Reserve Your Spot!
My oh my am I glad to be here. SUMMER! Are you? All winter long, it felt like I was trudging along just waiting for the days when the gooseberries would begin to ripen, herbs could be cut and hung to dry by the armful, and the glut of summer was close at hand.
Our last snow, I stood at my bedroom window looking out on the storm. Stu came up behind me, put his hand on my shoulder, and said softly "It's gunna be okay. I promise it'll be summer again."
And here we are. Hallelujah!
As you well know, preserving food is a massive part of the work that we put in here on our small farm. Each year, the work begins as we "put up" everything from raspberries to elderflowers to tomatoes to peppers.
My sore hips and sunburnt legs will be the first to acknowledge that the labor of preserving the harvest is a lot of work - fortunately, a lot of the effort can be saved by simply:
having the right recipes on hand
focusing on what you want to actually preserve and eat
keeping your techniques simple
Preserving is a life-long love affair with the bounty of the soil. In our first summer workshop, coming up at the end of this month, we hope to give our participants excitement, direction, knowledge, and tried-and-true recipes for preserving their own bounty.
Registration is now open for 20 of you to come celebrate the summer bounty with us and learn various methods of preserving the harvest.
We will focus on basic principles for general preserving, including drying/dehydrating, hot-pack canning, pickling, and fermenting. We will be working through a handful of recipes that are adaptable to various vegetable and fruits. No special equipment is required, other than basic canning jars.
Our workshops are an intensive time of cooking and education. Each workshop runs for 3 hours and is held on ZOOM. During that 3 hour class, we cook recipes together and I will instruct on the topic. It's interactive and intimate - you can ask questions as needed and interact with the other participants as well. This is a bountiful, fun-filled kitchen marathon! Each workshop is limited to 20 participants to maintain a small-group feel.
The goal of this workshop is to inspire you to preserve your summer bounty and give you basic principles to adapt to your own specific needs for preservation. It will be held:
June 21st, 2023
9am-12pm PST
Workshop participants also receive a package, prior to the class, which includes:
a printed workshop packet with lists, prep assignments, and recipes
a signed Family Table cookbook
a piece of sourdough starter and instructions
an Elliott Homestead apron
a recording of the workshop, after it's finished, to rewatch and reuse as many times as you need and/or if you can't make the workshop live
You can register here.
If you're international, you're welcome to join us! Please email me directly and I will make arrangements.
If preserving isn't your jam (get it?), but baking is - consider joining one of our other summer workshops! You can view the details and schedule right here: we will be covering baking with einkorn and sourdough.
Looking forward to "seeing" some of you there!
Cheers,
Shaye
PS: We ask that all participants register at least 1 week prior to the class so that I have ample time to personalize your package and send it your way!