Over the last few years I’ve felt compelled to bring my work closer to home, offering classes that reflect more of the day to day in our seasonal kitchen. When I first started this work, we lived in the city and though we frequented farmers’ markets and participated in a CSA, we lived two blocks from the only food co-op in our state (at the time). The co-op featured, in addition to local goods, a plethora of choices from around the world. I was happy to bring these faraway foods into my classes, which helped represent the global community in attendance. I chia-pudding’d with the best of them and developed more recipes for superfood smoothies than is probably necessary. I was happy to utilize such variety, creating recipe guides and video classes for folks all over the world who, like me, benefitted from some help and inspiration in the kitchen. But then we moved here, where we have a little more land, and began to grow an incredible amount of food. Without much planning or forethought, we became those people who do not purchase fresh tomatoes in winter, or much “fresh” of anything really. In combination with our food storage, we have a supplemental winter CSA, and that’s about it. There has not been a particular agenda driving this evolution; it’s just happened. This isn't to say it's all kale, sauerkraut, and venison around here. It's not. If we get a hankering for fresh figs in February we go for it. We love to buy some citrus during the winter, and there is no moral tug of war going on if I grab a container of briny olives at the co-op. We use rice, coconut oil, coffee, and so on. But it has become true that the bulk of our day to day fare is a combination of food that we grow, forage, and hunt ourselves, and a rich supply from local farms.
I began to notice I’d only buy certain ingredients during recipe creation for my workshops. Over time, keeping up with the fast-paced whole food culture started to feel overwhelming and impractical. A desire to offer classes that celebrate the here and now of a seasonal New England kitchen was born. Today, I’m taking a leap of faith and opening registration for a brand new workshop called Country Kitchen :: A Seasonal Visit to the Center of Home. This will be an intimate class that feels personal and relevant to how we live. It might be a bit of a risk because you better believe I am wondering if someone in Texas would have an interest in a food workshop mostly devoted to the New England garden and landscape. But then I remember my own interest in River Cottage, for instance, and how so many of the ingredients and techniques Hugh talks about are not readily available to me, yet I’m still tremendously inspired by his ideas and approach to food.
Furthermore, this workshop isn’t just about food! So much happens in our kitchen that supports the running of our home, but does not wind up on a dinner plate. Or at least, immediately so. We process and preserve food, make soap, cleansers, medicine, candles, lotion, salves, functional crafts, gifts, and so much more. These things are born from our kitchen, and as is seasonally relevant, I’ll be sharing those recipes and tutorials with you.
My vision for Country Kitchen is that it will be a quarterly offering, a small but mighty two weeks each season, to revel in all things related to the center of home. Beginning in the springtime is interesting because it is probably the most unique time of year for us. The gardens are not yet thriving, so we rely heavily on the forest floor as well as a deep dive into our food storage, attempting to use up and make room for the abundant promise of summer and autumn.
What to Expect:
- Two weeks – classes released on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
- Each class will include a beautifully designed ebook containing featured recipes, tutorials, a seasonally relevant food related essay, lots of tips and ideas, and an instructional video (20-30 minutes in length).
- Private Facebook group (optional) to answer questions and discuss all that is happening in your seasonal kitchen. You will also have the ability to interact on our private website if Facebook is not for you.
- I'll be live for one hour each weekday in our Facebook group to answer your questions, exchange ideas, share what I'm up to, and my favorite part – learn from you!
- This will be part well-planned experience, part go with the flow and see where the season takes us.
- And so much more.
If you’ve taken a workshop with me before, you know my classes are not offered in a "how to" or "you should" sort of tone. It's important to me that you show up as you are, feel welcomed and included, and leave only with what you need. Think of Country Kitchen as a class that highlights what I'm up to in the kitchen these days, and invites you to share the same.
I'm pretty excited about this workshop as it's been quite a few years in the dreaming and drafting stage; it feels good to finally bring it to life. If you'd like to join us, I would love to spend time with you in the kitchen this spring.
Two Weeks ~ Begins May 15th
This Session is now closed.
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Bring a Friend: If you register by Thursday, April 27th, you may invite a friend at no charge. Many people like to buddy up with someone and share the cost of the workshop (you'll need to set that up on your own as I am not able to split invoices). Please follow these simple instructions:
- One person registers.
- Once registered, email me your guest's/friend's full name and email address by 5/1 to heatherbrug@gmail.com
- I will add them to the roster and they will receive a brief welcome letter from me on 5/4.