Food + Wine Celebration For Veggie U

This weekend marks the 9th Annual Food & Wine Celebration. The event, held on Saturday, July 16, at The Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, Ohio, benefits the Veggie U Children's program, an effort to combat adolescent and juvenile disease, and create a better understanding of sustainable agriculture.

Throughout the event, dishes will be made at over 30 chef stations by such recognizable culinary talents as Aaron Sanchez, Govind Armstrong, Amanda Freitag, and Jonathon Sawyer. Winemakers, artisan food vendors, workshops, and a Veggie U station round out the offerings at this jam packed event.

Farm-fresh corn, sweet peas, micro-greens, carrots, beets, and green goodies of all kinds will the tastings as the event's ultimate goal is healthy food education. There's nothing more summery than crisp, sweet, flavorful vegetables, which is what makes this event not only important, but alluring. And if that's not enough to tempt you, the silent auction reads like a list of top destinations — win a trip to a game lodge in South Africa, enjoy a stay at the Battman House in St. Thomas, or win a ski trip to Utah's Stein Eriksen Lodge. (Photo courtesy of Arthur Bovino)

Veggie U provides children with the knowledge of how fun and fruitful it is to plant, grow, harvest, and munch on veggies and provides adults with a delicious festival, farm (or farmers' market)-to-table meals, and access to some of the country's most exciting culinary talents.