Gourmet cuisine featuring food from local, regional and New York state farmers and merchants, will be on the menu Thursday, Sept. 24, for Cornell Dining's fourth annual Fall Harvest Dinner. The event is 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Robert Purcell Marketplace Eatery on Cornell's North Campus and is open to the public.

Prior to the dinner, Cornell Dining will offer an information session called "Creating Connections With Sustainable Agriculture" in the Robert Purcell Auditorium at 4 p.m. The program's featured speaker is celebrity chef and author Suvir Saran, who owns a farm in Hebron, N.Y., where he raises organically grown produce and naturally raised animals. Saran is author of "American Masala: 125 New Classics From My Home Kitchen" and "Indian Home Cooking," and owns Dévi restaurant in New York City and American Masala restaurant in Jersey City, N.J. Charlie Burd, co-owner and -operator of Saran's American Masala Farm, will also speak about his experiences operating an organic farm, and Matt LeRoux and Josh Dolan, from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, will present information on how to find profitability in local agriculture, and the importance of community gardens.

The Fall Harvest Dinner menu includes:

The cost is one meal swipe for students on a Cornell meal plan; $16.15 for students and staff members using Big Red Bucks; $17.80 for all other adults; and $8.90 for children 7-12.

"Events like the Fall Harvest Dinner demonstrate Cornell Dining's continued commitment to sustainability and building relationships with the local farmers and merchants," said Marty Rauker, interim assistant vice president for student and academic services.

To reserve tickets for the pre-dinner program, contact Cornell Dining at dhl34@cornell.edu or call 607-255-5952.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, who will present information on how to find profitability in local agriculture, and the importance of community gardens.

To reserve tickets for the predinner program, contact Cornell Dining at dhl34@cornell.edu or call 607-255-5952.