9/22 Evanston Harvest Celebration Benefits Farmers' Markets

From the City of Evanston newsletter:

"Once again the Evanston Harvest Celebration celebrates the quality and bounty brought to local Farmers Markets at the annual Celebration on Thursday, September 22nd, 2011. Top local chefs partner with prominent Midwest sustainable growers to deliver the culinary event of the North Shore Fall season. Proceeds of the evening will benefit Friends of Evanston Farmers Markets, a newly formed non-profit dedicated to increasing the visibility, popularity, and prosperity of Evanston’s farmers markets.
The theme for this year’s celebration is Mavens of the Market, honoring the small group of Evanston women who, in 1975, decided Evanston needed a Farmer’s Market, and then made it happen. Also to be honored are the three farmers who have been at the market since the first two years. The effort of these women and producers resulted in Evanston’s having one of the oldest continuously operated farmers markets in Illinois -- a market so successful it was chosen by Chicago Magazine in 2010 as the Best Suburban Farmer’s Market.
For the Harvest Celebration, local chefs will prepare and present signature dishes for the event from products provided by Midwest sustainable farmers who are vendors at Evanston’s markets. As in previous years, the intimacy of the Evanston celebration will give guests ample opportunity to spend quality time with participating chefs and producers – while savoring their delicious creations!
“We are thrilled to help facilitate the growing trend of connecting farm to table,” says Now We’re Cookin’ Culinary Director Mary McMahon. “It is exciting to see the now-annual Harvest Celebration reinforce the great relationships between local farmers, local chefs and Evanston Farmers Market patrons.”

When: Thursday, September 22, 2011
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.    (tasting dishes presented throughout)
Tickets: $75 (a portion of the proceeds will benefit Friends of Evanston Farmers Markets). Ticket includes multi-course tasting meal and 2 glasses of wine
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: log on to http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/187485
Location: Now We’re Cookin’, 1601 Payne Street, Evanston, IL 60201, 847-570-4140
Free street and lot parking is available

About Friends of the Evanston Farmers Markets: http://www.evanstonfarmersmarkets.org
Friends of the Evanston Farmers Markets is an independent, non-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to enhancing the popularity and visibility of Evanston markets. By focusing on education, communication and collaboration, the organization’s efforts are intended to enhance the growth of all five Evanston summer markets and educate the community about the benefits of supporting these valuable local resources.