Farmer’s Market tour, cooking demo for exchange students

This year and last year, I gave a Farmer’s Market tour and cooking demo to Stanford University exchange students:

VIA’s “Asia-US Service-Learning Program”

Give to the community. Grow from the experience.

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The students visit for the summer with a full schedule of destinations ranging from nonprofit groups to farms.

One of their day activities include hiking, kayaking, Great America or – a day with me looking at, and playing with, food. They will get to know food from a natural chef’s point of view, my therapeutic approach to selecting, cooking and eating. We’ll discuss the anatomy, the chemistry, and more … of both food and the body.

Food, cooking and nutrition

A market tour, cooking class and Q&A

Agenda:

10am-12pm Farmer’s Market Tour
12pm-2pm Cooking class and light lunch
2pm-3pm Nutrition and biochemistry discussion

$15 per student

More images, below.

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In 2011, we toured the Mountain View Farmer’s Market.

In 2012, we toured the Sunnyvale Farmer’s Market.

We traveled around the market for 2 hours, talking with farmers, picking up food and sampling. I purchased a variety of foods (based on their interest) to use for the cooking class.

After the tour, we did a caravan from the market to my kitchen in Cupertino where the students got to see how I’ve set up my 10-person kitchen. The students had time for refreshments in the backyard enjoying the waterfall and creek, getting to know Hugo, our cocker spaniel.

During the cooking class we made several dishes using the foods I bought at the Market. Including a few other foods from my pantry. My goal was to share my knowledge about shopping and cooking, making quick, easy, healthy, tasty meals … that they can make at home, in their (usually small) college quarters.

Discussion included: