Festivals/Events

Corned Beef at the Thicket! Lizard’s Thicket celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with corned beef on rye with French fries for just $5.99 Friday through Sunday. Can’t make it in this weekend? Enjoy corned beef hash on the breakfast menu daily.

Slow Food at Indie Grits. Get your tickets ($10, $15, $25) for the Slow Food tasting and potluck highlighting local and sustainable ingredients, 4-7 p.m. April 14 at 701 Whaley. Tickets on sale Friday (festival passes on sale now) at http://www.indiegrits.com

Food Safety Workshop for small- to mid-size growers highlighting best practices for safety, postharvest handling, packing and business management presented by Clemson Cooperative Extension Service and Carolina Farm Stewards Association, March 21 at Sandhill Research and Education Center. Details and registration, contact Blake Lanford, (843) 365-6715 or blakel@clemson.edu

Food Network Casting Call for Food Court Wars, hosted by Tyler Florence. Winner gets rental space for a year in one of South Carolina’s malls. Teams must have pre-existing relationship (friends, family, co-workers) who believe they have the winning formula for running a restaurant (concept should be original and inspired by a specific local South Carolina region). Information at http://www.FoodCourtWarsCasting.com, deadline is March 20.

Buy now, shed a tear later. The Chapin Lions Club is selling 10-pound bags of Vidalia onions for $10 as their fundraising event. Reserve your bag(s) now for delivery in late April/early May. Call John Hossenlopp at (803) 917-5724 or contact any Chapin Lion Club member.

Take a walk on the wild side. Sustainable Carolina presents a Wild Edibles Walk with permaculturist Matt Kip 5:30p.m. March 25. Meet at the entrance of the Cayce Riverwalk, corner of Axtell Drive and Naples Ave and learn to identify and sample some of the overlooked and nutritious species growing along the Congaree River.

Best. Prom. EVER! Chipotle Mexican Grill is giving away the Ultimate After-Prom Party, a catered meal from Chipotle for up to 500 people, plus a photo booth at your high school’s after-prom event. Just text PROM to 888222 before March 31 for a chance to win one of six grand prizes or runner-up gift cards for dinner for 10. Information and rules at http://chipotle.com

First Ever Midlands Farm Tour sponsored by Carolina Farm Stewards and Whole Foods April 6 and 7. Tour 11 sustainable working farms throughout Richland, Lexington and Kershaw counties, you pick the route, meet the farmers and enjoy fresh farm products. Tickets, $25 per car or bicycling group in advance (tickets good for both days) or $30 day of event or $10 per farm, are on sale online or at Soda City Farmers Market this Saturday. The Upstate Farm Tour is June 1 and 2 (24 farms in Greenville, Spartanburg, Laurens, Newberry, Anderson, Abbeville and Greenwood counties) Details at www.carolinafarm stewards.org

Place your orders now for the Big Nosh! Pre-order delicious Jewish delicacies such as whitefish salad, kugel, knish, brisket, corned beef, pastrami and chopped liver in advance of the festival at Tree of Life Congregation 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. April 21. Tree of Life is located at 6719 N. Trenholm Rd., http://www.bignosh.org

Contests

Got the best ’Q? Barbecue teams are wanted for the S.C. Department of Agriculture’s Smokin’ at the Market Commissioners Cup BBQ Cook Off from March 22-23 at the State Farmers Market. Sanctioned by Southern BBQ Network, categories include Anything Butt, Butts, Pork Ribs, Grand Champion and Reserve Champion. Sign up at http://agriculture.sc.gov/ commissioners cupcookoff or email ToolsMeasureOptionsre @scda.sc.gov.

Best ’Q too! Barbecue teams are urged to compete in the Second Annual Henry Shelor District of the Boy Scouts of America Wing-Ding and Barbecue Cook-off from March 15-16 at Sumter County Fairgrounds. This South Carolina Barbecue Association sanctioned event will feature butts with an optional pork ribs event. Friday night Wing-Ding will be a People’s Choice event. Contact Bill Robinson (803) 840-3367 or billbodar@live.com for information or application.

Let the first round of voting begin! You determine the winners of the 46th Pillsbury Bake-Off. Vote for your favorite entry in the Amazing Doable Dinners category March 14-28. The next category to enter recipes is Simple Sweets and Starters beginning April 4. Grand prize winner receives $1 million and $10,000 in GE kitchen appliances. Information and registration at http://www.pillsbury.com

The 46th Pillsbury Bake-Off is now accepting entries.

30th National Beef Cook-Off seeks healthy recipes from home cooks. Submit your best beef recipes online at beefcookoff.org for a chance to win $25,000 and a trip to Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show in Washington. Deadline April 15

Classes

BBQ Shop Talk will be holding a series of grilling classes at the State Farmers Market. Sunday classes, noon-5 p.m., $99 per class include samplings, recipes and take-home food. April 7, ribs; May 5, ladies grilling; June 9, guys grilling; July 14, start your own competition cook team. Call Mark Busbee, (803) 513-6087 or Tim Handy, (843) 214-3736

Columbia’s Cooking! Ask about cooking and nutrition classes for home schoolers or mailto:mcolacook@mailbox.sc.edu, cpcp.sph.sc.edu/cooking /classes.

Charleston Cooks! at Cross Hill. Today, from stocks to soups to stews; Thursday, St. Pat’s feast; Friday, Spring entertaining; Saturday, sushi; March 19, Greek; March 20, classic sauces; March 21, (day) lunch express, (night) pasta; March 22, couples Big Easy; March 23, Easter brunch. Register for classes online at charlestoncooks.com.

Chef Francois Fisera hosts cooking classes at Fleur de Lys Home Culinary Institute. Friday and Saturday, chicken pot pie; March 19, oysters and clams; March 22, Tuscan wines; March 26, 28, lamb chops. Fleur de Lys is at 3001 Millwood Ave. (803) 765-9999 or fleurdelyscolumbiasc.com

Let’s Cook Culinary Studio events: Thursday, hands-on pasta; March 15, couples paella; March 19, Wild Women; March 20, Eye on Food; March 22, couples pad Thai. Detailed listings at letscookculinary.com. Let’s Cook is at 1305 Assembly St. (803) 348-5874

McCutchen House on the USC Horseshoe. See complete schedule and sign up for classes at http://webapps.csg.sc.edu/ McCutchen.

Market News

Soda City Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday at the 1500 block of Main Street.

701 Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Saturday at 701 Whaley St.

Vista Guild Farmers Market, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays, Lincoln Street in front of Blue Marlin Restaurant

Farmers in the Forest, the Forest Acres Farmers Market at Richland Mall, is open 3-7 p.m. Wednesdays through October.

Rosewood Market Farmers Market, 4-7 p.m. second and fourth Thursdays, 2803 Rosewood Drive, (803) 256-6410

Northeast Farmers Market at Lake Carolina is open 3-7 p.m. Thursdays at Town Center.

Have an upcoming food event? Email details to food@thestate.com. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday.