Attack of the Killer Tomato Fest!

JCT. Kitchen & Bar's first annual Attack of the Killer Tomato Fest will take place on Sunday, August 9th from 1 pm to 6 pm. The event will feature some of Atlanta's best chefs, farmers, and mixologists and will benefit Georgia Organics.

Each featured chef will be paired with a farmer to create a tomato tasting dish for guests to sample. Paticipating chefs include Ford Fry, owner and executive chef of JCT. Kitchen & Bar, Gerry Klaskala of Aria, Keira Moritz of Pacci Ristorante and AltoRex Rooftop Lounge, Kevin Maxey of Craft, Joe Truex of Repast, Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch Public House, Anne Quatrano of Abbattoir, Bacchanalia, Star Provisions, Flotaway Cafe and Quinones, Steven Satterfield of Miller Union, Jay Swift of 4th and Swift, Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill, David Larkworthy of 5 Seasons Brewing Company, Hugh Acheson of Five and Ten and The National, Scott Serpas of Serpas True Food, Hector Santiago of Pura Vida, Gerry Mennie of Livingston, Billy Allin of Cakes & Ale, and Shaun Doty of Shaun's.

Meanwhile, mixologists Lara Creasy of JCT. Kitchen & Bar, Daniel Morrison of Watershed, Miles Macquarrie of Leon's Full Service, Regan Smith of Holeman & Finch, and Cara Laudino of Miller Union will create signature coctails featuring Patron Resposado Tequila, Distillery 209 Gin from Georgia Crown, and Square One Vodka.

At the end of the event, an award will be presented to the best dish and beverage, chosen by a panel of high-profile judges.

In addition to cocktails, beer from 5 Seasons Brewing and free Bionade (an organic soda from Germany) will be available. The event will also feature live entertainment from The Spazmatics.

Tickets are $50 per person, $40 for Georgia Organics members, and a VIP pass for $90 will garner access to the event as well as its open bar. Approximately 500 tickets will be available for the event and can be purchased at www.GeorgiaOrganics.org.

JCT. Kitchen & Bar is located in Atlanta's Westside Urban Market at 1198 Howell Mill Road, Suite 18.

Georgia Organics' 12th Annual Conference

Georgia Organics, the state’s leading non-profit group working to integrate healthy, sustainable, and locally grown food into the lives of all Georgians, announces their 12th Annual Conference and Trade Show, one of the South’s largest sustainable agriculture educational experiences.

The event will feature key note speaker Michael Pollan, best-selling author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. Through his books, articles, and interviews, Pollan has called for a new approach for the country’s agriculture industry, one that would link health, local economies, and food production for the first time.

The two-day conference includes tours of sustainable farms, educational sessions, and the southeast's largest Trade Show dedicated to sustainable agriculture. The conference culminates Saturday night with the Farmers Feast, prepared by a team of Georgia chefs led by award-winning Anne Quatrano of Star Provisions and Bacchanalia, and Cathy Conway, Georgia Organics’ longtime chef-collaborator.

The event will take place at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, March 20-21, with a pre-conference field trip to Love is Love Farm.

For more information visit, www.georgiaorganics.org

Chew Local, Sept. 25

Georgia Organics (GO) and the Atlanta Local Food Initiative (ALFI) have chosen the thriving urban neighborhood of East Atlanta for their celebration of local food. CHEWS LOCAL! will be held on Thursday, Sept. 25 beginning at 4 p.m. in The Glenwood area of East Atlanta. The debut copies of the Georgia Organics’ 2009-2010 Local Food Guide will be available at the reception along with ALFI’s ambitious and informative Plan for Atlanta’s Sustainable Food Future.

Attendees can tour the weekly farmer’s market, talk with Park Pride about how to start a community garden and attend a reception and dinner featuring all locally grown foods. The reception is $15 (free for Georgia Organics members), and dinner is $65 ($50 for Georgia Organics members).

“East Atlanta provides a vibrant example of ‘farm-to-fork’ within a half mile radius,” said Alice Rolls, GO executive director and co-chair of ALFI. “They have a two-acre farming co-op that sells produce at the Village Farmers’ Market which is bought by local restaurateurs and residents. Two blocks away, they also have the first community garden to officially be established on city park land.”

The CHEWS LOCAL! Reception will be held at The Glenwood from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Guests will enjoy appetizers of locally grown food from the chefs at The Glenwood, Kasan Red, Graveyard Tavern, Slush and Dynamic Dish, plus microbrews and wine. $15 per person; free for Georgia Organics members. Reservations are required via www.georgiaorganics.org/events .

The CHEWS LOCAL! Dinner begins at 8:00 p.m. at The Glenwood and features a four-course menu prepared by chefs Ryan Stewart of The Glenwood, David Sweeney of Dynamic Dish and Cristy Nolton of Graveyard Tavern. $65 per person, $50 for Georgia Organics members. Price includes tax and gratuity, but not beverages. Reservations are required via www.georgiaorganics.org/events .

The East Atlanta Village Farmer’s Market operates from 4 – 8 p.m. and will give participants a chance to sample local foods and hear music. Area resident Robert Hamilton will demonstrate liqueur fermentation of favorite local fruits.

Interested attendees can talk with Park Pride to learn how to cultivate community gardens in City of Atlanta Parks and visit the Brownwood Park Community Garden.

“A plan for the metro Atlanta area that encompasses food production, increased availability of locally grown products, plus healthy food choices and preparation is a core element of the growing statewide movement,” said Terry Coleman, deputy commissioner of the Georgia Department of Agriculture. “The Georgia Department of Agriculture is excited to be playing a key role in this sweeping transformation of the way Georgians think, eat and live.”

For more information, email info@georgiaorganics.org or call (678) 702-0400.