(GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.) – More than two dozen restaurants throughout the region have signed up to participate in Berkshire Grown’s Farmed + Foraged: A Weekend of Spring Flavors, a culinary celebration of farmed and foraged seasonal foods, over the course of Memorial Day weekend from Friday, May 25, 2012, through Monday, May 28. Celebrating the first local harvests of 2012, Farmed + Foraged: A Weekend of Spring Flavors will feature Berkshire Grown restaurants that have made a commitment to sustainably source wild and local edibles from area farms, forests, and fields at the start of the growing season, which is a challenge for chefs in the Northeast.

Participating restaurants will offer an array of prix-fixe menus and a la carte selections to celebrate this farm-to-table dining event. Menus will feature locally grown produce, Berkshire artisan cheeses, heritage breed meats, locally made bread and chocolate, wild edibles and Berkshire-crafted beer and spirits. Dates of participation, menu and a la carte offerings and pricing will vary at each location. Details will be posted on the Berkshire Grown website as they become available.

Participating restaurants include Allium Restaurant + Bar, Baba Louie’s, Berkshire Co-op Market, Berkshire Organics, CafeADAM, Café Giulia, Café Lucia, Café Reva, Chez Nous, Dreamaway Lodge, Fiori Restaurant, Firefly, Gramercy Bistro@MASS MoCA, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, John Andrews: A Farmhouse Restaurant, Martin’s Restaurant, Mezze Bistro + Bar, Monterey General Store, The Old Inn on the Green, The Red Lion Inn, Riverbend Café, Route 7 Grill, Stagecoach Tavern, Starving Artist Café, The Well, Wild Oats Market and The Williams Inn.

“We’re excited to see so many restaurants participating in this year’s Farmed + Foraged event,” said Barbara Zheutlin, executive director of Berkshire Grown. “This is an opportunity for community members to celebrate farming by supporting our local restaurants and farms and tasting the fresh vegetables, cheeses and meats unique to this season in the Berkshires.”

“We encourage everyone to dine out and try delicious dishes highlighting the local harvest. Although our crops are limited at this time of year, the fresh greens and spring veggies, meats, mushrooms, cheeses, maple syrup and breads make for an exceptional meal, especially when prepared by our region’s extraordinarily talented chefs,” said Zheutlin.

To support Berkshire Grown, Baba Louie’s, Berkshire Co-op Market, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, Mezze Restaurant Group and The Red Lion Inn are official sponsors of the Farmed + Foraged event.

 

SPOTLIGHT ON FARMED + FORAGED SPONSORS

Baba Louie’s Sourdough Pizza in Great Barrington and Pittsfield will feature Equinox Farm Arugula Salad with pecans, chèvre, Prosciutto, and a Green Goddess dressing made with ramps.

The Berkshire Co-op Market in Great Barrington will present their hot food and salad bar peppered with local spring greens and leeks along with local produce from area farms.

Guido’s Fresh Marketplace “Guido’s Kitchen” celebrates Berkshire Grown’s Farmed+Foraged Weekend. FREE. Tasting starring local products from High Lawn Farm, Ronnybrook Farm, Berkshire Mountain Bakery, Sidehill Farm, Bola Granola and more! Samples of Farmed + Foraged-inspired dishes from the Guido’s Kitchen at Pittsfield on Friday, May 25 from 12 pm to 5 pm or while supplies last, and Saturday May 26 in the Great Barrington store, 12 – 5pm or while supplies last.  More event details at guidosfreshmarketplace.com.

Mezze Restaurant Group will spotlight locally grown items with Farmed + Foraged prix fixe menus at Allium Restaurant + Bar in Great Barrington and Mezze Bistro + Bar in Williamstown. The restaurants will feature foraged edibles and the first of spring greens from local farms. Mezze Bistro + Bar will feature a three-course prix fixe menu for $40 per person

The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge will be featuring wild greens such as Stinging Nettles, Lambs Quarters and invasive plants such as Japanese Knotweed. Matching the greens with various proteins from local farms and foraged mushrooms that may be available.

In partnership with Berkshire Grown’s Farmed + Foraged event, Berkshire Farm & Table, an organization promoting Berkshire food culture, produces Where the Wild Things Are – eight foraging walks led by experienced and passionate instructors who will focus on sustainable harvesting techniques, recipes and the history of foraging in the Berkshires. Community members can learn about edible and medicinal wild plants and mushrooms, nature and ecology through educational walks in the local landscape with expert foragers. For more information, visit Where the Wild Things Are.