There are many ways of getting kids thrilled about growing and cooking good and nutritious food.

The Lazy Gourmet has thought of a fun style to help out.

On Wednesday (October 28), the Vancouver-based caterer and event planner will launch its fall and winter menu at the flagship store of John Fluevog Shoes in Gastown (65 Water Street), where guests can sample the fare between 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. while shopping for a unique pair of shoes that’s distinctly Fluevog.

That looks like more of a party than anything close to getting children thrilled about planting and food preparation, but Kevin Mazzone, general manager of The Lazy Gourmet, explains how it works.

According to Mazzone, The Lazy Gourmet is donating all proceeds from the $50-a-ticket event to Growing Chefs! Chefs for Children’s Urban Agriculture, a Vancouver-based charity that educates children and their families about healthy eating and food systems.

Every year, Growing Chefs! sends chefs and volunteers to elementary schools to teach students how to garden and cook.

Shannon Boudreau, director of sales and events with The Lazy Gourmet, is a volunteer instructor with Growing Chefs!

“She actually goes once a week to one of the elementary schools, and actually teaches the kids how to grow kale, how to treat it, how to cook it, the different ways that you can prepare meals,” Mazzone told the Straight in a phone interview.

In addition to The Lazy Gourmet covering the cost of the event so Growing Chefs! can have more resources, John Fluevog shoes will donate 50 percent of its sales during the event to the charity.

The Lazy Gourmet’s fall and winter menu offers hot appetizers like French onion soup, and Asian-inspired pork belly on ramen noodles. Cinnamon-rubbed albacore tuna on taro chips is among the selections for cold appetizers.

The menu has three platters: roasted turkey and duck, satay, and vegetarian antipasto.

Mains include roasted Skuna Bay salmon, seared Manhattan steak, red wine- and paprika-braised chicken breast, and beet tart tatin.

There are brussel sprouts and other dishes for sides, and desert selections include kaffir lime coconut mousse cones.

It’s the first time that The Lazy Gourmet is doing a menu launch with John Fluevog Shoes.

“We will always think that, you know, food and fashion go hand in hand,” Mazzone said. “Much of what we do is about design and colour and shape, which are the exact ideals that work with Fluevog.”