It had been a long time coming, and I mean a really long time coming! I had been thinking about wheat day for over a year and yesterday it finally happened! It truly was like a dream come true for me– sharing my passion for growing wheat, processing it and cooking with it, was something very important to me. I don’t know why exactly; perhaps it is the sheer delight of growing something so basic and being able to incorporate it into our lives; perhaps it is the connection to the outside world since wheat is grown all over the world; perhaps it is the beauty of the wheat stalk when it rustles and sways in the wind on a hot summer day before its harvest; whatever it is, wheat is captivating and alluring. And, not just to me, but to all these other folks too- hurray!
We learned about wheat, we threshed it and made very loud noises in the barn, we experimented with winnowing, we ground the kernels into flour and used it in our lunch. Chef Andrea brought the wheat to life in a delectable flatbread with caramelized onions and a wheat berry salad fit for royalty! Her flavour combos were delectable and everyone enjoyed many helpings of each- thank you Andrea!
I think, underlying all of this experience, is the way that food connects people. I am enchanted by our community– children of all ages and their dedicated parents coming out on a rainy Saturday to share in something that really was quite magical. I believe everyone who joined us yesterday would give thanks for our land, our ability to grow food, and our City for providing spaces like the Red Barn to gather together. This week will commence with deep gratitude.
The prep began early Saturday morning; basket to be filled with wheat berries for each family to take home.
We ground flour (from our own kernels) before class to get a head start; each family brought some home– what will they make?
Threshing wheat with different tools. Here we see Zach brought his own tool to try out; it leveraged quite a bang!
Sean, Ronan’s dad, is a good sport as I threw him into this experiment ( I had not actually done this method before). We all were very excited it worked!
Getting ready to grind the kernels- thanks to Mr Lai for loaning us his grinder.
Each child had a turn to pour kernels into the grinder and watch them disappear.
Chef Andrea explains how to make the flatbread dough and later the no- knead dough to take home.
Look at Theia’s expression ( the girl on the right) as she watches Chef Andrea assemble the flatbread.
Tyler and his daddy watching the demo with interest.
Alison and Evan are captivated by Andrea’s ingredients; will they want to make this dough at home later?
‘Till the next post,
Emily