Sunday, April 18, 2010

Great fun & food at sold-out class in Fairfield, Iowa

The most intense class on this tour so far has also been the most fun. Steve Boss convinced me to do an actual cooking class with recipe samples for an evening at the At Home Store in Fairfield -- and I'm so glad he did! We made Double Asparagus Pasta, Spicy Peanut Sauce with Spring Vegetables, and Pears with Cinnamon-Yogurt Sauce. With Steve's great addition of a lentil salad and an appetizer of walnuts and raisins, we made dinner for 25. Since this was a Slow Food event in a community already sold on fresh, seasonal food, the menu featured restaurant-quality dishes you can make quickly on a budget.

One of my favorite comments came from At Home's owner, Rosie: "I expected the food to be starchy and sort of boring, given the budget. But it was so light and delicious. Full of vegetables and fruit!"

Ryan, who runs a local CSA, provided all the amazing local veggies and also good information during the class. Afterward, he asked me about the percentage of the Cook for Good budget that goes to fruit and veg (more than 1/3). He concluded that the Cook for Good budget would work for his CSA subscribers ... great news!

Tomorrow, I'll tell you more about Fairfield, including my talk to a group of high-school seniors. But for tonight, thanks to Steve, Rosie, Ryan, and all the great folks in Fairfield.

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