Preserving Floyd: New Classes Added to the Schedule!

Eating Floyd is now sponsoring preservation and culinary classes in addition to those offered by the Master Food Volunteers program.  There have been requests for classes that fall outside of the MFV program and after brainstorming with some folks I've decided to jump in feet first and begin a curriculum for the Home Food Preservation and Culinary Arts Center.  This first year I (and others) will be teaching out of local Floyd venues but the plan is to (hopefully) be housed in a place of our own by the fall of 2014.  At which time it will officially become the Home Food Preservation and Culinary Arts Center @ ShannonCroft (our little piece of Floyd heaven)!

See the list of added classes after the jump.  For the full schedule click on the Preservation Classes tab at the top of the page.

Cooking Floyd: Cookie Notes

Virgina's Blue Ridge Music Festival held a pre-festival benefit concert last Thursday at the Floyd Ecovillage's Celebration Hall.  Natasha Shishkevish of Natasha's Market Cafe catered the reception and asked me to provide cookies.  Here are some of the results.

Husbanding Floyd: The Dark Side

Remember these guys?

Well, they've had a really rough winter/early spring and yesterday disaster struck.

Cooking Floyd: Mediterranean Potluck

April has been a hit-the-ground-runnin' kinda month so far.  We started it off with a Mediterranean-themed potluck.  I was a little worried that people might be intimidated until I looked at a map and saw just how many different countries and cultures had a coast on the Med!  Something for everyone!

One of our non-cooking friends solved the dilemma by going to the olive bar at Krogers, corralling a deli worker and giving her the directive, "If it's Mediterranean put it in a bowl!" thus contributing a nice collection of gnoshes.

I took the opportunity to try a new method of roasting lamb as well as making enough dolmas to satisfy a crowd.  But what surprised me most was the almost immediate decimation of a simple grilled eggplant platter.

Preserving Floyd: Updated Class Schedule

I had to switch a couple of classes in order to rent appropriate kitchen space but everything is now in place and confirmed.  I look forward to seeing y'all soon!

 April - June Food Preservation Class Schedule

APRIL

April 13: Planning to Preserve - Topics to be discussed are: Tracking what your family consumes and preserving those things; What is or isn't worth the time/expense of preserving; Realistic goals for preserving; Different methods of food preservation (canning, freezing, dehydrating, root cellaring); Costs of preserving and storing food; Amounts to grow/buy in season and approximate yields; Keeping it safe.Location: Jessie Peterman Library, 321 W. Main St., Floyd, Va
Time: 11am - 1pm
Fee: Free

April 27: Home Food Preservation Safety - This is a prerequisite course for all home food preservation classes.  Topics to be covered are: Common food-borne pathogens; Basic sanitation and safeguards against bacterial and cross-contamination; Proper temperatures for food preservation and the role altitude plays. A receipt will be handed out to those in attendance at the close of the class and must be presented upon future registration for home food preservation classes.
Location: Jessie Peterman Library, 321 W. Main St., Floyd, Va
Time: 10am - 12 pm
Fee: Free

MAY

May 18: Home Food Preservation Safety - This is a prerequisite course for all home food preservation classes.  Topics to be covered are: Common food-borne pathogens; Basic sanitation and safeguards against bacterial and cross-contamination; Proper temperatures for food preservation and the role altitude plays. A receipt will be handed out to those in attendance at the close of the class and must be presented upon future registration for home food preservation classes.
Location: Montgomery Co.: St. Michael's Lutheran Church, 2803 Merrimac Road, Blacksburg, VA
Time: 10am - 12 pm
Fee: Free

May 25: WBC 101: Basics of Water Bath Canning - Learn the basics of safely canning high-acid foods in a boiling water bath.  Topics to be covered are: Basic jars, pots and utensils; What is a high acid food; Adding acidity to foods; Problem solving; Recognizing a product gone bad.  Class is hands on.  Participants will prepare, pack, process, and take home a jar of a high-acid food.  Please wear comfortable closed-toe shoes.  An apron is suggested but optional.  Prerequisite for this class is completion of the Home Food Preservation Safety Class. Class is limited to 15 participants.
Location: Montgomery Co.: St. Michael's Lutheran Church, 2803 Merrimac Road, Blacksburg, VA
Time: 1pm-4pm
Fee: $15 in advance, $20 at the door space providing.  Contact the Floyd Cooperative Extension Office to register at 540-745-9307. 
Payment may be mailed to or dropped off at the office at 209 Fox St NW, Floyd, VA 24091.  Remember, the only reservation is a paid reservation.

JUNE

June 1: Basics of Water Bath Canning - Learn the basics of safely canning high-acid foods in a boiling water bath.  Topics to be covered are: Basic jars, pots and utensils; What is a high acid food; Adding acidity to foods; Problem solving; Recognizing a product gone bad.  Class is hands on.  Participants will prepare, pack, process, and take home a jar of a high-acid food.  Please wear comfortable closed-toe shoes.  An apron is suggested but optional.  Prerequisite for this class is completion of the Home Food Preservation Safety Class. Class is limited to 15 participants.
Location: Floyd Co.: Farm Bureau, 335 E. Oxford St, Floyd Va
Time: 1pm-4pm
Fee: $15 in advance, $20 at the door space providing.  Contact the Floyd Cooperative Extension Office to register at 540-745-9307. 
Payment may be mailed to or dropped off at the office at 209 Fox St NW, Floyd, VA 24091.  Remember, the only reservation is a paid reservation.

June 15: PC 101: Basics of Pressure Canning - Learn the basics of safely canning low-acid foods in a pressure canner.  Topics to be covered are: Basic jars, pots and utensils; A pressure cooker is not a pressure canner; What is a low-acid food; Problem solving; Recognizing a product gone bad.  Class is hands on.  Participants will prepare, pack, process, and take home a jar of a low-acid food.  Please wear comfortable closed-toe shoes.  An apron is suggested but optional. Bring your pressure canner dial gauges for calibration. Prerequisite for this class is completion of the Home Food Preservation Safety Class. Class is limited to 15 participants.
Location: Floyd County: Farm Bureau, 335 E. Oxford St, Floyd Va
Time:1:pm-4pm
Fee: $15 in advance, $20 at the door space providing.  Contact the Floyd Cooperative Extension Office to register at 540-745-9307. 
Payment may be mailed to or dropped off at the office at 209 Fox St NW, Floyd, VA 24091.  Remember, the only reservation is a paid reservation.

June 22: PC 101: Basics of Pressure Canning - Learn the basics of safely canning low-acid foods in a pressure canner.  Topics to be covered are: Basic jars, pots and utensils; A pressure cooker is not a pressure canner; What is a low-acid food; Problem solving; Recognizing a product gone bad.  Class is hands on.  Participants will prepare, pack, process, and take home a jar of a low-acid food.  Please wear comfortable closed-toe shoes.  An apron is suggested but optional. Bring your pressure canner dial gauges for calibration. Prerequisite for this class is completion of the Home Food Preservation Safety Class. Class is limited to 15 participants.
Location: Montgomery Co.: St. Michael's Lutheran Church, 2803 Merrimac Road, Blacksburg, VA
Time:1:pm-4pm
Fee: $15 in advance, $20 at the door space providing.  Contact the Floyd Cooperative Extension Office to register at 540-745-9307. 
Payment may be mailed to or dropped off at the office at 209 Fox St NW, Floyd, VA 24091.  Remember, the only reservation is a paid reservation.