Come Back to School with a Whole New Season of Classes…
Apparently the bell now rings in August, but all the adults I know still think September is the month when school actually starts. So here we are, once again, ready to go. And this particular teacher wants to begin by reversing the custom to offer you back that nice shiny apple with tremendous gratitude for all of your eagerness and delight in the process. Thank you to my students for making this such a joy.
As we emerge from the aptly described “lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer” to the invigorating mental clarity of cool air and autumn light, it’s probably the best time of year to really learn something new before winter hibernation and then spring distractions come around again. After having spent every Wednesday evening this summer home-based at the Petaluma Farmers’ Market with all the Cooks’ Club members and good friends dropping by our Marketplace Chat Table, I feel even more connected and grateful to all the devoted farmers who work so hard to help put real live food on our tables. As a result this new season of classes goes several steps further to reflect those sensibilities.
Coming from a variety of different vantage points, we’ll focus on experiencing more direct contact with both our local and individual inner resources for the best cooking possible. It always comes back to starting with the most flavorful and nutritious ingredients fresh from farm and garden, and then learning how to encourage both our abilities and imagination to make the most of them. In an ongoing effort to respond to your requests and have enough time for the inclusion of every step and student, I’ve also expanded the classes to cover four hours of time together and have included both some Friday night and Saturday options as well. So come sharpen your skills and don’t forget your homework! This kind of assignment always earns you extra credit.
Harvest Season 2009 Class Schedule
Click a class link and you will jump down to the full description in the Class Descriptions section below. NOTE: Some scheduled recipes or menus may need to be altered to accommodate unexpected changes in seasonal availability or other circumstances.
- CLASS 57 • Wed, Sept 16 [10am-2pm]: AN APPLE A DAY
- CLASS 58 • Sat, Oct 3 [10am-2pm]: CREATING SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING
- CLASS 59 • Wed, Oct 14 [10am-2pm]: HARVEST GARDEN CELEBRATION AT COUNTY LINE
- CLASS 60 • Wed, Oct 28 [10am-2pm]: WILD MUSHROOMS & WINTER SQUASH
- CLASS 61 • Fri, Nov 13 [5-9pm]: SONOMA COUNTY CASSOULET
- CLASS 62 • Wed, Dec 2 [10am-2pm]: WARMING BROTHS & WINTER SOUPS
- CLASS 63 • Fri, Dec 11 [5-9pm]: HOLIDAY APPETIZERS & APERITIFS
To Sign Up and find out more about how classes work, please see Class Information
Private Party Group Classes
You initiate the gathering and we'll take care of the rest! Hassle-free and easily Dutch treat, this is a great way to enrich your life by making it simple to get together with your own group of friends, family or co-workers for a shared and joyful experience.
EITHER pick the current schedule class subject that suits you best and arrange to book it for sometime that same class week -OR- inquire about alternative available menu options. Please contact me to discuss all possible dates and times. (refer to Contact Us)
Current Class Descriptions
CLASS 57 • Wed, Sept 16 [10am-2pm]: AN APPLE A DAY
Gather up this season’s windfall of apples to make both sweet and savory dishes that are so much easier than pie. We’ll use them fresh and crisp in a variety of salads; sautéed, braised and roasted with vegetables and/ or meats and poultry for side dishes or the main event; and then sauced, baked or caramelized into a crisp for dessert. It may have all started in the Garden, but you’ll get to see how to finish it in the kitchen!
CLASS 58 • Sat, Oct 3 [10am-2pm]: CREATING SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING
Discover creative strategies that will save you time, money and despair by making the most of what’s on hand and learning how to keep a well-stocked pantry. We’ll start by foraging through my fridge and cupboards to assemble a typically odd assortment of possible ingredients, then brainstorm all the different ways we could combine and prepare them, analyze the pros and cons of each idea, and proceed to make and enjoy what we all agree sounds best at the moment. Students are invited to gain additional inspiration by bringing a list of what they have at home for us to evaluate, and also by joining me for a shop and more talk session immediately following class at the Petaluma Farmers’ Market so that everyone can head home with both fresh ideas AND produce.
CLASS 59 • Wed, Oct 14 [10am-2pm]: HARVEST GARDEN CELEBRATION AT COUNTY LINE
Come directly to the source at County Line Harvest in Petaluma for this special class in celebration of their generous organic market gardens and the second anniversary of our cooking school. I have delighted in the flavor and quality of their produce for years, and am so grateful for David’s kind invitation to extend our cooking class experience in this way. We’ll get to collect our ingredients from the garden, cook and eat this seasonal lunch together all right there. This is literally one “field” trip you won’t want to miss. You could even ask a buddy to come along too; we’ll all meet up there.
CLASS 60 • Wed, Oct 28 [10am-2pm]: WILD MUSHROOMS & WINTER SQUASH
Welcome this year’s hearthside season with the rich and earthy flavors in wild mushrooms and winter squash. No, not cooked mushy, bland or watery, but roasted until caramelized and then folded into nutty grains with tangy greens and harvest fruit for a satisfying autumn salad. Or how about a satin smooth squash purée soup sweetly laced with spices and floating sautéed mushrooms? And while we’re at it, why not toast up that bread for a glorious stuffed pumpkin with mushrooms, onions, cheese, cream and sage—maybe a drizzle of truffle oil? So whether you’re happiest scuffling dry leaves, taking a walk in the woods or tramping through a pumpkin patch, you’ll know what’s best when you come home and dig in.
CLASS 61 • Fri, Nov 13 [5-9pm]: SONOMA COUNTY CASSOULET
Comfort and warm yourself with this hearty one pot French legend. We’ll honor the tradition by building layers of aromatic vegetables AND beans AND pork sausage AND duck legs AND crusty breadcrumbs for a long communal simmer to marry the flavors. But we’ll also be cheeky enough to update the process in a way that relieves us of excess fat and keeps the individual characteristics of each main component distinctly alive. Although brought back by popular demand, this year I’m expanding the cassoulet class into a Friday night supper. We’ll first take the edge off with a little appetizer, and then after slaving away in the kitchen over our masterpiece, we’ll all settle in around the dining table where a green salad citronette with pears and then a chocolate-walnut torte will also magically appear. So come round out your week in good company with this sumptuous country classic.
CLASS 62 • Wed, Dec 2 [10am-2pm]: WARMING BROTHS & WINTER SOUPS
Keep out the chill by nourishing yourself well with steaming bowls of soul food soups. Succumb to the healing properties in homemade chicken broth with slippery egg noodles and gentle aromatic vegetables all silky and soothing? Then we’ll look to the garden for a dense pot of root vegetables and winter greens to fortify the broth with peppery French lentils and the possibility of a ham hock. And if you’ve never gone weak at the knees over gratinéed French onion soup, then this is your chance to be schooled in the techniques that will swoon and earn you a well-deserved reputation. With all this going on, who needs an afghan?
CLASS 63 • Fri, Dec 11 [5-9pm]: HOLIDAY APPETIZERS & APERITIFS
Dress up your repertoire with a dash of holiday flare. For this year’s annual December fête, we’ll turn on the style by making a simple pâte à choux dough for countless possibilities from bite-sized fresh crab puffs to a big golden wreath of gruyère gougère with sun-dried tomatoes. And who can resist just a tiny baked potato, especially when it’s stuffed with onions, chard, bacon, raclette and crème fraîche? Then we’ll lighten things up with a swirl of red chicory and crisp fennel in fresh-pressed green olive oil with lemon. Now it’s time for the sweet and salty dance of a rosemary, pine nut and raisin studded flatbread to support liberal lashings of crescenza and prosciutto. You can wrap things up with your date and satsuma, a little last bite of ginger to settle things nicely. Just make sure to join us for this evening of revels, so you can amuse your mouth, raise your spirits and be of good cheer!
