Modern Country Cooking: It wasn’t until I moved to Maine that I began to truly understand what it means to be a country cook. First, it means growing some, (not necessarily all), of your own food; establishing a deeper connection with the earth and sea that provide us with nutrients. Much of this depends on the seasons and the food that is available. In Maine, much is preserved in the summer and fall to get through the barren months of winter. Second, it means revisiting the basics of food production: making bread, butter, yogurt, stocks, pickles, preserves, pies; cleaning and storing vegetables and herbs from the garden; cleaning mushrooms, filleting fish, butchering poultry; and much more. And then there are what I like to call the country cooking basics: cooking in and caring for cast iron, reaching for a mortar and pestle rather than a Cuisinart, correctly sharpening and using a knife, and cooking over fire. There is something empowering in understanding and appreciating these skills, a usefulness one has once they are acquired. This class aims to instill these basic country cooking skills in our students through a simple seasonal menu that relies heavily on the Salt Water Farm gardens.
Dishes may Include:
Mushrooms Toasts on Homemade Country Bread
Potato and Leek Soup
Salad Aigre Dolce
Cast-Iron Pork Chops with Rosemary and Garlic, Apple Cider Braised Red Cabbage
Apple Galettes with Bourbon Cream