Eat Local! What's in the Box Cooking Challenge

Willy Street, Viroqua and People’s Food Co-ops are teaming up with Edible Madison to celebrate Eat Local Month this September with a very special Eat Local Cooking Challenge!

Join us in celebrating the bounty of local ingredients available at our regional food co-ops by purchasing an Eat Local provisions box, or grabbing a provision list to shop at your own local co-op. Join our virtual cooking event to see what talented local chefs create with the same box of goodies, and then create your own local feast!

Our Eat Local provisions box features 12 select local products including local produce, meat, dry goods, and beverages. These boxes can be picked up at any Willy Street Co-op location. Viroqua Food Co-op and People’s Food Co-op shoppers can grab a shopping list below to grab their own ingredients.

• Date & Time: The virtual event will be held on Sunday, September 28 at 5pm
• Price: $35 Includes virtual event ticket + box

Purchase your Eat Local box + virtual event ticket

Pick up your box ahead of time at one of four convenient locations:

• Pick up at your local Willy Street Co-op location. Friday, September 26 from 4-7pm

  • Willy Street Co-op West (6825 University Ave, Middleton)

  • Willy Street Co-op North (2817 N Sherman Ave, Madison)

  • Willy Street Co-op East (1221 Williamson St, Madison)

• Pasture and Plenty. Pick-up available: Friday, September 26 from 4-7pm or Saturday, September 27 from 9am-2pm.

Shipping is not available for this event.

Not in Madison and want to cook along? Along with access to a pantry of staples like you have at home, here is a list of the type ofspecial local ingredients the chefs will have in their mystery kits from Willy St Co-op farmers and food producers:

• Seasonal herbs and produce (including dill, oyster mushrooms and crisp apples)

• Locally cured meats (like pepperoni)

• Soft and creamy cow's milk cheese (like Havarti)

• Polenta

• Fruit preserves, spicy chutney and honey

• Local beverages (like herbal shrub and whole bean coffee)

Meet the Chefs!

Mary Kastman began her culinary career in Madison (Restaurant Muramoto, 43 North) before relocating to Boston. In Boston, Mary discovered her deep love for Eastern Mediterranean food and spice while working at two of Boston’s powerhouse restaurants, Oleana and Sarma. Mary relocated to Viroqua, Wisconsin and took on the role of Executive Chef at the Driftless Cafe in the spring of 2019. Her travels have included Northern Spain, Turkey and Western Europe. Her passion for localism through the lens of eastern Mediterranean flavors earned her a James Beard Semi-Finalist nomination for Best Chef, Midwest in 2022. Her new restaurant, Purslane in Milwaukee, began in the summer of 2024 as a pop up concept based in Viroqua. She showcases the flavors of the Mediterranean and Middle East while utilizing an extensive network of small and family farms in rural Wisconsin.

Michelle Dubis is the executive chef at the Memorial Union on the UW-Madison campus, assisting with recipe and menu development for all the Union's restaurants and overseeing catering for the variety of events happening every day at the historic location, from weddings to student group gatherings. Since joining the Memorial Union team two years ago, Michelle has been instrumental in a culinary culture shift away from offering merely traditional campus fare toward cleaner, healthier and more sustainable food options, all while working to meet the wide range of cultural and dietary needs of the campus community and beyond.

Meet Your Host for the Evening!

Qwantese Dourese Winters is a doula, cook, and community organizer passionate about nourishing people through food and care. She’s the creator of A Bowl of Soul, a postpartum meal program designed to support marginalized mothers with comforting, nutrient-dense meals during 6 weeks of their postpartum journey. Her work is rooted in the belief that food is a powerful expression of love, legacy, and liberation. Whether hosting gatherings, cooking for new moms, or building community around the table, she brings intention, joy, and deep care to everything she creates.

Produced with Natalie Hinckley Productions

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