Eating locally, midwinter

Two upcoming dinners show it's possible to be a locavore in New England, even in the coldest months.

On Sunday, Jan. 25, Tomasso Trattoria in Southborough hosts a five-course dinner featuring only locally sourced ingredients. How does one do this in winter in New England and still make diners happy? Canning, my friends. Steve Verrill of Verrill Farm will be there to talk about sustainable farming in New England.

Here is the menu:

Antipasto
Pickled fennel, peperoncini, and white carrots on a crostino

Primo
Braised lamb ragu with malfatti pasta

Secondo
Steamed Eastham mussels with homemade guanciale, tomatoes, and grilled foccaccia

Formaggio
Champlain triple creme with cherry jelly

Dolci
Homemade vanilla gelato with warm peach jam

The fruits and vegetables come from Verrill, some of them canned in the summer and preserved at Tomasso. The lamb was raised in Westmoreland, N.H. The guanciale was cured at Tomasso and comes from pigs raised in Rodman, N.Y. The cheese is from Vermont. The gelato was made at Tomasso using cream from High Lawn Farm in Lee.

Sounds pretty lovely. The dinner starts at 6 p.m.; $45 per person, $65 with biodynamic/organic wine pairings, plus tax and tip. Call 508-481-8484 for more information.

Then, on Feb. 6 at 7 p.m., Mass Audubon's Drumlin Farm hosts a winter harvest dinner. The menu will include homemade cheese from local milk, Tuscan kale soup, a vegetarian frittata, Drumlin Farm meat, roasted winter vegetables, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

Brian Donahue, author of "Reclaiming the Commons: Community Farms and Forests in a New England Town" and "The Great Meadow: Farmers and the Land in Colonial Concord," will speak. about "how local agriculture in the midst of suburban communities can help to build a new way of living, one that is cognizant and considerate of the capacity of our local foodshed."

Tickets are $32 for members, $40 for nonmembers. They're taking reservations through Jan. 30. Call 781-259-2206 for more information.