The Gardener & the Cook: from Pruning to Preserving

This summertime class is about pruning, cultivating and harvesting herbs, produce, and useful weeds and how to use this garden bounty. Determined gardener, Tina Marie, is all about the gardening during the dogdays of summer. She gets so hot and busy, that she often feeds the compost pile instead of making use of the prunings and wild herbs that she extracts. On the other hand, Susan is a practical cook, who is always thinking of ways to use the harvest, bringing it into the kitchen to preserve for the cold weather ahead.

In this practical and fun class, this dynamic duo will discuss what is actually happening in the garden this time of year, how to keep yourself comfortable in summer heat, how to prune herbs for the health of the plants and people, how to identify weeds that are actually herbs, and how to utilize the harvest. We will give you practical tips as well as hands-on guidance on the best ways to preserve herbs including drying, freezing, and infusing them to capture their essence in vinegar, honey, oil, and tincture. Each student will go home with the knowledge of how and when to harvest, how to keep the harvest fresh until it gets to the kitchen, and how to make infusions for the kitchen and apothecary; everyone will take home herbs and infusions that they create in class. Space is limited.

The class minimum is 4 students, maximum is 10. You will need to bring the following items to class: gathering basket, pruners, chef and paring knife, and a go-cup or jar for beverages.

The registration fee is due upon sign up. The class fee is due at the start of class by cash or check. The non-refundable materials fee is to be paid in advance to venmo or PayPal/susanbelsinger.