Syracuse Grows, a local organization that promotes community gardening and urban agriculture, advanced its initiative last weekend by hosting a farm-to-table benefit dinner. The CNY organization works to educate the public and encourage it to get involved with the city of Syracuse’s abundance of gardens. It believes that the community’s gardens are a strong source of fresh and healthy food that buyers can find locally, and for an affordable price.

The main principle of Syracuse Grows is its concept of “food justice,” which strives to grant members of the community with “healthy, safe, affordable, quality, and culturally appropriate food.”

The initiative to strengthen this non-profit organization began with the Farm-To-Table benefit dinner on Saturday, September 20 at Salt City Harvest Farm in Kirkville. My Lucky Tummy, an international food company which serves dishes of all cultures all over the world, catered the event. The company prides itself on its authenticity, as the food is prepared by actual immigrants and refugees of the featured cuisine’s culture who have been eating that cuisine their entire lives. Some of the highlights of the menu:

Cocktails: 
Laotian summer rolls with Vietnamese coriander, Asian mint, Thai basil and a spicy-sweet chili dip

Dinner
: Eritrean trio: injera bread served with berbere-spiced lamb and collard greens, beet salad & shiro-spiced lentils

Dessert
: From Bhutan, a thickened local yogurt whipped with saffron, nutmeg, cardamom and pistachio

To learn more about Syracuse Grows and opportunities to get involved, check out its website.