FRONT BURNER

Stone's Throw Dinner Series: The Jasmine Porch restaurant at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort introduces its quarterly "Stone's Throw Dinner Series" Thursday to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Charleston. The four-course meal will feature ingredients procured from a "stone's throw" (within 100 miles) of Kiawah Island. The reception and dinner, including beer pairings by Greenville's Thomas Creek Brewery, and live music, is $70 per person, excluding taxes and gratuity. Reception at 6:30 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m. For reservations, call 768-6253 or visit www.kiawahresort.com/Email/din ing/dining.htm.

Guest chef dinner: The Ocean Room at Kiawah Island Golf Resort holds its second " Guest Chef Dinner" series Thursday with chef Christopher Edwards from the Restaurant at Patowmack Farm in Lovettsville, Va. Dinner will follow a 6:30 p.m. reception. $125, inclusive. Call 768-6000.

Farm-to-plate picnic: Slow Food Charleston will host a country-style "Farm to Plate Picnic" 4-8 p.m. Sunday at Thackeray Farms, 1364 Harts Bluff Road, Wadmalaw Island. Farm tours by local farmers Shawn Thackeray of Thackeray Farms and Rita Bachmann of Rita's Roots. Guests should bring their own picnic dinner, beverages, and blankets or chairs. The picnic is a fundraiser for Slow Food Charleston's organic garden project at Sanders-Clyde Elementary School.

Local author Holly Herrick will be on hand to sign and sell her newly released cookbook, "Southern Farmers Market Cookbook."

An American Pie Auction will feature various homemade pies. $10 for members; $20 for others. Call 225-4307 or e-mail info@slowfoodcharleston.org for information.

Benefit dinner: McCrady's and chef Sean Brock will host "A Tasteful Pursuit," a benefit for Share Our Strength, a national organization working to end childhood hunger, at 6 p.m. July 14. Multicourse dinner with wine and beer pairings prepared by four guest chefs: R.J. Cooper of Vidalia in Washington, D.C.; Tyler Brown of The Capitol Grille at The Hermitage Hotel, Nashville, Tenn., Mike Lata of FIG in Charleston and Ken Vedrinski of Trattoria Lucca, Charleston. Live and silent auction also planned. $95. For information and reservations, call 888-273-6141.

Festival poster contest: The BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival and Charleston Magazine are calling for entries for the 2010 Festival Poster Competition. Prize is $1,000 and the title of Official Poster Artist. The winning poster will be showcased in a special insert in Charleston Magazine's December 2009 Food & Wine issue, and used for official retail merchandise. Contest is open to residents of Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties 18 years and older. Deadline for submissions is Aug. 28. Free entries; applications at www.charlestonmag.com.

Submit items to food@postandcourier.com; fax to 937-5579; or mail to Teresa Taylor, Food Editor, The Post and Courier, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, SC 29403. Deadline is noon Friday for publication the following Wednesday.