Vermont Farm Fresh Cooking Classes, Table Talks, Wine Pairing Dinners, Harvest Celebrations, VT Holiday Getaways near Burlington and Middlebury, VT

Eat Local for Locals!: Wed & Thur Feb 10 & 11 from 5:30; Winter localvore dinner every Wednesday and Thursday, January-April. Three course dinner (appetizer, entree and dessert) features local food from our farm partners. Taste Vermont in winter - good food at a good price.; $20 plus tax and gratuity

Eat Local for Locals!: Wed & Thurs Feb 17 & 18 from 5:30; Winter localvore dinner every Wednesday and Thursday, January-April. Three course dinner (appetizer, entree and dessert) features local food from our farm partners. Taste Vermont in winter - good food at a good price.; $20 plus tax and gratuity

"Amazing Waves of Grain in Vermont": Friday Feb 19; 6:00 dinner, 7:30 talk; Dr. Heather Darby from UVM Extension shares with us her research regarding growing grains in Vermont. Beginning with a brief history of grain production in Vermont she will highlight the current UVM heirloom wheat revitalization project - including an introduction to the newly formed Northern Grain Growers Association. We will be introduced to the many factors that create challenges for grain production in our state as well as the vast opportunities. We will even have a short lesson on grain quality and its impact on baking properties. Join us for a fascinating discussion on bringing the Amber Waves of Grain back to the state of Vermont.; $25 Dinner; Talk is Free

"Passion for Pasta": Saturday February 20, Sundays February 21 and 28: 12:30-4:00; Learn the magic of turning flour and eggs into fun and pure pleasure as it has been done for generations. Create simple sauces to go with your ravioli, cannelloni, gnocchi and hand cut pasta. So roll up your sleeves and hold on to your pasta machine, this class is one of our most requested.; $75 per person includes lunch with wine

Chocolate Festival: Wed-Sun February 24-28; Celebrate chocolate. All the rich, dark chocolate that you can eat - from chocolate truffles and cheesecake, to chocolate cookies and creme brulee. Come for dinner and indulge in chocolate, or come just for chocolate. It's pure heaven for the chocolate lover.; Chocolate Buffet - $8.95 per person

Eat Local for Locals!: Wed & Thurs Feb 24 & 25 from 5:30; Winter localvore dinner every Wednesday and Thursday, January-April. Three course dinner (appetizer, entree and dessert) features local food from our farm partners. Taste Vermont in winter - good food at a good price.; $20 plus tax and gratuity

Eat Local for Locals!: Wed & Thurs Mar 3 & 4 from 5:30; Winter localvore dinner every Wednesday and Thursday, January-April. Three course dinner (appetizer, entree and dessert) features local food from our farm partners. Taste Vermont in winter - good food at a good price.; $20 plus tax and gratuity

"Seed Story: How the Control of Seeds Effects our Lives": Fri March 26; 6:00 Dinner, 7:30 Talk; For thousands of years, the success or failure of communities was based on their seed supply and the ability of those seeds to perform under their local conditions. Beginning in 1700, seed companies came about and over the next 300 years shifted the role that seeds have played in the health of our communities. The 20th Century has brought us genetically engineered varieties, incredible seed industry consolidation and increased non-local food production. Join Tom Stearns, founder and president of High Mowing Organic Seeds, in a lively discussion of seeds, their role in our current food system and their future role in our healthy food system.; $25 Dinner; Talk is Free

"Cooking Vermont's Heritage": Saturday March 27 and Sunday March 28; 12:30-4:00; Algonquian, English, and French-Canadian traditions have all shaped Vermont’s distinctive cuisine: cheeses, dry beans, root crops, smoked meats, and of course, maple syrup. This class will spotlight some of our overlooked foods, enhanced of course, with the bounty of the maple syrup season.; $75 per person includes lunch with wine

"Contemporary Southwest Cuisine": Sunday April 18 or 25, Saturday April 24; 12:30-4:00; Investigate the warm, spicy tastes and enticing aromas of contemporary Southwest cuisine. This class includes flour tortillas, corn chowder with green chile croutons, roasted pepper quesadillas with goat cheese, chiles rellenos and sautéed shrimp with orange-chipotle honey mustard sauce.; $75 per person includes lunch with wine

"Free and Good for All": Saturday or Sunday May 15 or 16; 12:30-4:00; Gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, oh my! Don’t be flustered if you have to deal with dietary restrictions. This class will show you that these restrictions only present a different opportunity for taste and flavor to shine. Discover new recipes to spice up your repertoire like carrot-ginger soup with quinoa corn bread, seitan Piccata, and vanilla cupcakes with lemon frosting.; $75 per person includes lunch with wine

"Choose Responsibility-Debate for Lowering the Drinking Age": Fri June 11; 6:00 Dinner, 7:30 Talk; John McCardell, President Emeritus of Middlebury College is founder of the non-profit group Choose Responsibility in 2007. Join us for a lively discussion on the pros and cons of lowering the drinking age, states' rights and possible pilot programs to monitor the effects of lowering the age to 18.; $25 Dinner; Talk is Free

"Smoked and Grilled": Sunday June 13, 20 or 27; 12:30-4:00; This alfresco class meets on the patio - at the grill, of course! (weather permitting!) Learn how to grill, smoke, skewer, and make a marinade. We’ll start with shrimp, beef and bread Spiedini, then on to marinated lamb with tabbouleh and minted aioli and grilled vegetables. And for dessert – grilled peaches with balsamic glaze and blue cheese!; $75 per person includes lunch with wine

"Catch of the Day": Sunday July 18 or 25 or Saturday July 24; 12:30-4:00; Discover delicious fish and seafood recipes, some traditional and some with a ‘spin-off’ on tradition. Learn how to bone a whole fish, and practice a variety of seafood cooking techniques. The class will include seafood shepherd’s pie, pan sear maple scallops and prosciutto wrapped swordfish with herbed oil.; $75 per person includes lunch with wine

"Sustainable Fishing-What to Eat from the Sea and How to Protect our Oceans": Fri July 23; 6:00 Dinner, 7:30 Talk; Presenter: Sam Haywood, Chef-Owner of Fore Street Restaurant in Portland Maine and Best Chef in the Northeast by the James Beard Society in 2007 travels to Vermont to share his vision of the fishing industry; what got us to this over-fished point and what we can do to improve life in the waters.; $35 Dinner; Talk is Free

"Slow Food International and Other Sustainablity Issues": Fri Aug 13; 6:00 Dinner, 7:30 Talk; Presenter: Jeff Roberts, Author of The Cheese Book and Board Member of Slow Food International; $25 Dinner; Talk is Free

"Tuscan Flavors": Saturday August 14 or Sunday August 15 or 22; 12:30-4:00; Another recent visit to Tuscany has again expanded Chef Mack’s culinary palette of Tuscan flavors. Our Italian classes are always extremely popular and fill quickly. Recipes for this class include crostini misti, potato gnocchi with leeks and sausages and tiramisu. Buon Appetito!; $75 per person includes lunch with wine

"Small Bites, Big Flavors": Sunday September 5, 12 or 19; 12:30-4:00; No matter whether you call these little nibbles tapas, mezze, hors d’oeuvres or antipasti they are perfect for entertaining. They can hail from many backgrounds and you can plan a whole meal around them. We’ll include sizzling garlic shrimp, fried almonds, olives and feta, beef meatballs in carrot-onion sauce and more.; $75 per person includes lunch with wine

"NOFA and Vermont's Organic Future": Fri September 10; 6:00 Dinner, 7:30 Talk; Presenter: Jean Hamilton, NOFA-Vermont's Food Security and Marketing Coordinator and also works with Vermont Food Education Every Day (VT FEED). She helps improve consumer accessibility to the delicious food that the farmers of Vermont are growing.; $25 Dinner; Talk is Free

"Field and Stream": Sunday November 14 or 21; 12:30-4:00; As Samuel Champlain said 200 years ago, the bounty of Vermont’s food is "animals of the chase” and "fish from the many rivers”. In this class 'the chase' will concentrate on game birds, venison and rabbit and 'the stream' will feature trout and mussels.; $75 per person includes lunch with wine

"Festive Food and Wine": Saturday or Sunday December 4 of 5; 12:30-4:00; Jump-start your plans for the season with inspired food and wine pairing ideas, just in time for the holidays. Friend and wine enthusiast Joerg Klauck, owner of Vermont Wine Merchants, leads us in aromatics and wine pairing discussions. And we'll create delicious savory appetizers for the season.; $75 per person includes lunch with wine