"Earth Dinner" news and stories

We're all for putting things into the ground on Earth Day (April 22), but we also really love eating what comes out of it. For the third consecutive year, non-profit Chefs Collaborative is hosting fundraising Earth Dinners on dates surrounding Earth Day, where chefs from 65 restaurants (and counting) across the country will serve up the best that our early spring harvest has to offer -- think ramps, fiddleheads, and all your regional in-season produce.

Proceeds will benefit the national chefs' network Chefs Collaborative, which works to build education around sustainable practices through events like this. What's more, dairy conglomerate Organic Valley is sponsoring the events and will be matching donations up to $10,000.

"Chefs in cities and towns across the country have really stepped up to the plate to hold delicious dinners in celebration of Earth Day -- and in particular, to put a spotlight on sustainable and organic choices," said Melissa Kogut, executive director of Chefs Collaborative, in a statement.

Organic Valley, a Wisconsin-based cooperative of farmers has teamed up with Chef's Collaborative to provide an epicurean way to celebrate Earth Day.

The idea behind the Earth Dinner is to create a themed dinner party where you and your guests connect with the food by discussing its geographic origin as well as how it was grown or produced. There's even a set of cards available to help spur conversation with such themes as "First bite: Describe the very first time you tasted something you picked off a tree,vine, stem or pulled out of the ground."

The coolest thing about the Earth Dinner though is that they've gathered five chefs from around the U.S. to create menus featuring everything from sorrel salad with creamy dressing to shrimp and grits with asparagus. This year's lineup is:

• California: Chef John Ash, John Ash & Company, Santa Rosa
• Pacific Northwest: Chef Greg Atkinson, Organic to Go, Seattle
• Midwest: Chef Bruce Sherman, North Pond Restaurant, Chicago
• Northeast: Chef Gordon Hamersley, Hamersley's Bistro, Boston
• Southeast: Chef Robert Stehling, Hominy Grill, Charleston

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