Eats

Celebrate (and eat!) local food this weekend

by Elizabeth Rose

Learn to harvest your food at Vermilionville, then watch the pros serve it for Fresh and Local 2. This Saturday, Vermilionville and Acadiana Food Circle are singing the praises of locally grown food at two separate but local events.

Vermilionville artistan Greg Guidroz is on hand to teach attendees the process of planting, caring for and gathering crops to feed yourself and your family in the first of four quarterly sessions on growing your own food in the Seed to Skillet series. This first session, this Saturday, will focus on leafy greens like cabbage, radish tops, turnip tops, mustard greens, carrot tops, shallots, lettuce and beet tops - along with blackberries. Guidroz will also demonstrate how he likes to prepare green gumbo, pickled beets and carrot cake with these ingredients for the "skillet" portion.

For the "seed" part, Guidroz will teach attendees how to prepare seeds and demonstrate how to do a crop rotation chart, as well as provide planting tips and how to control weeds. Those seeds include okra, tomatoes, pole beans, bush beans, corn, winter squash and sweet potatoes. This first session is $15 for adults, $10 for students and children 6 years old and younger are free. Bayou Vermilion District asks that you RSVP by calling 233-4077 or email [email protected]. For more information, visit the Bayou Vermilion District website.

That night, work your way over to the Blue Moon Saloon for Acadiana Food Circle's now-annual benefit, Fresh and Local 2. There will be a porch jam, led by Tommy Michot, beginning at 7 p.m. Listen to the tunes while you enjoy free food from local restaurants and food circle members Carpe Diem!, Great Harvest Bread Company, Jolie's Louisiana Bistro and Saint Street Inn.

If you prefer your food raw, you can always pick up some produce at the event's farmer's market on the front lawn, featuring Green Boot Creations, Primo's Peppers, Bayou Farm, The Urban Naturalist, Mark and Mary's City Farm and Opelousas Happy Acres Farm!

Entry is $10 per person, but it also provides a night of music, which, in turn, provides free calorie-burning, if you get yourself on the dance floor. AT 9 p.m., Holy Ghost People takes the stage, followed by Makers Reel, then The Pits at 11 p.m. and Sassafras Jubilee at midnight. After that, it's dance party with tunes provided by DJ Andre Broussard.

For more information on the event, visit the AFC Facebook page.