Classes and Workshops
Saturday, January 18
10 am - 1:30 pm (PDT)
Sylmar area
Winter Eco-Friendly Foraging
Plants Walk / Wild Food Tasting & Drinks
Let’s dive into our Winter environment! Even though it hasn’t rained in a while, that just adds to the adventure. We’ll get to learn about some unusual and fascinating plant uses. Nature always has surprises, and we should still be able to find some Winter berries. Plus, we’ll explore the abundance of edible wild seeds and grains that are all around us.
This is also a great time of year to look at other plant uses, like making cordage from fibers, cooking with barks and stems, and processing acorns (if we come across any). And if we’re lucky enough to get some rain before the class, we might even spot some mushrooms!
It’s a unique class where we’ll take a deeper look at what the environment has to offer. We’ll walk through a private property in the Angeles Forest, identifying and discussing the various uses of the plants we find. The walk will be about 1.5 hours, slow-paced, with lots of stops to talk about and collect plants.
Sunday, January 26
10 am - 2:30 pm (PDT)
Valyermo area
Learn how to make delicious fermented plant-based/vegan cheeses
Spend a day in the local mountains with this hands-on in-person fermentation class that covers how to make your own vegan cheeses at home!
Are you looking to incorporate healthy probiotic foods into your diet? Learn from one of the most esteemed fermentation experts in North America! This workshop will be led by the author of four bestselling books on fermentation: "The Wildcrafting Brewer," "Wildcrafted Fermentation," "The New Wildcrafted Cuisine," and "Wildcrafted Vinegars."
Immerse yourself in the beautiful mountains of Valyermo as we guide you through the process of easily making plant-based cheeses at home. Whether you prefer regular ingredients or want to explore wildcrafted options, the possibilities are endless. Cashews, walnuts, almonds, acorns, grains, seeds, and more await your culinary creativity. Enhance your cheeses with a variety of savory spices to customize flavors and expand your culinary horizons.
No prior fermentation experience is necessary to attend this workshop. We'll start with a demonstration on creating a basic fermentation starter, ensuring everyone can participate. Whether you're a professional chef, a home cook, or simply a natural food enthusiast, this workshop is perfect for you.
During this comprehensive workshop, you will learn:
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The fundamentals of fermentation and how it works.
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How to create a fermentation starter using the sauerkraut method.
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The wide range of ingredients suitable for making plant-based cheeses.
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The basic techniques for crafting "hard" cheeses.
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Food safety guidelines and how to prevent mold formation.
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Techniques for customizing flavors using spices.
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Innovative approaches to creating beautiful and delicious crusts.
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Exploring the limitless creative possibilities of plant-based cheese making.
And that's not all! At the end of the workshop, you'll have the opportunity to savor a selection of the cheeses prepared during the session, accompanied by interesting snacks and drinks featuring locally sourced wild food.
Saturday, February 1st
10 am - 1:30 pm (PDT)
Sylmar area
Eco-Friendly Foraging - Plants Walk / Wild Food Tasting & Drinks
Want to learn about edible plants and help the environment in the process? Did you know what we are surrounded by wild edible plants and most of them are non-native to Los Angeles and often invasive?
Very often the same plants are crops in some other countries and yet, locally, the solution is to spray them with chemicals or waste this incredible food resource by uprooting and throwing it away. So sad when you realize that a recent study from the University of California Berkeley identified 52 edible weeds growing in abundance in the poorest neighborhoods of San Francisco. At least six of them were found to be more nutritious than kale, according to that study. Guess what, we'll find most of those nutritious plants during our walk. So let's look at an option that will help the environment, reduce the use of chemicals in nature and nourish us in the process.
In this class, you'll learn about the countless local plants that you can use for food, many of them can be found in your backyard and are considered weed. Wild food is gourmet food! After the class you will be served delicious snacks and drinks featuring the plants we saw during our walk. A true wild cuisine!
Saturday, February 8
10 am - 3:30 pm (PDT)
Valyermo area
Food Preservation Workshop - Learn how to can vegetables
Spend a day in the local mountains, empower yourself and get ready to learn how to preserve fresh vegetables safely and effectively!
Learn from one of the most esteemed food preservation experts in North America! This workshop will be led by the author of four bestselling books on traditional food preservation and fermentation, including The Wildcrafting Brewer and Wildcrafted Fermentation, and a graduate of the Los Angeles Master Food Preserver Program (2011).
Immerse yourself in the beautiful mountains of Valyermo (90 minutes from Los Angeles) and discover how to pressure can vegetables like green beans, carrots, and more. This workshop will give you the confidence to safely preserve vegetables for your pantry, ensuring quality and independence in your food supply.
This workshop is perfect for home cooks, chefs, anyone interested in preserving their own food at home and even foragers who want to find ways to preserve their own (wild) food. Spaces are limited to only 8 participants to ensure an intimate, hands-on experience.
What You’ll Learn:
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The basics of pressure canning: tools, safety, and techniques.
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Equipment necessary with various price ranges (cheap to more expensive).
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What are low acid and high acid food? Why is that important?
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How to safely preserve low-acid foods like green beans and carrots.
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The difference between pressure canning and water bath canning.
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Tips for maintaining texture, flavor, and color in canned vegetables.
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How to troubleshoot common issues and ensure your food remains safe to eat.
Sunday, February 9
10 am - 3:30 pm (PDT)
Valyermo area
Learn how to make homemade gourmet vinegar & spend a day in the mountains
Learn how to make Delicious Vinegars from ANY Alcoholic Beverages. Workshop located on a beautiful goat ranch just 90 minutes from LA.
(Limited to only 8 students)
Smoked whiskey vinegar? Your favorite merlot vinegar? Belgium beer vinegar?
Learn from one of the most esteemed fermentation experts in North America! This workshop will be led by the author of four bestselling books on fermentation: "The Wildcrafting Brewer," "Wildcrafted Fermentation," "The New Wildcrafted Cuisine," and "Wildcrafted Vinegars."
This class will teach you how to turn any alcoholic beverages, like wine, beer, champagne, or mead, into delicious vinegars. You’ll discover how simple it is to create high-quality vinegars that tastes better than anything you can buy at the store. One of my favorites is a vinegar made from a 12-year-old whiskey aged in smoked oak barrels. Try to buy that at the store.
In fact, I think that any vinegar you make at home will be far superior to vinegars you can purchase at the store. It’s also live and unpasteurized, a good source of probiotics. Heck, maybe after this class, you can even start a new home business making gourmet vinegars!
Saturday, February 15
10 am - 1:30 pm (PDT)
Sylmar area
Eco-Friendly Foraging - Plants Walk / Wild Food Tasting & Drinks
Want to learn about edible plants and help the environment in the process? Did you know what we are surrounded by wild edible plants and most of them are non-native to Los Angeles and often invasive?
Very often the same plants are crops in some other countries and yet, locally, the solution is to spray them with chemicals or waste this incredible food resource by uprooting and throwing it away. So sad when you realize that a recent study from the University of California Berkeley identified 52 edible weeds growing in abundance in the poorest neighborhoods of San Francisco. At least six of them were found to be more nutritious than kale, according to that study. Guess what, we'll find most of those nutritious plants during our walk. So let's look at an option that will help the environment, reduce the use of chemicals in nature and nourish us in the process.
In this class, you'll learn about the countless local plants that you can use for food, many of them can be found in your backyard and are considered weed. Wild food is gourmet food! After the class you will be served delicious snacks and drinks featuring the plants we saw during our walk. A true wild cuisine!
Saturday, February 22
10 am - 3:30 pm (PDT)
Valyermo area
Learn fermentation, spend a day in the mountains
and mingle with goats!
Want to add healthy probiotic food to your diet and learn how to make sauerkraut, kimchi and similar lacto ferments?
Learn from one of the top forager and fermentation expert in North America! Author of 4 bestselling books related to fermentation: The Wildcrafting Brewer, Wildcrafted Fermentation, The New Wildcrafted Cuisine and Wildcrafted Vinegars
In this introduction to basic lacto-Fermentation, you’ll learn how to make simple, delicious ferments and have fun in the process!
This workshop is HANDS-ON and for a LIMITED number of participants (only 8 people).
Here is what you’ll learn:
How lacto fermentation works and the principles behind it.
Making ferments with basic equipment you already have at home.
Food safety - Best way to avoid mold or other spoilages.
Creative sauerkraut-types ferments – how to put together tasty little side dishes
How to make your guests or family enjoy fermentation.
And much more!
