they they do, they are usually willing to share with you what they grow. They proudly show the fruits of their labor. And rightfully so! If you’re lucky enough you get an invitation to their farm where you can cook for the family and repay the farmer for their kind offerings.

I bought fresh vegetables for lunch and dinner and then some. The farmer Hana was so welcoming, we ended up taking a picture and talking more about her little farm not far from the town of Frydek-Mistek.
Stay tuned to find out if I made it on the farm. I’ll also share more stories from roaming the Eastern European country in search of great food.
Until then…“Chow Chow”,
Rocky