Special classes and demos focused on fermentation and the abundance & transformation of local ingredients and the harvest season. Classes focused on:
Elderberries with Chris Patton, Founder & President of the Midwest Elderberry Cooperative and local grower Bob Anderson. Guests walked away with an expanded knowledge of this native Wisconsin fruit.
Sourdough with Stephen Blanchard of Stephen’s Breads and locally sourced and milled flour from Anarchy Acres. Attendees made their own sourdough pizza crusts, and topped them with fresh vegetables from Wormfarm’s CSA garden and cheese from Veggie Emporium. They were then baked in a Cobb oven made by artist Tory Tepp. Each participant also took home their own sourdough starter.
Indian Pickle with Manomohan Singh, Hall of Fame chef and Culinary Director at Kama. Guests learned the process to make pickle and tasted different varieties of pickle. Each participant created a take-home pickle concoction using locally sourced vegetables.
Shrubs, Bitters, and Elixirs with Laura Poe Mathes, dietician and fermentation expert. The demonstration included instruction on how to make shrubs, bitters, and elixirs followed by a tasting of the concoctions mixed with gin and bourbon from Driftless Glen Distillery, or seltzer water. The tasting also included a pairing with truffles from Nightshift Chocolates, which were presented by founder Melissa Langholff.
Kernza with artist Tory Tepp and sourdough expert Michael Griffin. Guests were able to sample Kernza crackers baked in Tory’s Cobb oven and even help make the dough.
Mushrooms with Matthew Lopez, head mycologist for Windy City Mushrooms. Attendees learned about basic physiology, growth cycle, and at home growing techniques for oyster, lion’s mane, and shiitake. Attendees also learned and practiced how to inoculate logs with mushroom spores and took home an inoculated log to grow shiitake mushrooms at home.
