COOK’S CALENDAR: Beer + chocolate, BrewFest, Harvest Week & more

Sign up for a CSA! Community Supported Agriculture shares are available for purchase from area farms. Each farm site will have different prices/sizes/drop-off sites, so check them out to see which is best for you. Typically, a share will consist of a box of vegetables and/or fruit grown on site, but other forms of farm products (meats and cheeses) might be available. Here are some local CSAs: City Roots, cityroots.org/csa/; Pinckney’s Produce (also delivers to USC-Columbia campus), www.pinckneysproduce.com/csa/; Brown Box Veggies (gathers from area farms), www.brownboxveggies.com; and Gruber Family CSA Farm, gruber-csa-farm.com.

Garden & Gun seeking entries for Made in the South Awards. Any Southern artisan or business is welcome to enter a product in one of six categories: food (Alton Brown to judge), style (Lela Rose), home (Darryl Carter), crafts (Nathalie Chanin), drink (Alba Huerta), and outdoors (T. Edward Nickens). Product must be available for sale through Jan. 2017. For entry forms, information and rules, visit madeinthesouthawards.com. Entry fee $75, deadline is July 15.

Have a culinary adventure... or two. Carol Papalestos is organizing culinary tours to Ikaria, Greece, in July with 7-night, all-inclusive island packages starting at $970/person, double occupancy (international air fare and optional excursions are extra). Information at ambrosiasc.com or email carol@ambrosiasc.com. Or head to the Piedmont region of Italy with Carlo Zarri for a 7-night stay at Hotel San Carlo. Experience the food and wine of the region, take cooking classes, and excursions to Milan, Torino, Barbaresco and Barolo and the coastal town of Alessio, $2,400/person for land package (airfare extra). Information at Let’s Cook Culinary Studio, letscookculinary.com, (803) 348-5874.

Attention Farmers! The Midlands Food Alliance wants you to get listed in the upcoming 2016 Midlands Farm & Food Guide for FREE. According to a press release, “The guide will include food-producing farmers, roadside stands, restaurants serving products grown or raised in South Carolina, farmers markets, community supported agriculture programs, local grocers, and distributors. (Counties included in the guide are Lexington, Richland, Orangeburg, Sumter, Fairfield, Calhoun, Kershaw, Newberry, Aiken, and Saluda.) If this applies to YOU or your business, get in the guide by clicking here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YHM5LKY.”

Ag + Art Tour every weekend in June. Choose where you want to go and what you want to see on this free, self-guided tour. Visit farms, buy fresh produce and get up close with farmers and farm animals. Schedule (9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and 1-5 p.m. Sundays): June 4 & 5: Chesterfield, Darlington and Horry counties; June 11 & 12: Lancaster and York; June 18 & 19: Fairfield and Kershaw; June 25 & 26: Chester and Union. Map and details at www.agandarttour.com.

Hope Floats Sidewalk Sale for Juvenile Diabetes Research, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday through Sunday, June 3-5, at Fresh Market. Enjoy hot dogs, root beer floats and ice cream sundaes (regular and sugar-free), each for a $2 donation to JDRF. Fresh Market is at Trenholm Plaza, 4840 Forest Dr., (803) 782-9100, www.thefreshmarket.com.

Beer and chocolate? yeah, it’s a thing. 6-8 p.m. Saturday, June 4, Evolution through Chocolate and Swamp Cabbage Brewing Company bring the fun with the following pairings: Dunkelwizen with carrot truffle, amber with caramel sea salt truffle, ESB with grapefruit truffle and stout with bacon truffle. Tickets $16/person, call (803) 252-0250 for reservations. Swamp Cabbage Brewing is at 921 Brookwood Drive, swampcabbagebrewing.com

Carowinds BrewFest, noon-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 4 & 5, will feature 15 craft breweries from North and South Carolina. Food will be available for purchase and there will be live music and beer games on the Harmony Hall midway. Four-ounce beer samples available through token purchases. Information at www.carowinds.com/special-events/brewfest.

Farm to Table Event Co.: Caribbean Dinner with Mystic Vibrations, 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 6, at Music Farm. Mimi Holmes, of Mimi’s African Cuisine teams up with Rosso Executive Chef Travis Rayle and Bourbon Executive Chef Frank Bradley to prepare a four course family-style dinner with wine pairings and complimentary cocktail. $85/person. Menu and tickets at eventbrite.com or through www.farmtotableeventco.com. Music Farm is at 1022 Senate Street.

Harvest Week at Motor Supply begins Tuesday, June 7 and runs through Sunday, June 12. Check out a week of limited-edition dishes by executive chef Wes Fulmer and cocktails by head barman Josh Streetman. A special Meet the Farmer happy hour, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, will feature a cash bar and complimentary wine tasting from Grassroots Wine. 920 Gervais St., (803) 256-6687.

Fresh Market Tasting & Demo, Tuesday, June 7. Watch the preparation throughout the day and sample blackend Alaska cod with ginger plum salsa. Or, check out the video at www.thefreshmarket.com 4840 Forest Dr., (803) 782-9100

UGK: Hook, Line & Sinker pop-up dinner June 8. The Underground Kitchen’s second event in Columbia will feature an award-winning South Carolina chef known for his international approach to seafood. Information/tickets at theundergroundkitchen.org

The Kraken Gastropub Beer Dinner, 5-10 p.m. June 9. The very first beer dinner at this popular Rosewood establishment will feature a five-course tasting menu paired with selected craft beers from South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. Tickets are $45 per person at eventbrite.com. 2910 Rosewood Drive, (803) 955-7408.

Columbia’s Shrimp & Grits Fest, 6-11 p.m. June 18 at Columbia Marriott, 1200 Hampton St. Area restaurants will compete to see who’s shrimp & grits is the best in town. Celebrity judge Marcus Lattimore will be present and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Marcus Lattimore Foundation. Tickets, $45/person, include shrimp & grits samples, music, dancing, photo booth and door prizes. columbiashrimpandgrits.com.

Upstate Farm Tour, 1-6 p.m. June 18-19, hosted by Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. Take a self-guided tour of 22 sustainable farms across the Upstate from Clinton to Clemson, Westminster to Woodruff. Meal stops at Forx Farm, Happy Critters Ranch, Possum Kingdom Kreamery and Greenbrier Farms. Tour tickets good for both days, $30/vehicle in advance, $35/vehicle on tour weekend; cycling groups count as one vehicle. Tickets, interactive map and suggested tour routes available at www.carolinafarmstewards.org/uft/. Don’t forget to bring a cooler to transport farm fresh products. No pets. Rain or shine.

Oak Ridge Winery Dinner at Rosso, 6:30 p.m. June 28, hosted by Oak Ridge Wine Specialist John Lampe and Southern Wine & Spirits. Enjoy a four-course dinner with wine pairings and complimentary cocktail, $58/person. Menu includes: Reception: wood-grilled pizza with grilled peaches, prosciutto, goat cheese & City Roots microgreens paired with Mionetto ‘IL’ Prosecco, DOC; First: yellowfin tuna crudo with panzanella salad of wood-grilled sweet corn, patty pan squash, blistered heirloom tomato, grilled Vidalia onion and preserved Meyer lemon vinaigrette with ‘Old Soul’ Chardonnay, Lodi 2014; Second: slow-braised wood-grilled lamb shank with rosemary-balsamic-blackberry jam, quattro formaggi risotto and zucchini with Maggio Petite Syrah, Lodi 2014; Dessert: housemade boiled peanut butter gelato and muscadine jelly gelato with Braulio Amaro Alpino. Reservations: (803) 787-3949, www.rossocolumbia.com.

Wine and Chocolate at Gervais & Vine, 6 p.m July 15. Local chocolatier Joseph Vernon pairs his delicious Evolution through Chocolate concoctions with a variety of wines. Call for reservations (803) 799-8463. 620-A Gervais St., www.gervine.com.

Tasty Tomato Festival, 4-9 p.m. July 16 at City Roots. Join in on the fun, including tomato bobbing, an heirloom tomato taste test, homegrown tomato contest and photo contest (deadline for entering photo contest is July 11). Enjoy the bloody marys and signature cocktails and all types of foods highlighting the tomato! Admission $12/advance, $15/gate. tastytomatofestival.com.

2016 Palmetto Palate, 6-9 p.m. July 21 at 701 Whaley. An evening of fun and food and friendly competition between area chefs using South Carolina produce. Tickets $50/person with proceeds to benefit Plant It Forward SC, an initiative by South Carolina Advocates for Agriculture with support from SC Department of Agriculture, Clemson University, SC Farm Bureau and Palmetto AgriBusiness Council to help provide farmers devastated by the October 2015 floods with the tools they need to rebuild and replant. Silent auction items provided by local county Farm Bureaus in South Carolina. www.eventbrite.com

Brew at the Zoo, Aug. 5, Riverbanks Zoo. Make plans now to join us for the coolest suds sippin’ safari in Columbia. Brew at the Zoo provides the perfect remedy to those muggy Midlands’ days—samples of cold, frothy beer. From domestics to imports to specialty micros, guests can choose their brew and meander through the Zoo or hang out in the plaza and listen to live music. No one under 21 will be admitted. Proceeds support ongoing conservation and education efforts at Riverbanks. Visit www.riverbanks.org for more information.

Euphoria 2016, Sept. 22-25 in various locations around Greenville. Guest chefs include Vivian Howard (Chef & Farmer, Kinston, NC), Rodney Scott (Scott’s BBQ), Myron Mixson (Jack’s Old South Bar-B-Que, Braselton, GA), Kenny Gilbert (Top Chef, Gilbert’s Underground Kitchen, Fenandina Beach, FL), Chris Hastings (Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, AL) and Craig Rogers (Border Springs Farm, VA). Tickets on sale now at www.euphoriagreenville.com.

2016 Great American Whiskey Fair, Sept. 29 at 701 Whaley, is the largest whiskey tasting in the United States. Early bird admission is $50/person and $100/person VIP, tickets available at eventbrite.com. More information at ExperienceWhiskey.com or email info@experiencewhiskey.com

Have Lunch at Old McCaskill’s Farm begins at noon every Friday. Served buffet style, first come, first served, $10 per person. Check out the farm store while you’re there for farm-raised meats, cheeses and more. 377 Cantey Lane, Rembert, (803) 432-9537, www.oldmccaskillfarm.com.

Wednesday Wine Tasting at Gervais & Vine: 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, sample a few while enjoying live music; or check out the Happy Hour Wine Flights, 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, three 2-ounce glasses for $8. 620 Gervais St. (803) 799-8463, www.gervine.com

Wine Wednesdays at Craft And Draft will feature select wines at $5 per glass and three to four wines that will be available for sampling and buying. Craft and Draft is at 2706 Devine St. (803) 764-2575, www.craftanddraftbeer.com.

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.

Two Gals and a Fork Food Tours and Historic Columbia present historic food tours of the Vista. Tours are 2 1/2 hours and guest will visit five restaurants, sample some specialties and learn the history of Columbia. Tickets $30-38, 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.

Columbia Food Tours takes you on walking tours of downtown Columbia and Five Points to experience the culture and cuisine of the capital city. Sign up for a tour, and visit six to eight of Columbia restaurants and sample items. Tours last 2 1/2 hours, rain or shine. Details and ticket reservations, $42 per person, at www.columbiafoodtours.com

Columbia Brew Bus offers tours of Columbia’s beer/wine and distilling scene. Choose the Brewery Tour: includes pick-up/drop-off at Liberty Tap Room, stops at Conquest Brewing, River Rat Brewery and Swamp Cabbage Brewing. At each stop, you get at least 16 ounces of beer samples, brewery tour, Q&A with brewery staff and opportunity to buy brewery merchandise. Choose the Wine and Spirits Tour: pick-up/drop-off at Bourbon Columbia, stops at Copper Horse Distilling, Crouch Distilling and Vino Garage. Distilleries will offer tour and tasting session. Vino Garage will have a custom tasting hosted by owner Doug Aylard. Along the way, enjoy sightseeing, light snacks, trivia and prizes, coolers to keep purchases cold and an all-S.C. music playlist curated by Scene SC. Tickets $45/person, $20 designated driver. www.columbiabrewbus.com.

Copper Horse Distilling behind-the-scene tours on Fridays and Saturdays. Space is limited and reservations required, call (803) 779-2993 to book a spot. Large groups can be accommodated for private tours. All tours include a tasting of Copper Horse Distilling products (Old Mill Vodka, Copper Cream, Copper Horse Rum and Bulle Rock Gin). 929 Huger Street, www.copperhorsedistilling.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.

Crepes & Croissants at La Bastide des Lavandes 11 a.m. June 12 (savory) or June 24 (sweet). Learn the secret of great crepes from Chef Laurent Prescelti at the York lavender farm. Limited seating, classes $60/person, register at www.sclavender.com/making-crêpes.php

Chef Francois Fisera: Join cooking classes at Fleur de Lys Home Culinary Institute. Classes $39 per person, wine extra. Schedule includes: Wednesday & Friday, June 1 & 3, calamari; June 6 & 10, swordfish with confetti of vegetables; June 14 & 17, Maine lobster bouillabaisse. 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, June 3, tapas ($40); June 24, couples French ($90); June 25, couples sushi ($90); June 28, Wild Women ($50/2-for-1); June 30, hands-on Italian ($45). Detailed listings at letscookculinary.com. Let’s Cook is at 1305 Assembly St., (803) 348-5874

Farmers in the Forest: Forest Acres Farmers Market at Richland Mall in the parking lot along Beltline Boulevard. Wednesdays 3-7 p.m. through Nov. 23. 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.

Northeast Farmers Market: 3-7 p.m. Thursdays through Oct. 25, Lake Carolina Town Center, Northeast Richland. www.lakecarolina.com

Rosewood Market Farmers Market: 4-7 p.m. every Friday, 2803 Rosewood Dr. (803) 256-6410 www.rosewoodmarket.com

Irmo Farmers Market: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., first and third Saturdays through September, Irmo Community Park, 7507 Eastview Dr., Irmo. www.irmofarmersmarket.com

Kershaw County Farmers Market: 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays through Nov. 19 at 222 Broad St., Camden. www.kcfarmersmarket.org

(Lexington) Village Market: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays through September, Lexington Square Park, 205 E. Main St.

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 Nov. 22, 2016 at Sandhill Research Center, 900 Clemson Road, across from Village at Sandhill, Northeast Richland.

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.

This story was originally published June 1, 2016 at 3:05 PM with the headline "COOK’S CALENDAR: Beer + chocolate, BrewFest, Harvest Week & more."