Garlic Onion Festival - 30 minutes south of Tucson

Tucson Food Event: Garlic & Onion Festival – June 10, 11, 12

Agua Linda Farm is a special place. Because the Farm based in Amado reigns at a slightly higher elevation with a river running through it, shady mesquite bosque, and a lush green lawn nestled near the Santa Rita and Sierrita Mountain ranges — the temperatures will definitely be cooler.

Support your local farmer and celebrate the just-harvested savory and freshest garlic and onions possible. Enjoy live music and great food featuring garlic and onions. Agua Linda Farm sits on a lovely 63-acre organic vegetable farm located only 30 minutes south of Tucson off of Interstate 19.

Did you know that garlic is a member of the lily family? Cousins include onions, leeks, and shallots. Garlic grows beneath the ground and is made up of cloves to form a head. Through the ages, garlic has been thought to prolong strength and medical claims include curing toothaches, consumption, open wounds, and evil demons. The bulbs of onions also grow underground. This dynamic duo of garlic and onions is the foundation of many cuisines.

Agua Linda Farm is most famous for their Pumpkin Patch Festival held in autumn and as the site where Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly exchanged their vows. The Farm also plays host to other community events.

Onions and garlic have a long shelf life, so farmer Stewart Loew encourages you to stock up – while supplies last. Their quaint farm store also features local honey, and jams and jellies made by Stewart’s wife, Laurel.

Expect to enjoy onion rings and burgers smothered with sweet onions and roasted garlic. The candy shop will cool your palate with ice-cream and other treats.

This event will be fun for the entire family but pets are not allowed.

What: Garlic & Onion Festival
Where: Agua Linda Farm, 30 minutes south of Tucson, 2643 East Frontage Road, Amado, AZ. 85645
When: Evenings (beat the heat) June 10, 11, and 12 from 4 to 9 p.m.
Cost: $5 per car admission
Call for more info: 520-891-5532

Here are some factoids about Agua Linda Farm and the Loew family:

–15 years ago arugula changed the Farm’s future.

–A bit of Hollywood on the Farm: The former Regina Groves was an actress when she met Arthur Loew Jr., movie producer. Stewart’s grandfathers – Marcus Loew and Adolph Zukor — started Paramount Pictures. His mother hosted celebrities Natalie Woods, Robert Wagner, Quincy Jones, and Elizabeth Taylor at Agua Linda Farms.

–CSA or Community Supported Agriculture has helped to grow their business.

Support your local farmer and eat more locally-grown garlic and onions from Agua Linda Farm.

Photo courtesy the Food Network

Lindy’s on 4th Avenue known for their large burgers will be on the Food Network’s Meat & Potatoes show tonight – April 4. Check your local listings.

The host of the show Rahm Fama eats his way around the country in search of burger mania. Along with stopping in Tucson for Lindy’s on 4th Avenue, he also chows down in Philadelphia and San Francisco..

Some of the burger fixings include foie gras, bleu cheese, smoked bacon, Texas toast, and bison.

I wonder what Mr. Fama’s cholesterol is?

This isn’t the first time that Lindy’s has been on the Food Network. In 2009, Lindy’s was on Man vs. Food. The host tried to eat the O.M.G. burger in the allotted time but failed to finish the three pound burger made with 12 patties, 12 slices of cheese, and all the fixings in less than 20 minutes. However, he did finish in 44 minutes. OMG!

Over the weekend, Frankie Santos of Frankie’s Cheesesteaks and his friends Albert Hall from Acacia and Eric from Frogs Organic Bakery and a slew of friends and volunteers literally baked in the hot Tucson sun on the UA Mall using a 600-pound oven to set a new record for the largest cheesesteak ever! You can read more about it on Frankie’s Facebook page.

How many pounds of certified angus beef was used?

Back to Meat & Potatoes host Rahm Fama, will visit yet another Tucson restaurant via the Food Network on May 16 when the show airs, CeeDee’s Jamaican restaurant dishes up a rich and zest oxtail stew.

Alright! Not only is Tucson one of the 10 most intelligent cities but we also have a book festival that is rated in the U.S. Top 10.

This weekend Tucson Festival of Books happens at the UA Mall (students are on vacation). You won’t want to miss the 400+ authors of all genres including food plus nine acres of books, book signings, cookbooks, panels, presentations, personalities, events for foodies, delightful food court with your favorite Tucson restaurants and nosh, stuff for the kids, and more, more, more.

Movie lovers can come for a free screening of 3:10 to Yuma at 7 p.m. on Saturday in the Main Gate Square just west of the main University of Arizona campus, at University Boulevard and Tyndall Avenue. View the film as never before on a 30-by-30 outdoor screen. Screenwriters Derek Haas and Michael Brandt along with Tucson’s own Elmore Leonard will host a panel discussion at 4 p.m. and introduce the movie at 7 p.m.

We at Tucson Citizen have a booth so come by and say hi to us at the Star Pavilion/West Mall area. Celebrity blogger Geoff Notkin of Science Channel’s Meteorite Men fame and the Logical Lizard will be signing and selling his new book, Meteorite Hunting: How To Find Treasure From Space.

Here’s the Tucson Citizen schedule:

March 12, Saturday
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Mark Evans, Editor
9 a.m. – Pamela Powers, Anthony Gimino
10 a.m. – Pamela Powers, Anthony Gimino, Bonnie Lewis
11 a.m. – Don Smith, Karl Hoffman, Anthony Gimino
Noon – Don Smith, Karl Hoffman, Steve Rivera, Anthony Gimino
1 p.m. – Geoff Notkin, Steve Rivera, Carli Brosseau
2 p.m. – Geoff Notkin, Carli Brosseau
3 p.m. – Geoff Notkin, Andy Morales, Carli Brosseau
4 p.m. – Geoff Notkin, Andy Morales, Carli Brosseau

March 13, Sunday
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Mark Evans
9 a.m. – Carolyn Classen, Anthony Gimino
10 a.m. – Carolyn Classen, Anthony Gimino, Bonnie Lewis
11 a.m. – Penelope Starr and Story Cart, Anthony Gimino
Noon – Penelope Starr and Story Cart, Karyn Zoldan, Anthony Gimino
1 p.m. – Geoff Notkin, Karyn Zoldan, Carli Brosseau
2 p.m. – Geoff Notkin, Carlos Galindo, Carli Brosseau
3 p.m. – Geoff Notkin, Carlos Galindo, Carli Brosseau
4 p.m. – Geoff Notkin, Carli Brosseau

Thank you to Rachel Evans for assisting.

Food, Food, Food
I will also be in a panel for Food Writing 101 on Sunday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Integrated Learning Center – room 135.

Janos made chili rellenos on the Culinary Stage in 2010

Foodies can enjoy a delicious buffet of cookbook authors and food personalities like Barbara Fairchild, Daisy Martinez, Steve Raichlen of PBS/Primal Grill, Janos Wilder, Shirley Fong-Torres, author of “The Woman Who Ate Chinatown, a San Francisco Odyssey, and more.

For a complete foodie related schedule, click here.

(Top photo credit: Thomas Veneklasen via Arizona Republic; Janos Wilder, photo courtesy of ProVentures, Inc.)