Who wouldn't want to celebrate Earth Day with slices of pie? The fourth annual SEEDS pie social is 1-5 p.m. April 22.

The event raises money for the Durham Inner-City Gardeners, an urban-farming leadership development program for teens. You may have seen these teenagers selling their produce at the Durham Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings.

The cost is $10 for four slices of pie. Almost 30 restaurants and several home bakers have signed up to donate pie, including Acme Food & Beverage Co., Foster's Market, Guglhupf and Papa Mojo's Roadhouse. The pies will range from classic sweet desserts to pizza. New this  year, a panel of judges will declare one pie as the Best in Town and the public will vote for a People's Choice favorite.

While eating pie, attendees can bid on lessons in the skill share auction where instead of buying stuff, you can learn a skill. Among the lessons up for bid are how to fly a plane, brew beer, bake bread and cook Indian food.

The garden is located at 706 Gilbert Street, Durham. The event will happen rain or shine. For more information, go to http://www.seedsnc.org.

For Valentine's Day, restaurants usually unveil a prix fixe menu or special offerings in addition to their regular menu. If a nice meal out isn't your thing, here's my list of other Valentine's Day activities, including cooking classes and chocolate tastings.

Here are a few dinner options that I spotted in my inbox or online:

• Durham's West 94th Street Pub is offering a four-course meal Friday through Valentine's Day and 50 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the St. Baldrick's Foundation. Dinner costs $25 per person or $35 per person with beer or wine.
• There will be a Valentine's Day Food Truck Rodeo and Fundraiser in Carrboro from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday. See my earlier post for details.
• The Point in Raleigh's Five Points neighborhood is offering a three-course menu for $40 a person. Go HERE to see the menu. (Scroll down a bit to see it.) They are offering that menu on Friday, Saturday and Valentine's Day.
• Tribeca Tavern in North Raleigh and Cary is offering a three-course meal for $50 per couple or a la carte off their special menu. Go HERE to see it.
• Twisted Fork, also in North Raleigh, also is offering a special Valentine's menu.
• Cary's Coffee and Crepes is offering a Valentine's special: a strawberry and nutella crepe. As the owner Terri Pastrana says, "Pair it with a hot mocha latte and you have a smiling date that won't break the bank."
• Raleigh's 42nd Street Oyster Bar is offering a three-course menu for 2 for $65. Go HERE to see the menu.
• bu.ku in Raleigh is offering a special three-course menu that is $75 per couple. The special starts Friday and runs through Valentine's Day. Go HERE to see the menu.
• Jibarra in Raleigh is offering a three-course meal and a margarita for $49. Plus, they will be offering some other specialty cocktails for the occasion. Go HERE to see a menu.
• The Angus Barn in Raleigh is offering a four-course meal on Saturday for $95 with live music and dancing in the pavilion after dinner. Go HERE for details.
• Daniel's in Apex is offering an Almost Valentine's wine dinner on Thursday offering five courses for $75. Go HERE and click on Wine Dinner for details. Daniel's is also offering a special Valentine's Day menu, including lobster bolognese for $22.
• The Matthews House in Cary is offering dinner and dancing from 6:30-11:30 p.m. Saturday. It costs $50 per person. Plus, one lucky couple will win a night in the honeymoon suite. Call 467-1944 for more details and reservations.
• Herons at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary is offering a five-course tasting menu for $85. You can get wine pairings for an additional $35. You can take your date for this special meal on Friday, Sunday, Monday, Feb. 13 and then Feb. 15-Feb. 18. Call 447-4000 for a reservation.
• La Residence in Chapel Hill is offering a three-course meal for $49 or a four-course meal for $65 on Valentine's Day. Call 967-2506 for a reservation.
• Taste Carolina is offering walking tours in Durham and Raleigh on Valentine's Day. Tickets cost $62.50.
• Dos Perros in Durham has posted its Valentine's Day menu, which it will be offering in addition to its regular menu. I'm most intrigued by this drink, which could stand in for dessert: Mexican Affogato, a Mezcal-spiked coffee poured over mole ice cream with house-candied orange peel. 
• Its sister restaurant in Chapel Hill, Jujube also has posted its Valentine's Day menu.
• The Fairview Dining Room at the Washington Duke Inn in Durham is offering a five-course meal for $65. Go HERE for details.
• The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill has a series of dining and overnight stay packages starting at $129. Go HERE to see their offerings. UPDATE: If you just want to dine at the Carolina Crossroads restaurant, there is a special four-course meal with champagne and a rose for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day for $75 per person. On Feb. 11-13, you can enjoy a four-course meal with champagne for $65 per person. Call 918-2735 for a reservation. 
• Il Palio at The Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill is offering a five-course meal for $95. Go HERE to see the menu.
• Chef Chip Smith, formerly of Bonne Soiree, is now cooking at The Inn at Celebrity Dairy in Siler City. They are offering a Valentine's Day menu on Saturday, Sunday and Valentine's Day. Call 742-5176 for details.
• Watts Grocery in Durham is offering a three-course meal for $50. Go HERE to see the menu.
• Foster's Markets in Durham and Chapel Hill are offering a three-course take out meal for two for $75. You must place your order by Saturday to pick up on Valentine's Day. Go HERE to see the menu.

If you would like your restaurant added to this list, please send an email to aweigl@newsobserver.com and put "Valentine's Menu" in the subject line.

Foster's Market is offering a "Farm Dinner," a three-course casual, family-style meal Thursday evening.

The cost is $25 per person. The menu includes watercress salad with asiago, shaved red onion, fennel, radishes, pistachios and aged sherry vinaigrette; beef fank steak with golden raisin tapenade, polenta and a saute of fiddlehead ferns, bacon and mushrooms; and for dessert, a candied orange and chocolate zeppole, an Italian doughnut-type pastry.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling 489-4114. 

This recipe is from Foster's new book, "Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen." Check out my interview with her in today's paper.

Carolina Rice Pudding Brûlée

Humble rice pudding gets a serious makeover with the addition of flavorful, fat-grained Carolina Gold rice and a glassy, sugared brûlée crust. From "Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal," by Sara Foster (Random House, 2011).

Cooking spray or melted butter
3 cups milk
3/4 cup Carolina Gold or other long-grain white rice
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
6 tablespoons natural cane sugar or granulated sugar
PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease six 4-ounce ramekins and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
BRING milk, rice, vanilla bean and reserved seeds and salt to a low simmer over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Raise the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the mixture is thick and creamy, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the vanilla bean.
ADD heavy cream and granulated sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Cool slightly, then stir in the egg yolks, butter, nutmeg, and cloves.
DIVIDE pudding evenly between the prepared ramekins and bake for about 10 minutes, until slightly puffed but still soft in the center. Remove from the oven.
PREHEAT broiler or prepare a small kitchen torch. Sprinkle each pudding evenly with about 1 tablespoon of the natural cane sugar. If using a broiler, place under the broiler in the upper third of the oven until the sugar caramelizes, rotating the baking sheet to evenly brown, 1 to 2 minutes. If using a kitchen torch, torch each pudding individually to caramelize the sugar, being careful to keep the torch at the distance recommended by the manufacturer. Serve warm.
Yield:
6 (4-ounce) servings
 

Sara Foster, the owner of Foster's Markets in Durham and Chapel Hill, has just published her fourth cookbook, "Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen." She has a series of book events this week as well:

• 7 p.m. Thursday, Regulator Bookshop, 720 Ninth St., Durham.
• 7 p.m. Friday, Flyleaf Books, 752 Martin Luther King Blvd., Chapel Hill.
• 7:30 p.m. April 26, Quail Ridge Books & Music, 3522 Wade Ave, Raleigh.
• 11 a.m. May 7, McIntyre's Books, 2000 Fearrington Village, Pittsboro.
• Noon, May 21, A Southern Season, 201 S.outh Estes Drive, Chapel Hill.

You also can watch Sara Foster's appearance on "The Martha Stewart Show" on the Hallmark Channel at 10 a.m. Wednesday and 1 p.m. Thursday.

Check out my interview with Foster in Wednesday's paper.
 

REMINDER: Sara Foster, owner of Foster's Markets in Chapel Hill and Durham, is teaching a few cooking classes at the Chapel Hill market:

• 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, Stocking up on Soup, Cost $40 for dinner and class.
• 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, New Year's Brunch, Cost for $40 for dinner and class.

Call 967-3667 to reserve your spot in class.

Foster's Market  to the rescue. You can order a complete Thanksgiving feasts from appetizers to desserts or you can order dinner for 4 for $99.

With the latter, you get oven roasted turkey breast, cornbread, celery and sage stuffing, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, Foster’s housemade herb gravy, cranberry orange relish, Peter’s favorite rolls, and a pumpkin pie.

The catch is you have to place your order by Monday, Nov. 22, to be picked up Wednesday, Nov. 24. This service is available at both Chapel Hill and Durham stores.

For the complete menu and other details, go HERE.

Don't forget: Greg Cox offered a list of Triangle restaurants offering reservations on Thanksgiving.

Sara Foster, owner of Foster's Markets in Chapel Hill and Durham, is teaching a few cooking classes at the Chapel Hill market:

• 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, Holiday sides and selecting wines for Thanksgiving. Demo, no charge.
• 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, Stocking up on Soup, Cost $40 for dinner and class.
• 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, New Year's Brunch, Cost for $40 for dinner and class.

Call 967-3667 to reserve your spot in class.

Don't forget: Fearrington House is hosting a reception  followed by two panels on publishing tomorrow night. The event coincides with Kim Sunee's Floating Island Writers' Workshop in Chapel Hill.

There will be a cocktail reception from 4-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12 before the two publishing panels. The reception costs $35. For tickets, go to http://mcintyresbooks.eventbrite.com

The panels, one starts at 5:30 p.m and the other starts at 6:30 p.m., include these speakers: Sunee, Frances Mayes, auther of "Under the Tuscan Sun"; Sara Foster, cookbook author and owner of Foster's Market, Sheri Castle, a cooking instructor with a forthcoming cookbook, "The New Southern Garden Cookbook";  Rica Allannic, cookbook editor for Clarkson Potter who worked with chef Andrea Reusing of Lantern on her forthcoming cookbook; Reusing; Lynn Andriani, a senior editor at Publishers' Weekly; and me, as food writer for the N&O and a member of the James Beard Foundation book awards committee. 

So you want to be a published writer?

Fearrington House is hosting a reception followed by two panels on publishing to coincide with Kim Sunee's Floating Island Writers' Workshop in Chapel Hill next week.

On Tuesday, there will be a cocktail reception from 4-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12 14 before the two publishing panels. The reception costs $35. For tickets, go to http://mcintyresbooks.eventbrite.com

The panels, one starts at 5:30 p.m and the other starts at 6:30 p.m., include these speakers: Sunee, Frances Mayes, auther of "Under the Tuscan Sun"; Sara Foster, cookbook author and owner of Foster's Market, Sheri Castle, a cooking instructor with a forthcoming cookbook, "The New Southern Garden Cookbook";  Rica Allannic, cookbook editor for Clarkson Potter who worked with chef Andrea Reusing of Lantern on her forthcoming cookbook; Reusing; Lynn Andriani, a senior editor at Publishers' Weekly; and me, as food writer for the N&O and a member of the James Beard Foundation book awards committee. 

Panels will be moderated by Keebe Fitch, founder of McIntyre's Bookstore.