Late Summer Cooking Classes in Connecticut
By Janet Serra
August at Husky Meadows Farm, a working certified organic farm located in Norfolk, Connecticut, is a special time of year. The garden on this 300-acre farm is at its peak for summer produce. With this in mind, Husky Meadows Farm is offering a series of cooking classes in August and early September to celebrate their peak gardening season and more.
What makes these cooking classes special on this working certified organic farm, is that participants will learn techniques from professional chefs and guest instructors that know how to bring out the freshest flavors from the produce grown right here on the farm.
Husky Meadows Farm’s cooking classes are open to all skill levels. The hands-on classes are small with no more than ten participants. Tracy Hayhurst, the Culinary Director, has enjoyed over 25 years in the field of nutrition as a consultant and celebrated chef. Hayhurst’s passion is to share her deep understanding of fresh fruit, veggies, and locally grown products with participants and to teach them the best ways to cook them. “It gives me great joy to share my knowledge of creating delicious meals because I believe sharing a dinner or lunch together is a primal bonding experience that defines our humanity,” says Hayhurst.
Build a Bouquet Happy Hour
On August 18, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Husky Meadows Farm is offering a “Build a Bouquet Happy Hour” that is an introduction on how to grow and care for cut flowers at home. The event begins by going into Husky Meadows’s organic garden and choosing freshly picked flowers then heading back to build a flower bouquet with the farm crew. Enjoy sipping wine, signature non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks while creating your floral arrangement. Best of all, you will take your arrangement home and enjoy it for days to come.
Build a Cheese Board
In New England, there are a multitude of artisanal cheese makers and this class will introduce you to some of the best. On August 20, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. join Genevieve Watts at the “Build Your Own Cheese Board” to learn how to build an unforgettable cheese board that will be gobbled up at your next soiree.
Watts is a San Francisco native and has been a cheesemonger at The Cheese School which teaches the in-depth study of cheese varieties and production. Watts also was involved with Cheese Plus which specializes in gourmet cheeses, and Cowgirl Creamery which specializes in artisan and organic cheese. In this informative class, cheese lovers will learn how to build a balanced and delicious cheese board for entertaining while sipping wine and non-alcoholic pairings that compliment the cheese participants will taste.
Campfire Cooking
To herald the end of summer, Husky Meadows is hosting an exceptional cooking class: “Campfire Cooking.” There is something romantic about campfire cooking, even for those of us that don’t like to camp! A carefully tended open fire with food sizzling and friends sitting around swapping stories is how memories are made. On September 2, from 5 p.m. to 9 pm, Husky Meadows Farm is hosting the not to be missed, Campfire Cooking Class. The process of cooking on an open fire not only brings out some real and unexpected flavors it also becomes an enjoyable experience.
This hands-on cooking class at Husky Meadows goes far beyond burgers and steaks and will show their campfire guests how to get creative around the campfire as they learn to make everything from starters with fresh garden veggies to desserts. Cocktails, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages add to the ambiance, not to mention, the beauty of the landscape at Husky Meadows Farm.
About Husky Meadows
The farm is situated on 300 acres in Norfolk, Connecticut. Husky Meadows Farm grows certified organic produce for its kitchen, farm stand, and community-supported agriculture membership. The farm kitchen offers year-round prepared foods. At the height of the growing season from May through October the farm also offers intimate farm stays, cooking classes, community dinners, and special workshops on a variety of farm-to-table and ecological topics.
(Photos courtesy of Husky Meadows Farm)