Chefs A' Field

This two-disc set from the 2009 fourth season of the PBS-aired documentary series Chefs A' Field includes 13 episodes focusing on sustainable food. Each episode follows a similar format, spotlighting the cultivation and/or harvest of a particular item and its producer/procurer, while also showcasing an established chef who creates a few dishes that incorporate the featured foods. “Counting Sheep” visits the sheep-raising Bellwether Farms, a nearby favorite of married Sonoma chefs Duskie Estes and John Stewart, who also farm their own veggies to make fresh salads at their restaurant Zazu. The husband-and-wife team and their two young daughters tour the sheep farm, watch cheesemaking, and later make dishes that include “nudi” (a chard/ricotta/parmesan mix) and frozen yogurt. Also including episodes such as “King of Alaska,” “Peaches & Herb,” “Sustainable Hawaii,” and “A World Without Bees,” standouts here include “Sweet Nectar,” which examines the harvesting of blue agave and features Modern Mexican restaurants entrepreneur Richard Sandoval and son whipping up shrimp ceviche and salmon terrine; and “The Revolution,” which illustrates the business relationship between Cascadian Farm co-manager Jim Meyer (a self-proclaimed “rabid organic missionary”) and Christine Keff, the James Beard Award-winning owner of Seattle's Flying Fish restaurant, who makes a stifado seafood stew and blueberry ice cream. DVD extras include DVD-ROM-accessible PDF tips and recipes. Recommended. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)