After teaching at The Chopping Block for over 10 years now, you can imagine that I have had the pleasure of teaching a multitude of classes and working with many, many amazing students.
One of the questions my students repeatedly ask me is “What is your favorite class to teach?” The answer to that question has remained the same for many years… it has to be all of the technique-based classes, such as the 101 classes, Pasta Workshops and our sauce classes.
But now, after teaching our Farmers’ Market class at the Lincoln Square location twice in the past month, this is my new favorite class to teach! It’s ironic because this was the style of class that I used to teach back when The Chopping Block was located on Webster in Lincoln Park.
Way back then, our original classes did not have recipes, so our students would take very detailed notes during class. The chef had the creative freedom to prepare the food in their own style, allowing their unique culinary point of view to shine.
The farmers’ market class brought me right back to the beginning of my career as a chef instructor, and teaching people how to cook has never felt better! My students and I walked over to the Thursday evening farmers’ market in Lincoln Square and purchased produce that inspired us. We took the uber-fresh ingredients back to the store and I cooked a three-course meal, totally impromptu.
A few highlights from the two classes were roasted garlic and ricotta bruschetta with caramelized butternut squash, parsnips and balsamic glaze; fried green tomatoes with remoulade, and freshly made fettuccine with grilled shrimp, beet greens, and shiitake mushroom and bacon cream sauce. For dessert one night I made caramelized apple crêpes with orange caramel sauce and gelato.
As a chef instructor, this was my dream class to teach, and what a great learning experience for my students! This is a wonderful opportunity to learn how to pair the season’s freshest ingredients with the most appropriate cooking techniques to showcase their natural flavors, resulting in an amazing meal!