GRAFTON — The Grafton Inn has cooked up a delicious day for the third annual Grafton Food Festival in historic Grafton Village.
The festival, scheduled for July 11, will feature tastings of local products, cooking demonstrations, and children's activities, culminating with a five-course dinner prepared by celebrity guest Chef Mary Ann Esposito of the PBS series Ciao Italia. Featuring the unique cuisine of more than 20 local vendors, the festival and dinner will highlight the culinary traditions of southern Vermont.
“Over the past two years, this festival has grown into a spectacular event for food-lovers and locavores to eat, drink, and celebrate,” said Angela Comstock, innkeeper of the Grafton Inn, in a news release. “Having Chef Mary Ann Esposito here to design a delicious five-course dinner will make the festival a must-taste event.”
Festival-goers will enjoy tastings of local vegetables, meats, cheeses, and baked goods, plus a cooking demonstration with Jean Kerr, editor of Northeast Flavor magazine.
At noon, kids will have a chance to showcase their talent in the free children's culinary competition. Esposito will also give a cooking demonstration followed by a cookbook signing, before heading into the kitchen to help prepare the evening's five-course dinner with the Grafton Inn's executive chef Cal Hingston.
The menu includes a selection of Italian and American classics, including Esposito's signature Torchio Pasta with Uncooked Cherry Tomato Sauce and Garden Herbs. Two seating times will be held - at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. - and reservations are required. Tickets for the dinner are sold separately from festival passes for $50 per person.
Tickets for the festival cost $10 and can be bought the day of the festival, and kids under 12 are free. A portion of the proceeds from the festival will support culinary scholarships for Vermont high school students through The Windham Foundation.