Locavore odds and ends

Wow, what a quick week – just flew by. Like most Fridays, I’ve got a few odds and ends for you.

• If you haven’t signed up for the Tweet, Greet, Meet and Eat – the tweetup at the Tortilla Press this Monday, August 3. I think there’s still time to do that. Go to the Tortilla Press blog and comment that you are coming.
• 

  Peppers from Tutti Tusconi's restaurant garden

  I got an e-mail from the folks at the local Lamberti Restaurants. If you remember, I ate at Tutti Tosconi a few months back and raved about the food we ate, the food growing in the gardens surrounding the restaurant, and the fact that they source local from small farmers.They wanted me to let you know that two of their other local restaurants Caffe Aldo Lamberti (on Rte 70 in Cherry Hill) and Luna Rosa (on Rte 43 in Turnersville) are also growing many of vegetables and herbs that are picked fresh daily for their dishes. Love it!

• There are two peach festivals going on this Saturday. One at Dutch Neck Village in Hopewell Township and the other at the Mt. Laurel Friends Meeting House in Mt. Laurel. Click on the links for details. And don’t forget Just Peachy week starts in several of our area restaurants next week.
  
• The South Jersey Tourism Corporation has a new blog – Visit South Jersey. I’m sure that SouthJerzeyGirl, the social media face and voice of Visit South Jersey, will be writing about local food events from time to time. She’s been supportive of this blog, so let’s be supportive of her new blog. Pop on over there and become a fan.
• Springdale Farms in Cherry Hill is doing a “pies of the season” tasting from this Saturday from 10 AM to 4Pm; a tasting of the wines from Velanzano Winery in Shamong from 11 AM to 3 PM; and a Tortilla Press cooking demo using produce from the farm from noon – 3 PM. So, if you time it just right – say go at about 12:30 PM -  you can taste a little lunch, a little liquid refreshment, and a little dessert.
• 

  Sourdough panzanella

  I made an amazing sourdough panzanella with summer vegetables for my weekly seasonal recipe on Mother Nature Network. You’ll want to check it out – it was delicious. A great big shout out to A Food Coma blog where I got the recipe created by Jersey girl Alexandra Harchareck.