The 5th Annual Village Feast, Aug. 22, Davis
Slow Food Yolo and Davis Farm to School present this annual lunch under the sycamore trees in the Davis Central Park. This fundraiser for the Davis schools always includes a silent auction of food-related goodies and a gourmet lunch. This year will include mixed heirloom tomato salad, grilled leg of lamb, summer fruit tarts, and a variety of local wines. Don't forget to bring your own plate, silverware, and napkin! Buy tickets and get the details at the Farm to School site.

Eat Real Festival, Aug. 28-30, Jack London Square, Oakland
Okay, so this one isn't local, but if you're serious about eating, it sounds very worth the trip down to the East Bay. Founded in 2008, Eat Real Festival is a social venture created to inspire eaters to choose tasty, healthy, good food. Proceeds from the event benefit People’s Grocery, La Cocina and Community Alliance with Family Farmers. Goodies include street food vendors selling banh mi, tacos, hot dogs, and ice cream made of local and sustainable ingredients; curbside cinema; a beer shed; a butchery contest; cooking demos; farmer's market; and a foraging and canning exchange. Get the details at Eat Real Fest. Boy do I wish I could go to this, but I'll be elsewhere.

Slow Food's Time for Lunch Campaign, Sept. 7, various locations
On Labor Day, Slow Food is sponsoring a series of "Eat-ins" (potlucks) around the country to promote a focus on improving food in our schools and to encourage people to contact their legislators about the need to improve school food. The Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) has joined with Slow Food to advance school lunch reforms. Join the Sacramento Eat-in, or organize another one, by visiting the Slow Food National Day of Action page.

Savoring Heirloom Tomatoes, Sept. 26, Robert Mondavi Institute, Davis
This should be an interesting event at the Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. Dr. Ann Noble, internationally renowned for her invention of the wine aroma wheel, will lend her extraordinary nose and talents to assist in an exploration of the distinct sensory qualities of heirloom tomatoes. Dr. Clare Hasler, Executive Director of the Robert Mondavi Institute, will speak about heirloom tomatoes as a “superfood” for optimal health. Thaddeus Barsotti, farm manager of beautiful Capay Organic farm and a grower of gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, will tell us how he cultivates these marvelous fruits and what makes them so special. Attendees will be able to taste a wide array of Barsotti’s distinctive, colorful tomatoes. Buy tickets online or call Kira O'Donnell at 916-705-9621.