March 26, 2019

Enjoy Southern Illinois fare at SIU’s spring Farm to Fork dinner April 17

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. — You might be surprised to discover how many of the things you eat and drink are actually grown or produced in the Southern Illinois region.

The spring Farm to Fork dinner at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will spotlight a few of those tasty local treats in a meal prepared by an expert chef and associates. The event is set for 5:30 p.m. on April 17 at Trueblood Hall Commons, 1175 S. Washington St. on the SIU campus.

The dinner is open to the public and tickets are on sale now.

Enjoy a four-course, chef-prepared meal

Chef Sean Eberly and staff members from University Housing Culinary and Nutrition Services will be preparing the meal, with a vegetarian option available as well.

The menu includes:

  • French spring soup.
  • Kale and red quinoa salad with sesame dressing.
  • Chicken Marsala or the vegetarian option, which is vegetable zoodle pasta.
  • Steakhouse au gratin potatoes.
  • Sweet and sour green beans.
  • French baguettes with butter.
  • Potted chocolate mint pudding.

Seating is limited so register now

Seating is limited with reservations available on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration opened this week and the deadline to sign up is April 5.

Tickets are $5 for SIU students or $35 for faculty, staff and community members.

In addition, participants who are age 21 or older may also choose to add local wine and beer pairings to their evening for $15. Organizers encourage people who are interested in the wine and beer pairings to register when they sign up to attend the dinner because sales may not be available at the door the evening of the event.

Find additional information or register for the spring 2019 Farm to Fork dinner online. Or, call 618/453-2301 for more information. Those who want the vegetarian option should indicate that preference when they sign up.

Numerous campus and community partners collaborating to present this opportunity         

University Housing partners with numerous other campus units, including the Sustainability Office, the Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition and the Fermentation Science Institute, to facilitate the event. In addition, numerous local farms and producers, including Flamm Orchards, Miler Farms, Flyway Farms, Sweitzer Farms, Five Hen Farms and SIU Farms, along with local beer and wine makers, will be participating.

Student volunteers welcome

Current SIU students assist with the dinner to ensure participants have an enjoyable evening. Student volunteers interested in helping should email their names and contact information to sustainability@siu.edu, putting “Farm to Fork Volunteer” in the subject line.