A Typical Le Cordon Bleu Assignment: The South Pas Farmers Market

Rick Jones gathers his 20 students around, and announces tonight’s assignment: Scour the to find the hydroponics stand, the baby vegetables, and both of the grass-fed beef ranchers.What may seem strange in a regular college class syllabus has become common place for Jones’ students at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts School in Pasadena.

Today’s group of culinary students wearing cook's whites (complete with checkered slacks and kerchief bound around the neck) are in their third week of their 21-month program, which will graduate them with an Associate’s degree. Their job today is to learn about local and sustainable food sources but also the importance of supporting small business owners producing high-quality and hard-to-find ingredients.

Working their way down Jones' to-do list, the aspiring chefs gawk, smell and eat their way through the Farmers Market. No touching is allowed, explains student Arnoldo Rivas, who is now pursuing a career in the restaurant world after receiving a degree in Sociology and Film from the University of California, Riverside. Hygiene—in the kitchen and beyond—is numero uno on the school's curriculum.

Touching and prodding fruit at the Farmers' Market is a no-no—at least is most instances. Sometimes, it's just not possible to make it down Meridian Avenue without picking up samples here and there—samples that serve as objects of analysis by several young cooks as they judge the texture, the color and the flavor of scrumptious baked goods, of course.

Among the students' favorite finds on the market: The raw dairy stand Organic Pastures and Lush Pomegranate (selling pomegranate juice). Jones—or Chef Jones as he is known to his élèves—has in the past invited Farmers Market vendors to Le Cordon Bleu's teaching kitchens in Pasadena in hopes of teaching his students about the slow-food movement, co-op schemes and local produce. But in lieu of classroom visits, Jones brings a steady stream of students to the Farmers' Market—some in uniform and some in "plain clothes."

He estimates he's in South Pasadena with a class about twice a month—sometimes more often if he is shopping for himself taking the time to indulge in the many treats at the market. When asked about his personal highlights of the market, he points out the fresh kettle corn, which reminds the Chicago native of home. But also the heirloom tomatoes at the Valdivia Farms stand and the mushroom monger LA FungHi, which has an incredible selection of mushrooms and funghi, he said. 

In an ideal world, Jones would sign contracts with many of the vendors to supply Le Cordon Bleu's kitchens with fresh produce, but corporate policy dictates companywide suppliers for students to practice their chopping skills. So instead, he makes his twice-monthly pilgrimages down to the South Pas Farmers' Market with his students trying to open their eyes and change their minds one aroma-wafting, colorful, food-filled field trip at a time.