Silverado Cooking School

On Friday, June 28, John and I participated in a cooking class at the Silverado Cooking School in Napa, California. This three-hour class had us working with eight other participants, Chef Sarah, her sous chef, and the dishwasher. During the hands-on class, we worked with partners to create a fabulous farm-to-table meal. The class was called Harvest Bounty Dinner. Each week a new menu is created based on what is fresh on the farm. If an item is not available on the farm, it is resourced from within a 50-mile radius.

I selected this adventure on my grant for several reasons. First, I wanted to make real-world connections to STEAM in activities students could someday potentially use as a career or hobby right here in the Las Vegas Valley. Connections to the fabulous culinary industry as a chef or through farming are strong. The Mojave Desert probably isn't your first thought when you think about farming or farm-to-table meals, but there are locals who are successful at raising a variety of microgreens, fruits, and vegetables specifically for this reason. Second, the idea of eating and cooking fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as the farm-to-table concept, is extremely important to me. Finally, as an avid baker, I wanted to expand my scientific knowledge behind a variety of baking and cooking techniques.

The Silverado Cooking School kitchen was amazing. Then, when you add in your very own mentor chef, sous chef, and dishwasher, cooking and baking couldn't get any better. I mean, who would be against someone picking up and cleaning the pans, dishes, and utensils right after you finished using them? The kitchen remained so clean and organized as we each worked on our part of the dinner.

The first course of our dinner menu was Stone Fruit Panzanella Salad. The main course was Seared California Halibut with Basil Pesto, Grilled Zucchini, Creamy Braised White Beans and Greens, and Miso Butter Braised Root Vegetables. Dessert included Black Cherry Plum and Frangipane Galette and Honey Pistachio Ice Cream.

Each pair of students was assigned a different part of the meal to prepare. John and I prepared the Miso Butter Braised Root Vegetables and the Grilled Zucchini. Sarah showed us how to properly hold the knife, sharpen it, and slide it through the vegetables. We quartered radishes and turnips. Multi-colored carrots and green beans were sliced on the angle into pieces similar to the size of the radishes. Then, we finely diced a torpedo onion and four cloves of garlic. Next, we sliced zucchini lengthwise. Finally, we peeled the leaves off a stem of tarragon and chiffonaded them. Tarragon was new to me, so I tasted one of the leaves. It had a very light flavor of licorice and was very tasty. All scraps went into a bin for their chickens.

The Stone Fruit Panzanella Salad was fabulous! It included black cherries, tiny cherry plums, cucumbers, freshly roasted beets, and sourdough bread cubes. It was tossed with a light vinaigrette. If you haven't tried roasted beets before, I encourage you to try them. My dad grew fresh beets when I was growing up. Although many people have never tried this bright red vegetable, it is definitely one of my favorites! This salad had a touch of sweet and sour with a nice crunch of the sourdough croutons.

The halibut was pan-fried in olive oil on only one side (the presentation side.) Once it turned golden brown, it was placed presentation side up on a baking sheet. It was baked for a few minutes to finish cooking. Then, several of us helped plate the dinners. The halibut was gently placed on top of a scoop of braised white beans. Basil pesto was drizzled over the top of the fish. Large spoonfuls of roasted vegetables and grilled zucchini were placed alongside the fish. Finally, we were able to sit down and enjoy a delicious, healthy, and hearty meal.

Although we were already stuffed, we found room for the fruit tart (Black Cherry Plum and Frangipane Galette) and the pistachio ice cream. What a delicious meal! The company was great. The process of completing the prepping, cooking, and eating was joyful.