Come Home to Cooking

Kay at CornerStone in Sonoma

making Stone Soup for all

at the Artists and Farmers event

this SUNDAY, OCT. 3 from 11-4

Kay Baumhefner will bring to life the inspiring Stone Soup legend of cooperation by gathering together just enough contributions from the generous vegetable gardens and participating farmers to fill and light the fire under our empty pot in the CornerStone village square barn.  

By the end of the afternoon we can meet up there, where Kay and her crew of helpers will have chopped, stirred and simmered everything into a savory harvest soup ready to ladle out for all of us to share in this celebration of realized abundance.

Read all about it

See you there!

Harvest Boxes from County Line

Freshly Picked Organic Vegetables from COUNTY LINE HARVEST

What: An assorted box of about 12 bunched items, including salad & braising greens, root vegetables, herbs & seasonal crop specialties with cooking tips. 

When: Available for you to pick up every Wed afternoon from 2-4pm.

Where: Our cornerstone place here at Come Home to Cooking [Please contact me if you need directions.]

How: To reserve your box, email County Line Harvest [clharvest@gmail.com] no later than 10am each Wed. [You only need to sign up for one week at a time.]

$25 per box, cash only & payable when you pick up.

Why: To support our local community while making it both easier and more economical for all of us to be able to share the joy of living and eating well.

So Come Join the Fun!

2010 Harvest Season Class Schedule

Cycles of Celebration...

In a recent conversation with both friends and fellow cooks about why the same recipe usually turns out at least a little different every time you make it, I thought about how those magical variations hold true with same subject classes as well. Now that Come Home to Cooking is gliding into its fourth year, we’ve been doing this long enough for certain topics to rise to the top and establish themselves as seasonal favorites. Recipes and menus we can all look forward to coming around again and again. It’s reassuring. Like bread rising with the anticipation and fulfillment of the harvest. Like the press of grapes into wine, wild mushroom forays, crab season, blood oranges, the first asparagus, real spring greens, mustard fields, cherries, peaches and tomatoes. So we begin again here with sweet tomato madness and other ripe companions, moving on to balanced fresh salads, slow savory braises and crisp apple pastry. Then it’s time for our cassoulet, big pots of soup and the holiday bash. Cycles of celebration for all that we do have in this time and place together. Every class is different, even same subject ones. I love to watch them take on lives of their own—shaped and made possible by what’s in the market garden, by whether it rains or shines, by the whim of the day, by whatever life had in mind. By each and every one of you.

Hearty Autumn Salads

CLASS 72: Wed, Sept 29 [10am-2pm]

WHOLE GRAIN SALADS with FRESH GREENS & VEGETABLES

When you need something grounding but you still feel like salad, it’s time for a romp in the transitional garden. Everyone knows how we’re supposed to be eating more whole grains, but that doesn’t have to mean, “Now be a good girl and take your vitamins!” Far from the ponderous, muddied creations of hippy days revisited, this class is about tripping the light fantastic instead. We will toss together combinations of bright fresh greens; chewy grains; blanched, roasted and raw vegetables; fresh and dried fruits, lemon juice, wine vinegars, mustard and toasted nut oils for a lively balancing act of flavors, textures and colors...

Back to School

And the First Day of Class...

CLASS 71: Wed, Sept 15 [10am-2pm] 

 TIANS, RATATOUILLE & CAPONATA with Tomatoes, Squash, Eggplant & Peppers 

 

“Look around!” I instructed myself. “It’s such a no brainer.” 

When markets, gardens and countertops are all overflowing with vibrant displays of tomatoes, squash, eggplant and peppers, it’s clearly time to make ratatouille. To both eat right now and save for later. So that’s exactly what we did in the very first Come Home to Cooking class now three years ago. And lining up to debut along with the Ratatouille film created such additional animation that, in fact, one artful student was inspired to arrive with the playful gift of a stuffed Pixar rat to help guide us through the preparation of its namesake dish. [Thank you, Tina.] Re-reading the feedback from that class reminds me of how many students were thrilled to discover why ratatouille has become such a Provencal classic...