Farm Fresh

Planning on dining out this week? Well, we've got good news for locavores, foodies and the plain-old hungry alike. Kicking off today and running through Aug. 19, Crave Magazine hosts its first Farm to Plate Week featuring special price-fixed menus at roughly 40 local restaurants-each which is working with local farms to source produce and meat. How does that impact you? At least 70 percent of the ingredients in each tasty lineup will be locally-grown. That means you won't just be supporting a number of local eateries and farms when you dine, but you'll also be sampling the best flavors our region has to offer: fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes, sugar snap peas. While a lot of local restaurants are dedicated to the locavore movement, says Crave Editor Shelley Mann, not all chefs and owners have had a chance to source locally before. "We're helping match those restaurants with local farms, and they're very excited to be buying local spices, beef, chicken and fruits and veggies," she says. The week will cap off with local chef cooking demos at 10TV's Health & Fitness Expo on Sunday, Aug. 19. And keep an eye out for education events throughout the week hosted by Local Matters and Crave. For more, including the full lineup of restaurants, visit CraveFarmToPlate.com. –Beth Stallings