Ohio Valley Greenmarket - Aug 3-4

Edible Ohio Valley magazine and The Greater Cincinnati Master Gardener Association are bringing together community leaders in sustainability at the second annual Ohio Valley Greenmarket, August 3-4. This celebration will showcase sustainable initiatives by local businesses, organizations, and individuals through fun activities, including a community dinner, guest speakers, and a FREE Greenmarket festival.

Saturday, August 3: Ohio Valley Greenmarket kicks off with a community dinner hosted by The Peterloon Foundation, featuring speaker Roger Swain, former host of The Victory Garden on PBS. Local Naturalist Carol Mundy will lead a discussion with Mr. Swain about his years hosting a hit PBS show and what he sees as an opportunity to teach the next generation of gardeners and local food enthusiasts. The community dinner will be held at the Peterloon Estate (8605 Hopewell Rd, Cincinnati, Oh 45242), tickets for the dinner are $60 per person (includes alcohol) and will raise funds for the Greater Cincinnati Master Gardener Association.

Sunday, August 4: Greenmarket Sunday at Ault Park (3600 Observatory, Cincinnati Oh, 45208). This FREE farmers market meets resource fair will be held from 11am - 5pm and will feature:
• A festival with over 70 local growers, producers, and organizations involved in sustainability
• Guest Speakers
• Ford all-electric, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid test drives
• Free giveaways for the first 1500 guests

1pm - Scott Beuerlein, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden 2pm - Roger Swain, former host of Victory Garden on PBS 3pm - Carol Hewitt, author of Financing Our Foodshed with Lyle Estill, author of Small Stories, Big Changes 4pm - Pam Simmons, co-owner of Turpin Farms

Tickets for the Community Dinner can be purchased at www.ohiovalleygreenmarket.com. A full list of vendors and speaker bios can be found at www.ohiovalleygreenmarket.com.

King’s Hawaiian Launches Ultimate Sandwich Challenge

Sandwiches are more popular than ever as celebrity and amateur chefs alike apply their creativity to this American favorite. And why not? A sandwich is the perfect meal—fast, easy, satisfying. To celebrate sandwich makers everywhere, King’s Hawaiian is launching the My Ultimate KING’S HAWAIIAN Sandwich Challenge. The goal: to find the most mouth-watering and delicious sandwiches from around the country, and broadly share those recipes online for everyone to enjoy.

So what makes a great sandwich? Fresh ingredients are critical, but for many sandwich lovers delicious bread means a delicious sandwich. King’s Hawaiian has been baking bread for more than 50 years, and is now adding the ultimate sandwich bread to its irresistibly delicious line of products.

New KING’S HAWAIIAN Original Hawaiian Sweet Sliced Bread is being introduced in select regions throughout the United States, and is available nationally through the company’s online store. KING’S HAWAIIAN Sliced Bread is soft, fluffy with just a touch of sweetness, and is a new way to share the authentic Island recipe everyone knows and loves. The new Sliced Bread comes in a double-wrapped package to ensure freshness, and will help make any sandwich taste extraordinary.

King’s Hawaiian is inviting everyone to share their own favorite sandwich recipe by entering the My Ultimate KING’S HAWAIIAN Sandwich Challenge. Ten winning entries will each be treated to a special night out on the town, including limousine service and dinner for six at a featured restaurant, in addition to a year’s supply of KING’S HAWAIIAN bread. Plus the winners will have their recipe shared online and in the media with sandwich lovers everywhere.

Entering the challenge is easy. Contestants simply upload their ultimate sandwich ingredients and recipe, along with a mouth-watering photo of their ultimate sandwich, at www.KingsHawaiian.com/ultimate by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on September 2, 2013. Each sandwich recipe must include the use of KING’S HAWAIIAN Original Hawaiian Sweet Sliced Bread, Round Bread or any other KING’S HAWAIIAN bread product. All approved entries will be posted on the King’s Hawaiian website and contestants are encouraged to share the My Ultimate KING’S HAWAIIAN Sandwich challenge with friends and family through their favorite social media channels. Winners will be announced on September 17, 2013.

For more information and complete rules visit www.KingsHawaiian.com/ultimate.

New products from JIF

Jif is whipping up excitment with the introduction of NEW Jif Whips Peanut Butter Spreads and Jif Almond & Cashew Butters to the brand’s family of products. I hope you’ll consider highlighting the below in any stories, round-ups or product reviews you are working on.

· Jif Whips Peanut Butter Spreads (SRP: $3.49 - $3.89): The smooth and fluffy spreads offer the great taste you’ve loved for years – now with a whipped texture that’s perfect for dipping, snacking and spreading. Available in two flavor varieties: Whipped Creamy Peanut Butter & Peanut Butter & Chocolate Flavored Spread.

· Jif Almond and Cashew Butters (SRP: $6.99): Available in Creamy and Crunchy, the NEW no-stir nut butters offer a creamy and spreadable texture, perfect for snacking, recipes, and is ideal to add a new twist on your old favorites.

For more information and recipes, please visit www.jif.com.

Buca di Beppo celebrates National Lasagna Day WithFREE #BucaLasagna

Family-style Italian restaurant, Buca di Beppo, is offering free lasagna in celebration of National Lasagna Day. From July 29 through August 4, guests who purchase any Buca pasta, baked pasta or entrée will receive a free individual-sized portion of lasagna at no additional cost. The Lasagna Day portions are available in special flavors including Classic Lasagna, Chicken Lasagna or Veggie Lasagna.

Made fresh daily, Buca di Beppo’s classic lasagna is famous for its nine towering layers of lasagna noodles stuffed with chunky homemade meat sauce and a combination of ricotta, mozzarella, provolone and parmesan cheeses.

The origins of lasagna date back to the 1st century B.C. where a food called “lagana” was a common meal consisting of fine sheets of fried dough. In the 2nd century Athenaeus of Naucratis, a Greek scholar, provided a recipe for lagana that was made with sheets of wheat-flour dough and the juice of crushed lettuce, then flavored with spices and deep-fried in oil. An early 5th century cookbook describes a dish called lagana that consisted of layers of dough with meat stuffing, a possible ancestor of modern-day Lasagna, though the first concrete information concerning pasta products in Italy dates from the thirteenth or fourteenth century. The word “lagána” survives today in modern-day Greece to denote an unleavened, flat bread eaten during the Great Lent.*

Terms of the program:
The Buca di Beppo free lasagna offer is valid for dine-in only customers Monday July 29 through Sunday, August 4, 2013. To receive a free individual-sized portion of the lasagna, guests must also purchase a Buca pasta, baked pasta or entrée. The free lasagna is not valid on Buca To Go orders, lunch items or pizza. For more information, please visit www.bucadibeppo.com.

2013 farm tour series continues this weekend in Franklin County

Join Steve and Gretel Adams for a tour of their seven acre urban flower farm only six miles from downtown Columbus, to learn about growing flowers sustainably and intensively. Steve and Gretel specialize in mixed bouquets, offering central Ohioans an alternative to flowers grown with pesticides and shipped across the globe. They produce blooms for seven grocery stores, four farmers' markets, florists, weddings, and special events.

"Flowers that are flown in from around the equator may be cheap, but they do not have the same chemical restrictions or workers rights. Buying local, sustainable flowers means that you are promoting a system that is safe not only for employees, but for you as a consumer," said Gretel. "Plus, our flowers are harvested fresh to order—picked just before they are put into our bouquets—which means they can bring a smile to your face for at least a week in the vase."

For more information about Sunny Meadows Flower Farm, call (614) 361-5102, email sunnymeadowsflowerfarm@gmail.com, or go to www.oursunnymeadows.com.

This tour is free and open to the public. No registration is necessary.

Fagor Creates 2 Piece Induction Set - Perfect for College Dorms

Fagor America Inc., the worldwide leader in built-in induction cooktops, is pleased to announce a new 2-Piece Induction Set that includes the impressive Countertop Induction Burner with a newly designed panel and a Fagor 9.5" Induction Ready Aluminum Skillet. The new 2-piece package is specifically designed to assist the beginner in familiarizing themselves to the world of induction cooking. The set is also a perfect addition to any college kitchen as there are no open flames or gas to cause dorm fires.

Considered one the most eco-friendly products for its efficiency and safety, induction cooks 50% faster than gas or electric cooktops and boils water in seconds. With induction cooking, there are no flames, smoke, or gas emissions making this an extremely safe and convenient portable cooking solution for a college dorm. In addition to the safety features, induction cooktops provide the most efficient way to cook. The unit uses 90% of the energy produced compared to 50% with other cooking methods. The energy is directly supplied to the cookware by a magnetic field, so only the diameter of the cookware gets hot.

What makes the Fagor 2-Piece Induction Set unique is that the user is provided with the Induction Ready Aluminum Skillet needed to cook on an induction surface, so they can begin cooking meals immediately. The unit has 10 power levels with temperatures ranging from 140ºF to 430ºF and the operating panel features a chart which relates the power settings to 5 cooking functions (Melt, Warm, Boil, Fry and Sear) and its exact temperature, making it easier for the user to reach their desired cooking level, faster and more accurately. The set uses regular household electricity, 110-120 V and is compact in size and lightweight, 11.75" x 14" and 5 pounds, easy for everyday use.

The induction cooktop also has an automatic safety shut off feature that will shut the cooktop off in 30 sec. if no cookware is detected and a 150 minute timer that lets you cook meals in advance. The touch control digital panel provides users with additional options including a safety child lock and a smooth glass surface that makes for easy cleaning.

The 2-pc Induction Set is not only perfect for your college dorm room, but also a useful tool for your camper, your studio apartment or wherever you have an electrical outlet. It is also important for students to check with their universities to determine if an induction cooktop is a permitted dorm room appliance. Fagor also understands that energy and resource conservation is a major concern for students today and has a company initiative in support of environmental preservation through ultra-efficient products, eco-friendly manufacturing and the use of recycled packaging.

"The Fagor 2-Piece Induction Set helps students to safely and simply eat healthier meals while living away from home." said Sara De La Hera, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Fagor America. "It is also a perfect opportunity for students to begin to learning about the importance of induction cooking."

Suggested Retail Price for the 2-Piece Induction Set is $99.00 USD. Available at selected Macy's stores, Camping World and on Amazon.com.

Chuy’s Hiring 175 Employees for New Madeira Location

Chuy’s, a Tex-Mex style restaurant known for its authentic, fresh food and eclectic décor, will hire 175 staff members for its new greater Cincinnati location opening on Aug. 20 in Madeira.

Interested parties are encouraged to apply in person at the hiring trailer set up at the new Chuy’s restaurant location, 7980 Hosbrook Road in Madeira. Hiring begins on Monday, July 15 and continues between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Applications can be filled out in person or downloaded in advance from www.chuys.com/#/employment.

“At Chuy’s, we make our food from scratch all day every day from the best ingredients,” said Ron Carson, local owner/operator of Chuy’s Cincinnati. “We’re looking for people who share our passion for fresh food and who’ll be determined to deliver great services to our customers.”

Chuy’s is currently accepting applications for all full- and part-time positions, including servers, bartenders, hosts, bus employees and all kitchen positions. The restaurant is looking for employees who work hard with big smiles. Chuy’s staff can expect high volume with lots of fun.

Chuy’s will also hire tortilla “experts” to make hand-rolled tortillas to order at the authentic comal located in the dining room.

The Madeira Chuy’s is the restaurant’s northern-most location and second in the greater Cincinnati area, joining the Florence, Ky. location that opened on Houston Road in November 2012.

“The Madeira Chuy’s is our first in Ohio, which means we get to present our unique style to a brand new audience,” Carson said. “We believe in allowing our staff to be themselves and feel empowered to make sure every guest has the best Chuy’s experience possible. We are looking to hire the very best to join the Chuy’s family in Cincinnati.”

Exclusive Chuy’s updates and giveaways can be found at www.facebook.com/ChuysCincinnati. For more information about Chuy’s, visit www.chuys.com.