Food Fest Round-Up

Yesterday was one of those days where I can’t imagine living anywhere but in Rhode Island. Talk to me in February, and I will most definitely be singing another Southern California-ish tune, but right now, I totally get why tourists drop big bucks and spend precious vacation days here. So what made me fall in love with Rhode Island all over again? Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s annual Local Food Fest.

The premise behind the fundraiser is simple — pair up a dozen of the state’s top chefs with area farmers and turn them loose. What resulted was a celebration of all things local. Blackbird Farm beef was turned into awesome sliders; Four Town Farm corn morphed into a delicate soup with smoked chanterelle mushrooms, grilled corn and zucchini; Red Planet fennel became a relish that topped housemade spicy lamb sausage. The farmers and the chefs were all on hand, passionately preaching the gospel and spreading local love.

What made the event even better? It was held at Castle Hill on a breezy eighty-degree August afternoon. The bridge in the background, sailboat races underway, local wine in hand. No wonder no one wanted to leave. 

If you missed the once-a-year benefit, don’t fret. There are plenty of opportunities to support the grow-local/eat-local campaign year-round. Click here for a complete list of farmers’ markets and restaurants that source sustainably.