Local You Can Taste
Friday, July 15^th from 6-8pm, Wilson Farm in Lexington is hosting “Dinner in the Field,” a super-local five-course dinner prepared by the Farm’s Head Chef, Todd Heberlein. The meal will highlight Wilson’s freshest produce with an innovative, still unveiled, menu. The evening also includes a farm tour and a conversation about sustainable growing. $100/person. RSVP by calling 781.862.3900

Becoming a Farmers Market Cook
If you’re finding yourself long on fresh produce but short on ideas about what to do with it all, visit Church of Boston’s John Gilman on Monday, July 18th from 6-9pm at the Copley Square Farmers Market. As part of the Boston Center for Adult Education’s Celebrity Chef Series, Gilman will teach guests how to transform seasonal ingredients into a three-course meal. The class costs $65 (plus a $15 materials fee).  For more info, visit the website or call 617.267.4430 to make a reservation.

Eat and Rebuild
On July 19^th at 7PM at OM in Cambridge, Chef Patricia Yeo hosts a five-course dinner to benefit the victims of last spring’s tornado in Western, MA. Westport Rivers is donating the wine and Allendale Farm is supplying seasonal produce in what promises to be a great meal for a great cause. The event costs $50, with a portion of the proceeds donated to tornado relief. RSVP by calling 617.576.2800

You Say Tomato and I say…
The 27^th Annual Massachusetts Tomato contest is coming up on Monday, August 22nd at City Hall Plaza in Boston. The event is organized by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, New England Vegetable and Berry Growers Association and Mass Farmers’ Markets. Farmers from across the state compete in four categories: slicing, cherry, heirloom and heaviest. To participate as a judge contact David Webber at 617-626-1754 or David.Webber@state.ma.us by August 5th.

More Food Truck Fun
Last month, the City Council announced that food trucks would be given access to over 20 new sites across the city. The decision has inspired a small truck renaissance with more restaurants on wheels in the Boston area than ever before. One notable newcomer is Pennypacker’s, a new truck from Chef Ryan McGuire formerly of Max Ultimate Foods and UpStairs on the Square. The truck is now serving lunch from 11am-3pm on the corner of Dry Dock and Tide in South Boston.

Newlywed Cooks: Kitchen Madness or Marital Bliss?
Is cooking together good for your marriage? This week’s Boston Globe explores the question, and Massachusetts newlyweds weigh in, sharing stories of butting heads and growing together in the kitchen.

NATIONAL TREATS

A Scoop of Sicily, Stateside
A recent Wall Street Journal article centers on the search for the perfect scoop of Sicilian gelato: creamy, cold and smooth. But if Italy is but a dream this summer, food writer Joe Ray highlights a few American spots to indulge in. He offers high praise for the authentic flavors of Il Laboratorio del Gelato in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Capogiro Gelato in Philadelphia, and Bellezza Gelato Caffe in Chicago.

In Defense of Breastfeeding…
The folks from the Milk Truck in Pittsburgh are organizing an interesting, if potentially provocative, response to the issue of public breastfeeding. The Milk Truck operates like a breastfeeding ambulance, coming to the rescue of mothers who have been asked to button up and breastfeed elsewhere. Follow the link to learn more about the initiative and its hard-to-miss design. That’s no cupcake atop the truck.

Spells and Sweets: Harry Potter Eats
This week marks the release of the final installment of the Harry Potter film series. But fans of the young wizard might be surprised to learn that the film contains some underlying lessons about food. From birthday cakes to jellybeans to lunch on the Hogwarts Express, Harry Potter seems interwoven with stories of eating. In this witty and insightful article, The Boston Globe reports about the treats and dining truths at the heart of JK Rowling’s tale.