Jose Duarte Kicks Off a New Chef Series at the Boston Public Market

Photo by Joel Veak

The next time you’re picking out lunch, scrutinizing the craft beer selection, or eating one too many apple cider donuts at the Boston Public Market, keep an eye out for chef Jose Duarte.

Duarte has been involved with the market since it was in planning stages, and he makes regular visits there now to find local products to feature at his nearby restaurant, the sustainable, standout Taranta, he says. From the tiramisu made with Stillman’s Farm’s eggs, to soups garnished with Q’s Nuts, it is easy to see Duarte’s enthusiasm for local food on his Italian-Peruvian menu.

“The market is a great opportunity for chefs to connect a little bit more with these producers, to help them showcase their products,” Duarte says.

That’s why he’s partnering with the market this month to launch a new Signature Chef Series, an exhibition of Boston chefs and local products from the Public Market. The Series will be run by the Trustees, Massachusetts’s largest conservation and preservation nonprofit.

On Tuesday, February 28, Duarte will be the first chef to lead a cooking demonstration and a six-course meal at the Kitchen at the Boston Public Market. The series will continue with dinners by chef Carl Dooley of the Table at Season to Taste on April 13, and chef Matthew Jennings of Townsman on May 13.

In an effort to highlight the versatility of the products at the Public Market, each course will feature at least one ingredient from market vendors. All six courses will also be paired with a New England beer or wine.

“In my menu, I tried to use some of the market’s ingredients, but also introduce some of my own ingredients,” Duarte says. “The idea is to showcase a little bit of what I am.”

What exactly is on that menu, you ask? Well, Duarte’s not totally sure. He won’t finalize his menu until the day of the dinner, when he plans to browse the market and simply plan around the ingredients that look best.

Duarte can guarantee that diners will get to experience his signature Peruvian-Italian style. He plans on serving causa, a traditional Peruvian potato dish, as one of the courses, and Peruvian peppers and herbs will be sprinkled throughout the meal.

However, Duarte is perhaps most excited for the discussions that will occur during his demonstration. A sustainable food aficionado, Duarte loves to raise awareness of the importance of eating mindfully.

“Sustainability is a process,” Duarte says. “For me, it’s a way of being.”

Signature Chef Series with Jose Duarte, $200, Tuesday, February 28, 6-9 p.m., the Kitchen at the Boston Public Market, 100 Hanover St., Boston, thetrustees.org.