Local Food Week launches Sunday with a bountiful buffet of events celebrating the harvest hereabouts.

Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, the annual promotion culminates in the nonprofit's Harvest Celebration benefit dinner starting at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Highmark Building and Fifth Avenue Place, Downtown.

You'll need to RSVP by tomorrow, and tickets are $85, or $135 for Connoisseur Partner tickets that include a 4:30 p.m. food-tasting workshop, with Mediterranean Wellness founder and author Will Clower. Then comes the reception and dinner, by Parkhurst Dining Services executive chefs, served with Pennsylvania craft beers and wines.

A portion of the ticket price is tax-deductible, since proceeds benefit PASA. You can reserve and get more information by calling 412-697-0411 or going to pasafarming.org.

Online -- buylocalpa.org/event/chapter/southwest a -- you can also find out about the many other events that are part of Local Food Week in Western Pennsylvania.

You can get out to some farms. On Saturday, Sept. 27, there's a tour of the Henry Family Farm's pastured poultry operation west of New Castle, Lawrence County.

But events are happening in the city, too. From 7 to 9 Sunday night, Brillobox bar in Garfield will present a free screening of the documentary, "King Corn," which you can talk about after over samples of Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka, made in Shaler (you can buy White Russians made with that and Turner's Dairy cream).

From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dozen Bake Shop in Lawrenceville is holding a "sustainable brunch" of local fare, with entrees including Roasted Veggie Strata and Baked French Toast for about $9 (412-621-4740).

From noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, the East End Food Co-op in Point Breeze is holding its Art Harvest Festival, which mixes art with food and music.

Special dinners and menus abound at restaurants around the region. At 5 p.m. Tuesday and Friday the Pines Tavern in Pine hosts PASA's Harvest Flight Dinner, pairing three courses of local foods with Octoberfest beer and cider ($38 per person; reserve at 724-625-3252).

On Wednesday, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will be doing cooking demonstrations at farm stands. There are more demos, including some at Giant Eagle Market District stores, which are putting the spotlight on organic farming with an interesting dinner at Blackberry Meadows Farm in Natrona Heights from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Sept. 26.

Attendees tour the farm and chat with the farmers, then sup on a repast that includes Farm Greens with Grilled Plums, Almonds and Aged Balsamic Vinegar; and Lemon Grass and Ginger Grilled Blackberry Meadows Farm Free Range Chicken. There's also music, a silent auction and a bonfire. Tickets are $100 per person and some proceeds benefit the farm. Only a few seats remain; call 412-360-9493.

The week and the Harvest Dinner are being publicized with very pretty posters done by graphic artists Kris Knieriem and Steven Lowry of the Blender Agency in Point Breeze.

This is the third year for Local Food Week, which is much, much bigger than last year. But so is interest in local food.

Greg Boulos, PASA's western regional director, says, "Everybody wants local foods," to the point that demand is outstripping supply. To that end, he and his group hope this week's events will help further important related causes such as getting more young people interested in farming, protecting additional land for agriculture and more.

PASA, which points out how local food is good for everything from people's health to the economy to local scenery, hopes this will lead to an even bigger week next year.

The group is launching a consumers membership and social networking component to its Buy Fresh, Buy Local Web site, called the Good Food Neighborhood, where members (who pay $30 a year) can network on local food, sharing sources and recipes and getting perks such as discounts. The entry point, goodfoodneighborhood.org, is to be up and running at the end of the week.

Some Local Food Week events were going to happen anyway, but they all celebrate local foods and the people who produce them.

Linda Boswell is famous for this, but she says "It's actually a Paula Deen recipe and an easy one at that.

"My secret is out!"

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 28-ounce can sliced peaches in heavy syrup, undrained
• Cinnamon for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place butter in a 2-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt. Stir sugar and flour together and mix well. Slowly add milk and continue to stir to prevent the batter from lumping.

Being careful not to burn yourself, remove hot baking dish containing melted butter from oven, pour batter directly over butter in baking dish (DO NOT STIR). Spoon fruit on top of batter, then gently pour syrup on top (DO NOT STIR). Sprinkle with cinnamon, if using. The most important part of this dish is not stirring the mixture. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Your batter will rise above your fruit.

Serves 8.

-- Linda Boswell and Paula Deen

PG TESTED

This fall recipe comes from Rhonda L. Schuldt of Local Goodness (localgoodness.com). She'll be teaching a Farmers Market Dinner class at Crate in Scott from 6 to 8:30 p.m. next Thurs., Sept. 25 ($45; cratecook.com or 412-341-5700). She writes, "This simple yet hearty soup, reminiscent of French soup, was created to celebrate these two crops harvested at Laurel Vista Farms in Somerset County. Their Somerset Sweets (onions) and Somerset Spuds (potatoes) can be found at select Giant Eagle stores and at both Market District locations."

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 large Somerset Sweets or Pennsylvania Simply Sweet onion, halved and sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds Somerset Spuds (or other white or gold potatoes), scrubbed and cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 7 ounces (about 1/2 can) Guinness beer
• 32 ounces organic beef broth
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

In a heavy stockpot heat olive oil and melt butter. Add onions and saute over medium-high heat for 7 to 10 minutes or until soft and slightly browned. Stir in thyme, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Add potatoes, Guinness, beef broth, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to easy boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

Break up some of the potatoes slightly with a couple presses of a potato masher, being sure to leave plenty of whole potato pieces (this will allow the soup to thicken slightly, but also leave bites of potato in the soup).

To serve, place in individual bowls and, if desired, top with shredded Muenster or Gruyere.

Serves 6 to 8.

-- Rhonda L. Schuldt