A stop at Black Cat Farm is like visiting the farmers' market, but without the actual market. Instead of sparkling stands packed with colorful collards, towers of tomatoes and piles of peppers, we had to stomp through mud, get our hands dirty and dodge beetles and bees to seek out these vibrant veggies. Think of it as an edible treasure hunt with a bonus round of baby pigs perfect for petting and cooing at (and, yes, Skokan also raises swine for the restaurant).

Chef and farmer Eric Skokan shows Gunnar a baby pig up close. Full-grown hogs also help maintain the soil by turning and fertilizing it.
Linnea Covington
Not only did Gunnar get a true hands-on farm adventure, but after he picked a sack full of carrots, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes and corn, he got to head to Bramble & Hare to see just what the chefs could do with the goods and how to turn a pepper he picked in a field into something scrumptious for dinner.
As long as farmers keep bringing fresh product to market, we'll keep tagging along with Denver and Boulder chefs to see what they're buying and cooking. See our previous visits with chefs Ty Leon of Mizuna and Kevin Grossi of the Regional.