Class Descriptions
Urban Farm Kitchen
listed alphabetically
WHY ARE THERE NO DATES?
New dates will be listed on February 15th, 2012.
Our 2012 session starts March 15.
Yes, the class you are interested in will most likely be offered again, we are busy making sure that happens right now.
The best way to know when your class is scheduled is to subscribe to our newsletter, which you can do using our contact form, link on left sidebar.
Thanks for your patience !!!!!
Additions and changes in RED. Classes in GREY not yet open for registration.
Classes listed without dates are curricula not being offered in the current year which we hope to offer again in the future.
Pre-registration is required and exact location is given once you have registered.
Many classes will repeat if there is enough interest. If a class is past or you do not get in on time, please contact us and we will let you know if another session is forming. Classes are for age 12 and up unless other wise
indicated.
Brewcraft: Mead ~ Making Fruit & Honey Wines
Instructor: K.Ruby Blume
Location: North Oakland
Cost: $30-60
Mead is a traditional drink made from water, honey and yeast with other fruits and spices added in to enhance the pleasure in drinking it. In this class we will learn the basic process of making wine from honey including equipment, ingredients and fermentation techniques, tips, tricks and troubleshooting, Emphasis is on making wines with natural
ingredients instead of chemicals and a range of brew-styles from simple to technical will be presented. We will start one batch and taste several
Canning Made Easy: Fruit
Instructor:K.Ruby Blume
Location: North Oakland
Cost: $30-60 plus $10 supply fee to be paid on day of class
Learn the most simple canning techniques for acid fruits.
After getting an introduction to theory, safety issues, equipment and ingrediants we will can up some organicseasonal fruit in a failproof method that will
knock yer socks off it is so easy and quick. Plus you will take home a
jar or two of the goodies we make. Canning is not only just for fun, it can help you preserve an overflow of fruit or tomatoes from your urban garden, take care of your Christmas giving and help you enjoy the bounty of summer in January.
Canning Extravaganza: Fruit & Tomatoes
Instructor:K.Ruby Blume
Location: North Oakland
Cost: $50-75 plus $12 supply fee to be paid on day of class
All the same great information and goodness as in Canning Made Easywith additional information on canning tomatoes. We complete canning projects with both fruit and tomatoes in this class and there are more goodies to bring home!
Cheese Making 101: Yogurt, Fresh Cheeses & Feta
Sunday March 21 1-4pm
Instructor: K.Ruby Blume
Location: North Oakland
Cost: $40-60 plus $12 supply fee to bring on the day of class
This class will introduce you to concepts and techniques of milk transformation and preservation. We will learn about equipment, ingredients and cultures used and get hands-on practice making yogurt, a fresh cheese and a feta cheese. We talk about the hard cheese process, uses for whey and the history of cheesemaking. We will be working with cow milk, however all processes will work with other fresh (not ultra-pasteurized) milks. If you have access to fresh (not ultra-pasteurized or homoginzed) goat or sheep milk, please let us know!
Cheese Making 102: Mold Ripened Cheeses
Instructor: K.Ruby Blume
Location: North Oakland
Cost: $35-60
Pre-requisite: Cheesemaking 101
Glory Hallelujah cheese lovers! Mold-ripened cheeses are relatively forgiving and suited to home-cheesemaking! In this class we will learn about mold ripened cheeses including camembert, brie, blue, gorgonzola and cambezola. We will cover ingredients and special equipment, ripening techniques and more. Amaze your friends and family by making brie just like from the store! In this class we will also learn more about cultures and learn to make cultured butter.
Cheesemaking 103: Chevre, Queso Fresco, Mozzarella and Panir
Instructor: K.Ruby Blume
Location: North Oakland
Cost:$40-60 plus $10 supply fee to bring on the day of class
Fresh cheeses from around the world! pre-requisite: Cheesemaking 101
Winter 2012 Cheesemaking Intensive:
Saturday February 4 12-6pm & Sunday February 5 10 - 2pm CLASS FULL
Saturday February 25 12-6pm & Sunday February 26 10 - 2pm CLASS FULL
Instructor: K.Ruby Blume
Location: North Oakland
Cost:$160 -200 includes supplies
This two-day intensive course will cover everything you need to get started making simple cheeses that are easily created in a home environment. We will learn about cultures, equipment, ingredients and cheesemaking concepts and will work with both cow & goat milk to complete a number of cheesemaking projects including: Yogurt, Yogurt Cheese, Feta, Ricotta, Brie, Buttermilk, Sour Cream, Chevre, Mozarella and Cultured Butter. We will also learn about the hard cheese process. You will receive hand-outs outlining the major concepts, recipes and resources to help you along once you try your hand at home. Each day will culminate in a community feast in which we share food, sample the cheeses and enjoy the friends we have made working together through the weekend. This course is the equivalent of Cheesemaking 101, 102 & 103 together.
Decadent Cordials for Health & Pleasure
Instructor: Frieda Kipar
Location: North Oakland
Cost: $30-50 plus $15 supply fee to be paid on day of worksho
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Discover the alchemist in yourself by learning the fundamentals of cordial making. Cordial means “of the heart” and describes an alcoholic elixir that can include herbs, fruits, nuts, and just about anything else. Cordials are decadent deliscious potions which can also enhance health as digestives, sleep aids and immune system boosters. In this class, you will learn how to make a healing cordial, tailored to your own tastes and needs. We will discuss the art of flavor combining as well as herbs to add for specific purposes. Cordials make great gifts, and everyone will take home one of their own. Supply cost: $15 per person
Dehydrating Basics
Instructor: Heather Haxo Phillips
Location: Oakland, Fruitvale
Cost: $30-50 plus at $10 supply fee to be paid on the night of the class
Learn the ancient art of dehydration and low temperature baking. In this class you will learn about equipment and tools, dehydration methods for fruits and vegetables & uses for dehydrated foods. We will then go beyond the basics of simple dehydrating and learn fantastic recipes for leathers, chips, crackers, cookies & bruschettas. Say good-bye to gluten, additives, fillers and refined sugars and hello to foods from the garden that are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and the "good" fats, to protect you from disease all year long – even when items aren’t in season.
Everyday Nut Milks and Cheeses
Instructor: Heather Haxo-Phillips
Location: Oakland, Fruitvale
Cost: $35-55, plus $10 supply fee to bring on day of class
Learn to make your own nut milks and cheeses! Nuts milks & cheeses are delicious, nutricious and are the perfect alternative for those wishing to avoid gluten, dairy and soy. Unlike what you buy in the store, these milks and cheeses are also free of preservatives, stabilizers, artificial ingredients or additives of any kind. And, they are totally fun to make! In this class we will learn to prepare almond milk, cashew cream, a pinenut parmesan, an almond ricotta and a pumpkin seed cheddar as well as learning some basics about kitchen tools & skills. You will get to try the yummy creations we make and will leave with a recipe packet and resource guide with tips on food storage, shopping and more.
Ferment! Lacto-Fermenting for Flavor & Health
Instructor: K.Ruby Blume
Location: North Oakland
Cost: $30-60 plus $5 supply fee to be paid on day of class
Fermenting foods is a healthful and amazingly easy way to preserve and enhance the flavor and nutrition of food. Sadly some of the healthier ferments have passed out of common usage because they are impractical for commercial production. In this class we will learn about different types of fermentation and cultures including pickling vegetables, ginger beer, traditional sodas and more. We will learn how to preserve food with lactic fermentation, a technique which requires neither canning nor vinegar (includes fresh sauerkraut and kim chee) and will prepare one lacto-fermented soda and one fermented veggie medley. Kombucha and traditional yeast soda will also be discussed and demonstrated if there is time. Along with your supply fee there will be a short list of readily available supplies to bring with you. Everyone will bring home goodies.
Gifts from the Heart: Infused Vinegars, Liquers & Honeys
Instructor: K.Ruby Blume
Location: North Oakland
Cost: $40-65 plus supplies TBA
Imagine their delight when you present your loved ones with these beautiful infused goodies. In this class you’ll learn to create delicious infusions with a flair. Everything will be provided for you to take home a small bottle of each, plus a wealth of recipes and ideas.
Gifts from the Heart: Truflles, Chocolate Enrobing & Caramels
Instructor: K.Ruby Blume
Location: North Oakland
Cost: $60-100 plus supplies TBA
In this two evening class, you’ll get a basic introduction to the world of confections while crafting your own personalized ganache and learning to enrobe. We’ll create truffles and chocolate covered treats. As an added bonus, we’ll also whip up a batch of to-die-for melt-in-your-mouth caramels. Participants will take home a selection of treats and packet of recipes.
Hand Pressed Edible Oils
Cost: $25-50
Oil used to be pressed in small batches, by roving oil vendors. This oil was fresh, flavorful and could be used before it went rancid. Modern oil companies face the inimitable fact of shelf life and most commercial oils, even those touted as "cold-pressed" and "organic," go through several heat or chemical processes, rendering them tasteless and rancid by the time they reach the shelf. In this class you will learn a bit about the history, politics and healthfulness of oils produced from seed & nut extraction. We will discuss various methods of extraction from ancient techniques to the most modern and draw some conclusions. Then we will move into the kitchen where we will experience a home scale press first hand, try our hand at it and sample some of the oils that have been made on site.
Home Butchering: Fowl
Teacher: Jim Montgomery & K.Ruby Blume
Location: Berkeley
Cost:$75 -100 includes supplies
As people who are used to getting our meat in the freezer section of the grocery store, one of the big questions about raising animals for meat is…Can I do it? Can I butcher and process my own? This introduction to butchering addresses not only the why and how of it, but the deeper aspects of what it means to take life for our own sustenance and how to do it with the least suffering on the part of the animal. In this class we will learn and practice butcherinf fowl. This class is reccommended for all people keeping chickens, as there will generally be some point in the life of husbanding chickens where you need to cull or retire a bird. There will be a demonstration, hands-on experience of wielding the knife, cooking and eating. We will also include information on organ meats and recipes for older animals.
Home Cured Salami Making
Instructor: Paul Opresco
Location: South Berkeley
Cost: $40-60 plus $10 supply fee on day of class
The class we have all been waiting for! This class will demonstrate the ease and practicality of making and curing your own salami at home.. We will learn the theory and practice .of home meat curing including equipment and ingredients, hygiene and safety margins, what type of environment you will need to provide for the curing process, whether nitrites are necessary and how to be safe without them.. Then we’ll experience first hand how easy the process is of mixing condiments, salt and fat with the meat; and running it through the casings. We will taste some of the instructors home cured meats, and the salami we make in the class will be available for you to pick up a few weeks later .
Home Coffee-Roasting
Instructor: Tim Van Dragt
Location: North Oakland
Cost: $30-60 plus $5 supply fee
Home coffee-roasting is inexpensive to get started and will bring the world of your morning “cuppa” to a whole new level. Besides having a wider array of choice in how the coffee is roasted (much commercial coffee is over-roasted, destroying some of the subtler flavor profiles of the coffee bean), you will have the satisfaction of knowing just how fresh your beans are—taste the difference! This class provides you with everything you need to know to successfully start roasting at home, while leaving room for creativity in the production. Topics covered Include where to procure your green, unroasted beans and how to store them, equipment, the essentials of roast "profiling" including the chemical processes and stages of roasting, proper storage of roasted beans, clean up and maintenance of your roaster. After a roasting demonstration, we’ll brew up and sample some of the freshly roasted coffee and you will receive some fresh beans to take home and get started.
Kitchen Medicine: Growing & Using Culinary Herbs
Instructor: Frieda Kipar
Location: North Oakland
Cost: $30-50 plus $15 supply fee to be paid on day of worksho
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In many cultures the herbs and spices used on food are not only delicious, but are powerful tonics for keeping the people who prepare and eat the food in good health. In this class we’ll learn to work with several common kitchen herbs to prepare food that both tastes good and is good for you. After a short primer on the best and easiest way to grow, harvest, dry and store your spring herbs, we’ll learn about their tonifying aspects, constituents and uses. Using this knowledge, we’ll make an herbal gomasio (sprinkle), syrup, and vinegar for each participant to take home.
Living Cultures Kitchen
Instructor: K.Ruby Blume
Location: North Oakland
Cost $50-80
Come explore the transformative process of micro-organisms in the kitchen! In this class we will learn to harness the micro-scopic world to enhance flavour, nutrition and digestability, turning raw organic ingredients into foods and condiments which far surpass their commercially available counterparts. Many of these processes are connected and complimentary, are quick and easy, and were standard practice for our grandparents, who kept a host of critters on hand to preserve and transform their foods, creating a vibrant kitchen culture with living cultures. In the morning we will explore interlocking skills using dairy products and cultures. We will learn about yogurt and yogurt cheese, chevre, butter, buttermilk and whey, kefir and kvass as well as the touching on the theory, tradition and practice of making hard cheese. In the afternoon we’ll explore other aspects of fermentation starting with the whey left over from the morning session to create lacto-fermented drinks and vegetables. Then we will move on to learn how to "catch" a wild ginger beer bug and a local sourdough starter, learn the difference between kombucha and vinegar and how to make both. You will taste a variety of finished products and take home a wealth of concepts to experiment with.
Olive Picking & Brining at Hillcrest Ranch
Instructor: Kathleen Elliot
Location: Hillcrest Ranch, Sunol
Cost $35-60 plus $15 supp;y fe to be paid to instructor on the day of classe
Discover the joy of making your own olives. You'll learn the process from harvest to milling from brining to cooking with your olives. Join us at Hillcrest Ranch in Sunol, where we'll start by picking ripe olives from this historic 6 acre olive orchard. Then we'll learn home to preserve them through the traditional process of brining and take aa"tour"of the home-scale olive press that they use for small pressings on the ranch. Each student will take home a generous quart of olives to enjoy at home. Weather permitting enjoy the spectacular view from the ranch while you eat your pic-nic lunch or stay after for a hike in the Pleasanton Ridge Park.
This class takes place at Hillcrest Ranch a 6 acres olive tree farm in Sunol, planted in the 1890s and still producing olives and olive oil today. The ranch is an approximately 45 minute drive from Oakland and is well worth the time it takes to get there. Come earlier in the day for a hike in Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park (the Ranch is located within it's limits) and then enjoy the spectacular views from the Ranch during the class. Carpooling/caravan will be arranged, please let us know if you can offer or need a ride when you register.
Real Bread in 10 Minutes
Instructor: Lee Sonko
Location: North Oakland
Cost $30-60 plus $5 supply fee
Making bread is easier, faster and more flexible than you thought. You can make fantastic bread every day inexpensively with less than 10 minutes effort, including cleanup! In this class, you'll learn techniques to minimize the ordinary and maximize the extraordinary parts of making bread at home. We'll talk about: instant yeast vs sourdough, refrigerated dough, crust, crumb, shaping, amendments, the chemistry and biology of bread, and the thousands of varieties of this staple food. Once you have the foundations, you'll see bread recipes as suggestions instead of steps to be followed. The sky is the limit! We will eat and bring home what we make in class.
Tempeh-Making for the Masses
Instructor:Steven Kent
Location: Oakland, Lake Merritt
Cost: $30-60
Tempeh, a soy bean cake fermented and made digestible by mold is a tasty, easily digestible vegetarian protein traditional to Indonesia.. In this class we will learn the facts, history, and health benefits of Tempeh. We’ll cover basic information such as tools and ingredients needed, where to get the tempeh culture , techniques and concerns for incubation and many other tips and tidbits. Then we’ll get hands- on practice making tempeh, going through the steps pf dehulling, cooking, drying, inoculating, incubating, storing, and cooking. You will get to taste some of the instructors delicious home-made tempeh and take home a handout detailing the process so you can get started at home!