The Farm Cooking School

Kendra joins Ian in his mad-scientist-esque kitchen for a lesson in cheese. Everything from how-to to history and philosophy, our hosts dive deep in the nuances of curds and whey.

On today’s episode we’re focusing on cooking with fire - from the grill, to our wood-oven, to, yep, even the sun. First up, Ian breaks down live-fire cooking at his beloved wood-burning oven, connecting the dots between the crackling skin on a stuffed pork hock and the fundamentals of what makes us human. Next, we head back down to Mexico where our Baja co-host Joy Stocke talks with Chef Judy Castro Lucero about a little known but oh so delicious delicacy: Lobster Machaka. It takes “Food by Fire” to its most basic, cooking the crustaceans using only the sun . And finally, we go back into the kitchen (and out to the grill) with Ian, as he whips up some homemade hotdogs and schools us in grilling techniques.

On today’s Second Course: In anticipation of summer, grilling season, and our upcoming Food by Fire episode - your what’s what and how to about all things cooked using a live flame - we thought it’d be fitting to catch-up with our butcher-in residence-in Hawaii, Bryan Mayer to chat about teaching butchery to kids at our summer camps and about his secrets for that summer staple: the perfect hamburger.

On today’s episode we’re celebrating the warmer weather and the increase of daylight with some wild wild love. We’ve been finding ourselves reconnecting with the great outdoors in a multitude of ways here at the farm, so we lined up a slew of our friends to give us insight on everything from moon cycles and harvesting to soil microbes and edible weeds. We even crash a wild chefs-only celebration of ramps, meat, and pirate-camaraderie.

Fermentation has been around awhile. At work in the rainbow of jars in your grandma’s cellar and literal life-saver to your ancestors. Now, fermentation seems to be more popular than ever among chefs, foodies, and the general public alike.

Today, we’ll explore a few of the many ways we use fermentation here on the farm and at our school. Ian sat down to talk with Brendan Anderson, chief operating officer and brewer at Triumph Brewing Company, about the invisible civilizations living in our beer (and in the air around us). Then I chatted with Kat about how she makes her incredible kimchi from produce straight from the fields. And lastly, Karl will take us into a meeting with the funkiest new club at the school, Culture Club. Where cooks, farmers, and our community get together to chat about all things rotten and tasty.

We’ve laid the groundwork for you and now it’s time to dig deep into the meat - and soil - of what we do: we cook, we explore, we teach, and we learn. In today’s episode, we’re jet-setting without the jet-lag. First, we trek around India with Chef April Galilio: a lesson in history and geography quickly turns into one about evolution and the future of the country’s cuisine. Then, Shelley invites us into her kitchen for a mid-day fiesta where she puts a tortilla around a pinata and calls it a taco. And, yes, it’s just as unexpected and exciting as it sounds. Finally, Chef Nicky Lee explains why Americans love Chinese takeout, how takeout isn’t really Chinese. And yes, we’ll talk about that giant elephant in the room: MSG.

So far we’ve covered the amazing chefs, farmers, and other food experts who make The Farm Cooking School as delicious and educational as it is. But we still haven’t talked about the people most important to the vision we’re cultivating in our fields and kitchens: you, our community!

After all, what’s a cooking school without students? And what’s a farm without mouths to feed? From the very first classes to last week’s farmer’s market, everything we do here at the school is about reconnecting people with their food and each other.

On this week’s episode, I talk with Ian to get the inside scoop on our foundational series at the school: “Learn to Cook”. Anyone who partakes in this series seems to be drawn into our wider family of cooks and food lovers. It’s pretty much the kind of cult you want to be involved in. Then, Shelley sits down with one of her very first students, the inimitable Bette Baer, for a walk down memory lane and a look at how far the school has come in the last five years. Finally, we take a market tour at one of our farm festivals and talk with some farmers and friends about connecting with and feeding our community.

Since 2014, The Farm Cooking School community has grown to include a range of culin-ag experts (culinary meets agriculture, get it?) These experts teach, advise, and supply our school with deliciousness and have really become a crucial part of the cooking school family over the past few years.  

First, we get into it with longtime friend and butcher, Bryan Mayer.  Then we visit our friends Evan and Tatiana Dale who live just two miles away at Goat Hill Farm.  All this talking makes us thirsty… so, we open a bottle with our sommelier, Carol Berman.

Today we are taking you into the fields - literally. The Farm Cooking School is unique because we work alongside two other businesses: Roots to River Farm and Locust Light Herb Farm. Out of this world organic produce and herbs. We’ll talk with Malaika Spencer, the owner/founder of Roots to River, who manages her team and fields with honest love and compassion. The result is a smorgasbord of heirloom and exotic organic vegetables that call people from miles and miles away. Then Karl chats with Amanda Midkiff, owner of Locust Light Farm, an herbalist, poet, and definitely a “good” witch. She’s part natural nurturer, part earth whisperer. These two women know grit. They know dedication and hard work. And of course, they also know what tastes good! For our In The Kitchen segment, Chef Shelley, utilizes zucchini straight outta the Roots to River fields - both seconds and non - and herbs from Amanda’s culinary garden to teach us how to make Greenspacho and Zucchini Carpaccio.

On our premiere episode, we introduce you to The Farm Cooking School and the masterminds behind it: Ian Knauer and Shelley Wiseman. We’ll go into the kitchen with Ian and talk sourdough - like really, really amazing sourdough. And finally, we’ll speak with the one and only Fabrizia Lanza of the Anna Tosca Lanza Cooking School in Sicily. This is The Farm Cooking School and we are so glad you found us. Let's eat!