I don’t often use this space to talk about upcoming events, but this is one where the message and the moment are perfectly linked. On Wednesday, farmer Barbara Spencer and I will cook a simple three-dish meal entirely from Windrose Farm ingredients. In 30 minutes (more or less, because we’ll be chatting with you as we work). Right in the middle of the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market. And, it’s free. (You can tune in to KCRW’s Good Food Market Report to preview one of the dishes we’ll be preparing.) Here’s the lineup:

Ours is one of three cooking demos to kick off the Good Food Festival & Conference 2012 and Localicious. Joining Barbara and me are Nyesha Arrington (Top Chef Season 9, Wilshire Restaurant) and Nate Peitso (Maggie’s Farm), and Zoe Nathan (Rustic Canyon, Huckleberry, Milo & Olive) and PY Pudwill (Pudwill Berry Farms). The whole shebang will be emceed by passionate market supporter Suzanne Goin (Lucques, A.O.C., Tavern). Did I mention, it’s free? How often do you get the opportunity to see so much cooking action for so little!

We are all thrilled to cook at the very place farmers and cooks come to connect and get inspired. And don’t miss Localicious, the farmer-chef connection writ large: 30 of LA’s leading chefs paired with 30 of the markets’ brilliant growers.

Here’s a little taste of how much fun we had at Farmer-Chef Market Demo Day 2011:

Erika Nakamura, Lindy & Grundy; Suzanne Goin

Roxana Jullapat, Cook’s County; Mike Cirone, See Canyon Ranch

Amelia Saltsman; Jerry Rutiz, Rutiz Farms

Marcie Jimenez, Jimenez Family Farm; Amelia Posada, Lindy & Grundy