Eat Real Fest - Classes - Fundraisers - MFP Program Applications Due
Ernest Miller
Lots of news!
What a great time I had at the Eat Real Festival a couple of weekends
ago. I would like to thank everyone who stopped by the Farmer's
Kitchen
booth, my peach demo and the kraut-a-thon. I would especially like to
thank Delilah Snell, fellow Master Food Preserver, who organized the
event. Wow! What an amazing job she did! I can't wait until next
year.
The Farmer's Kitchen brought (and sold) a great deal of our preserves
at the Festival as well as some of our fermentation kits. Of course,
we only brought a small sample of our preserves to the market; you'll
have to stop by the Farmer's Kitchen to see all the wonderful stuff we
are making.
The fermentation kits were also very popular. We sold quite a few,
but there was definitely many people interested in the fermentations
that we had brought to demonstrate. Although we had a limited supply
of fermentation kits available at the Festival, we've stocked up at
the Farmer's Kitchen, so if you missed out on a kit, feel free to drop
by and pick one up. And while you're here, try some of our
sauerkraut, kosher dill pickles, and pepper mash - all traditionally
fermented using our airlock systems.
The fermentation kits make great gifts as well.
Unfortunately another new item for sale that I've designed didn't make
it to the festival: a headspace measuring card. These plastic cards
are notched so that you can verify that your canning jars have the
appropriate amount of headspace. A very handy tool, especially for
beginners, but useful even for more experienced canners as well.
Last week we had a great stonefruit preservation class - we covered
drying, freezing, making jam and chutney as well as Southern
(California) Comfort with our local peaches.
This Sunday we are doing a very special event: "The Forager and the
Chef" in which Patina Chef Tony Esnault joins with Intuitive Forager
Kerry Clasby to forage in the Hollywood Farmers' Market, have lunch
prepared in the Farmer's Kitchen and have Chef Esnault demo and sample
some dishes prepared with farmers' market ingredients. The event is in
two parts; you can sign up for either one or both:
Part 1: http://bit.ly/neqxjH
Part 2: http://bit.ly/oJU46P
The Saturday after next (August 6th), I will be teaching a class on
pepper preservation: learn how to preserve both sweet & hot. You will
learn, among other things, how to make pickled cherry bomb peppers
such as these:
http://yfrog.com/h02jnjjj
The class is worth it just to make those!
Sign up here:
http://bit.ly/pfNRuz
We still have a few spaces left for what looks like two very popular
classes: Tomato Preservation 101 (Saturday August 13) and Tomato
Preservation 201 still have some openings. In 101 (which takes place
on Can It Forward Day) I'll be teaching basic tomato preservation:
canning, pressure canning, drying, and freezing. In 201, I will be
teaching advanced tomato preserving techniques like making ketchup,
bbq sauce and tomato paste. Sign up for one or both here:
Tomato Preservation 101: http://bit.ly/pfNRuz
Tomato Preservation 201: http://bit.ly/nrXVvx
Of course, you might be able to get both of the tomato preservation
classes at a bargain, as they have been offered as a donation for
auction at a "Pig Roast, Beer and Bluegrass" fundraiser at Craft this
Sunday starting at 2pm. The fundraiser benefits familyfarmed.org and
is part of the Good Food Festival which will be held in Santa Monica
in September as part of the Santa Monica Farmer's Market 30th
anniversary celebration. In addition to the two classes, I am also
donating a personalized tour of the Hollywood Farmers' Market with me,
in which we will also select some farmers' market produce and preserve
it with me in the Farmer's Kitchen. Have some good food, good beer
and good music in support of a good cause!
More info on the fundraiser here:
http://www.socialdomain.com/info.php3?id=37697
Don't forget that tomorrow, Friday, August 29th, is the last day to
submit your application for the next class of Master Food Preservers.
You can apply here:
http://bit.ly/jhAYmL
The competition is intense, so if you don't make it into this one,
please keep preserving, sharing knowledge and apply for another MFP
class in the future.
And don't forget, I also run a food preservation externship program at
the Farmer's Kitchen. If you want to learn from me, you can volunteer
in the Kitchen to assist me in all the preserving we do ... it isn't
the MFP class, but you will learn a great deal through practice with
me. Email me for details.
That is pretty much it for August, but I've got a lot of demos and
classes planned for September. I and Master Food Preserver Felicia
Friesema will be demoing 1920s preservation techniques at the
Workman-Temple Homestead Sep 10 and 11. We will actually be doing our
demos in the kitchen of a 1920s mansion on the museum property. Wow.
I'll also be demoing in Santa Monica High School September 17th. We
will also likely be looking at doing some field trips out of the
Farmer's Kitchen as well.
Well, that is it for now ... I've got to get started milling some
yellow tomatoes to can yellow tomato sauce. Beautiful and delicious!
As usual, if you have any questions about canning, pressure canning,
fermentation, dehydration, freezing, pickling,
curing, smoking or brewing, feel free to email me at
ernest.miller @ gmail.com.
Follow the Master Food Preservers of Los Angeles:
The blog:
http://ucanr.org/blogs/MFPLA/index.cfm
The Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/mfpla
The twitter hashtag:
#mfpla
Don't forget to sign up for the Farmer's Kitchen newsletter:
http://www.hollywoodfarmerskitchen.org/
And follow our twitter feed:
http://www.twitter.com/HollywoodFK
Thanks,
Ernie