The Hazel Grove Chapter of the Richland County Farm Bureau is presenting our final 2016 Farm to Plate Chef demonstration Sept.24, 2016 at 10 a.m. The demonstration will be held at the Shelby Farm Market located at the Blackfork Commons in Shelby.

Our featured chef is Aaron J. Schopp, co-owner of the “Altered Eats” Food Truck. The other co-owner of the food truck, Annie J. Massie could not be present today as she and the food truck are at Malabar Heritage Day. Since Annie could not be here, Aaron has brought Noah Johnson, friend, fellow cook, and foodie, to assist with today’s demonstration.

Aaron is from the Madison area and Annie is from Lexington. They met at a party through mutual friends. They discovered that they were both interested in foods and cooking. Annie went to college and then taught English in Taiwan. There she became interested in the local foods and the Night Markets where they cooked them. When Annie returned home, she and Aaron decided that they both liked oriental cuisine-Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese. The next step led to a business plan of starting a food truck. They did their research, found a truck, and applied for loans through various financial sources. They then went ahead with their plan and had the 27 foot Freightliner diesel truck remodeled with a kitchen.

Aaron reports that they have about 10 local gardeners who supply their produce. Aaron also purchases from the Trinity Farm Market. The food truck menu has a large menu that depends on the produce and the weather. The food truck goes to different event from March or April to the end of October. For larger events they use the Entrepreneur’s’ Kitchen in Mansfield, a 1500 square foot licensed kitchen that professional chefs can rent so they have the space and equipment to use for catering or wedding preparations.

Aaron says that the best food is “simple food with complex taste.” This is achieved by fresh produce, herbs and spices, and imagination. The food is a combination of ethnic foods, fusion, and experimentation with the recipes. Their foods are usually in 3 forms-tacos, sliders, or rice bowls. Currently, their most popular dish is a Korean beef Taco. It is great! They have been building their business for 3 years. There have been many who have helped them get started and continue to evolve as a business.

You will find the Food Truck at local events like the Malabar Heritage Days, the Phoenix Breweries Fridays at the Brick Yard, the Ohio Reformatory’s scary event, Octoberfest, and many more that you can check on the website. To get more information about Altered Eats Food Truck and where they will be check out their website, Facebook and Twitter. They also can be contacted at 567-303-1742.

The Altered Eats food is unique and definitely worth trying. Thank you to our chefs. We hope that the public will follow the Altered Eats Truck so they will have a bright and a delicious future here in Richland County!