Cook’s Calendar: What will you be having for dinner?
Special events
Applications are now open — Join Columbia’s Food Policy Committee. Columbia City Council recently passed a resolution to create the first municipal Food Policy Committee in South Carolina. The focus of the FPC will be to develop and implement initiatives to promote a sustainable, financially viable food system and resolve issues related to food insecurity. Organizers are looking for citizens from within the Columbia area that have an interest or background in food policy, public health, farming and producing, food processing and distribution, market managing and restaurants, and leaders from communities, neighborhoods and businesses. Applications available at the City of Columbia website (https://columbiasc.gov/boards-commissions) and close on May 31.
National Chardonnay Day Dinner: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday, May 25, at City Roots Farm. Chefs Kristian Niemi and Frank Bradley from Bourbon Columbia and Chef Ola Helsing of Farm to Table Event Co will prepare a four-course, family-style dinner to be paired with wines from the Wente Family Vineyards of California. Tickets $75/person, gratuity not included, available at www.farmtotableeventco.com or www.giftrocker.com.
Fresh Market sampling event: 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 27 and 28. Sample burgers, hot dogs, seasonal produce and Fresh Market’s Old Fashioned Vanilla Bean ice cream and baked-fresh pies. Active and retired military with valid ID will receive 10 percent discount on purchases Friday through Sunday. In Columbia: Trenholm Plaza, 4840 Forest Dr.; and 10286 Two Notch Rd.; www.thefreshmarket.com
Original Gullah Festival: May 26-28, Henry Chambers Waterfront Park, Beaufort. Celebrate the state’s rich Gullah Geechee heritage during this three-day event. This year’s theme — “Come Home to a Celebration of Reconstruction...The Untold Story” — relates the story of newly freed Gullah determined to persevere out of the bondage of slavery to self-governing and full citizenship from the ashes of the American Civil War. Calendar of events and tickets available at theoriginalgullahfestival.org.
FREE Hickory Tavern Burgers on Memorial Day: Monday, May 29, veterans and troops with valid ID can choose between one of Hickory Tavern’s signature Gameday Burgers and a side of french fries, tavern chips, tater tots or broccoli for free. Try the Tavern Burger, Mushroom/Onion/Swiss, Southern (bacon, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, jack & cheddar cheese and crispy onion straws), Pimento, El Diablo (with pickled jalapenos, pepper jack, crispy onion straws and sauce), or the Veggie (patty of three grains, brown rice, quinoa, bulgar, roasted corn, black beans and roasted red pepper). www.thehickorytavern.com
Butcher Paper Dinner Series: 3-7 p.m. June 3 at City Roots. A laid-back afternoon of great food and good company. Food is served directly on butcher paper — eating with your hands is encouraged. $45/person, www.farmtotableeventco.com.
Ag + Art Tour: Saturdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays 1-5 p.m. A self-guided tour of farms in South Carolina featuring local artisans and farmers markets. Each weekend in June features a different group of counties. June 3-4: Chesterfield, Darlington, Florence and Horry; June 10-11: Chester and York; June 17-18: Kershaw and Lancaster; June 24-25: Fairfield, Newberry and Union. See list of farms and related locations at www.agandarttour.com
June Harvest Dinner: 6:30-9:30 p.m. June 5 at City Roots. Chefs Kristian Niemi and Frank Bradley from Bourbon Columbia and Chef Ola Helsing of Farm to Table Event Co will prepare a four-course, family-style dinner to be paired with wine. $75/person, www.farmtotableeventco.com
Feast Film Fest: June 8-9 at State Museum, 301 Gervais St. This first-ever event — in conjunction with Farm to Table Events Co. — invites you to explore South Carolina Foodways with two days of films, food, conversation and more. Speakers include Stan Woodward (filmmaker), Eric McClam (City Roots), Vanessa Bialobreski (Farm to Table Events Co), Keith Mearns (horticulturist at Historic Columbia), Tim Gardner (owner/sommelier, Lula Drake), Thibault Fagonde (producer/filmmaker, Overalls & Aprons), Nat Bradford (farmer), Dr. David Shields (chairman, Carolina Gold Rice Foundation) and Glenn Roberts (Anson Mills). Chefs include Todd Woods, Blake Fairies, Lou Hutto, Mike Davis, Frank Bradley, Kristian Niemi, Charley Scruggs, and Pierce Bowers. Tickets: $60/museum members, $75/public, Opening night; $32/member, $40/public Luncheon; 60/museum members, $75/public, Closing night; or $135/member, $170/public for Two Day Pass. scmuseum.org/feastfilm.
Shrimp & Grits Festival: 6-10 p.m. June 17, Columbia Conference Center, Laurelhurst Ave. Many of Midlands restaurants have shrimp and grits on the menu, but who has the best? Time to sample and choose a winner. Tickets $40/adult, $25/child (under 21), and include unlimited samples from participating restaurants, live music and door prizes. columbiashrimpandgrits.com
FoodShare Columbia connects families and communities with affordable fresh fruits and vegetables from local and regional farmers. The partnership of the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department, Richland Library, USC School of Medicine, EdVenture Children’s Museum and the Columbia Housing Authority provides boxed food that can be ordered twice a month, between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Bellfield Cultural Arts Center at 2611 Grant St., (803) 255-8161. Cost is $20; $10 for SNAP participants. Cash and EBT accepted. www.facebook.com/FoodShare-Columbia.
Healthy Bucks: A program allowing SNAP recipients to obtain additional fresh fruits and vegetables when they use SNAP benefits to purchase fresh produce at participating farmers markets. SNAP recipients who purchase at least $5 with SNAP EBT card at participating locations get $10 in Healthy Bucks tokens for the purchase for additional fesh fruit and veggies. In Richland County: FoodShare Columbia, Dianne’s Call, City Roots and Martin Farm; in Lexington County: Beasons Farm Market; in Kershaw County: Kershaw County Farmers Market, United Way of Kershaw County. dss.sc.gov/assistance-programs
Take a trip, see a farm: The South Carolina Agritourism Association has created a Passport Program for farms in order to educate folks on what the agriculture industry means to the state. Participants can get a passport from any of the 44 farms on the tour and the more stamps collected in the passport, the more chances to win prizes, with one winner taking home $100 in Certified SC products. https://agriculture.sc.gov/divisions/agency-services/agritourism
Learn to become a farmer. Incubator Farm plots available at Sandhill Research and Education Center on Clemson Road in Columbia. Participants in the Agriculture Incubator Program will have access to up to a 1/2 acre of irrigated land, a packing shed, equipment use, access to technical assistance, access to markets and training opportunities. Fee of $350 per year for up to three years, plus required safety and operation training. Contact Harry Crissy, hcrissy@clemson.edu (use “Columbia Incubator” in subject line) or call (843) 730-5211.
Get the App: South Carolina Farmers and Roadside Market App shows more than 200 farmers markets and roadside produce stands. Click on location to see address, hours of operation, and methods of payment. New recipes each month will feature in-season produce. www.scdhec.gov/farmersmarkets
Pressure Canning Testing by Clemson Extension done by appointment at Sandhills Research and Education Center on Clemson Road. Have your pressure canner dial gauges checked for accuracy before use by an extension agent. $6, cash or check. Call (803) 865-1216 ext. 114 for more information.
Reduced Price Compost Bins: Contact Richland County Ombudsman’s office, (803) 909-6000 to order bins for $33.
Tours
Two Gals and a Fork Food Tours and Historic Columbia present historic food tours of the Vista: Choose 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. or 4-6:30 p.m. tour on June 10. Guests will visit five restaurants, sample some specialties and learn the history of Columbia. Tickets $38-$43, depending on the number in your party, custom tours for 10 or more guests. More information available at www.twogalsfoodtours.com or call (803) 360-0578 or (803) 260-7992.
Cooking classes
Columbia’s Cooking: Classes held at USC’s Cancer Prevention & Control Program, Discovery 1 Building, Suite 200, 915 Greene St. Register online at columbiascooking.org/classes/ or ColaCook@mailbox.sc.edu or (803) 576-5636.
Providence Cooks: 6-8 p.m. June 6, Providence Health, 2435 Forest Dr. Monthly healthy cooking class taught by registered dietitian Kay MacInnis and her team of chefs from Providence Health. June’s theme is farm to table, using local foods in your meals. Tickets $25/person (Providence Health employees receive 50 percent discount), call 1-800-424-DOCS or online at http://bit.ly/ProvCooks2017. Other classes: Aug. 1, Carolina Grown & Made; Sept. 5, Food for the Soul; Oct. 2, Fall into the Mediterranean; Nov. 7, Healthy Entertaining. More information at http://yourprovidencehealth.com/classes-events/providence-cooks-farm-to-table
Fleur de Lys Home Culinary Institute: Chef Francois Fisera leads classes, $39/person, wine extra. Classes begin at 6:15 p.m. Friday, May 26, duck a la Orange; May 30, Tuscan-style veal scallopini; June 2, Malbec wine tasting with lamb stew; June 6 & 9, tuna nicoise; June 13, 16, sea bass; June 20, hands-on steak tartare with sweet potato fries. Fleur de Lys is at 3001 Millwood Ave. (803) 765-9999 or fleurdelyscolumbiasc.com.
Let’s Cook Culinary Studio: Prices per person unless noted. Friday, May 26, small plates (6:30 p.m., $40); June 2, tapas (6:30 p.m., $40); June 3, Saturday morning market (11 a.m., $50/2-for-1); June 8, hands-on pasta (6:15 p.m., $45); June 9, couples, Spanish dishes (6:30 p.m., $95/couple). Detailed listings at lets-cook.wixsite.com/letscookculinary. Let’s Cook is at 1305 Assembly St., (803) 348-5874 or lets-cook@earthlink.net
Last Wednesdays with John Chiles: Former owner of Restaurant 123 in Irmo, GM for Club Corp International and part owner/operator of Blue Marlin, John Chiles will instruct cooking classes 7-9 p.m. the last Wednesday of the month at Grace United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall Kitchen, 410 Harbison Blvd. Call church office Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. or Friday 9 a.m.-noon for info or to register (803) 732-1899 or office@gracecolumbia.org.
Market News
Farmers in the Forest: Forest Acres Farmers Market at Richland Mall in the parking lot along Beltline Boulevard. Wednesdays 3-7 p.m. through October. Vendor applications can be found at farmersintheforest.org; follow on Facebook.
Blythewood Farmers Market: 4-7 p.m. Wednesdays, Doko Meadows, 171 Langford Road, Blythewood. Michaela Barno, (843) 697-1733. www.facebook.com/BlythewoodFarmersMarket or www.localharvest.org/blythewood-farmers-market
City Roots Farm: 4-7 p.m. Thursdays, 1005 Airport Blvd., www.cityroots.org
Northeast Farmers Market: 3-7 p.m. Thursdays through mid-October, Lake Carolina Town Center, 100 Lake Carolina Blvd, Northeast Richland. www.lakecarolina.com or www.facebook.com/lakecarolinafarmersmarket
OPENING JUNE 17, 2017: Irmo Farmers Market: 9 a.m.- noon, first and third Saturdays through September, Irmo high School, 6671 St. Andrews Rd., Irmo. (803) 269-9826. www.irmofarmersmarket.com
Kershaw County Farmers Market: 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays at 222 Broad St., Camden. www.kcfarmersmarket.org.
Chapin Downtown Farmer’s Market: 8:30 a.m.-11 a.m. every first Saturday through October, in the 100 block of Clark Street. www.chapinsc.com or www.facebook.com/ChapinDowntownFarmersMarket
Lexington Farmers Market: 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays through Sept. 30 (except July 1), Lexington Square Park, 205 E. Main St. Contact Walker Brewer (803) 358-7275 or www.lexsc.com
Soda City Market: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday at the 1500 block of Main Street. www.sodacitysc.com
Sandhills Farmers Market: 2-7 p.m. Tuesdays through Thanksgiving at Sandhill Research Center, 900 Clemson Road, across from Village at Sandhill, Northeast Richland. www.clemson.edu/public/sandhill/programs/farmers_market.html
Healthy Carolina’s Farmers Market: 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesdays on Greene Street in front of Preston. www.sa.sc.edu/healthycarolina/farmersmarket. USC On-Campus delivery via Pinckney’s Produce and AFRESH! can be scheduled in 4-, 6- and 12-week sessions.
Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program: FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED: Low-income senior citizens (60 and older) will be given vouchers worth $25 (five $5 checks) that can be spent at authorized farmers markets, roadside stands and community-supported agriculture programs (CSAs) in South Carolina. This program seeks to supplement the diet of low-income seniors with fresh, nutritious produce while supporting local farmers. Vouchers will be issued 9 a.m.-noon June 3 at St. John Baptist Church, 3404 W Beltline; June 5 at Grace United Methodist Church, 410 Harbison Blvd.; June 6 at Mt. Nebo Baptist Church, 8801 Bluff Rd; and June 8 at Delta Life Development Center, 5307 Fairfield Rd. Seniors must complete application, provide proof of identity and residence in Richland County, and declare household income. Vouchers good through Oct. 15 at authorized farmers markets and stands. dss.sc.gov/assistance-programs
Have an upcoming food event? Email details to sardis@thestate.com. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. For more listings, go to www.thestate.com