Scenes from the Jan. 21 Sitka Kitch Cooking From Scratch class on homemade tortilla-making

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kitch_logo_mainStudents learned how to make homemade flour tortillas during the Cooking From Scratch homemade tortilla-making class held Jan. 21 at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

The class was taught by Elvia Torres, who teaches reading and formerly taught home economics at Blatchley Middle School. She demonstrated her mother’s traditional tortilla recipe, and also showed students what good and bad tortillas look like.

The Sitka Kitch is finalizing the dates and times for two upcoming class series this spring. Cooking Around The World will feature five classes (two in February and three in April) where different cooks will teach students how to make dishes from Morocco, Chile, Austria (strudel), Turkey, and Thailand. The other series is tentatively called Food As Medicine, which will be taught by Sitka nutritionist Holly Marban over five or six Mondays in March (National Nutrition Month) and April. Watch the Sitka Kitch page on Facebook or our online registration page to see when these classes are scheduled.

A slideshow of scenes from the homemade tortilla-making class follows below.

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Check out the January 2017 edition of the Sitka Local Foods Network newsletter

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The Sitka Local Foods Network just sent out the January 2017 edition of its monthly newsletter. Feel free to click this link to get a copy.

This month’s newsletter includes short articles about our annual meeting and potluck dinner on Feb. 4, a request for new board members, an update on the Southeast Alaska Farmers Summit on Feb. 24-26 in Haines, and info about some upcoming classes at the Sitka Kitch. Each story has links to our website for more information.

You can sign up for future editions of our newsletter by clicking on the registration form image in the right column of our website and filling in the information. If you received a copy but didn’t want one, there is a link at the bottom of the newsletter so you can unsubscribe. Our intention is to get the word out about upcoming events and not to spam people. We will protect your privacy by not sharing our email list with others.

Registration open now for Southeast Alaska Farmers Summit on Feb. 24-26 in Haines

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Share lessons learned and techniques for overcoming challenges of commercially growing food in Southeast Alaska; learn specific skills, technology, and research that contribute to commercial farming success and efficiency; connect with new and experienced farmers to build an inspiring network.

Early bird registration is now open for the Southeast Alaska Farmers Summit 2017, the second biennial summit designed to bring together experienced and aspiring commercial growers and support agencies. The summit will be held Friday through Sunday, Feb. 24-26, at the Chilkat Center in Haines. A discounted registration rate is available to attendees who register on or before Friday, Jan. 20. Travel and registration scholarships are available.

The conference will feature presentations from experienced commercial growers and support agencies, and topical discussions and panels to share resources and lessons learned. Speakers include Doug Collins, Extension Faculty and Soil Scientist with Washington State University’s Small Farms Program; Megan Talley, Farm Manager and Educator at Alaska Pacific University; and experienced farmers from Southeast Alaska; among others.

“This will be an opportunity for commercial growers of Southeast Alaska to learn from each other, find opportunities to collaborate, and build a network that can leverage everyone’s efforts,” said Lia Heifetz, Local Food Director for Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition. “Many resources will be shared over the course of the weekend – from financial planning for small farms to innovative solutions for soil building, policy implications for agriculture, and much more.”

Other topics to be addressed at the Southeast Alaska Farmers Summit include:

  • On Farm Food Safety
  • Building your Farm Community
  • Planning for a CSA
  • The Future of Seed Saving in Alaska
  • High Tunnel Applications and Innovations
  • Electric and Walk-in Cold Storage for your Farm
  • Biomass Heated Greenhouses and Aquaponics
  • Per Foot Crop Values for Market Sales
  • Using Local Amendments to Improve Soil Quality
  • Fruit Trees and Grafting Techniques
  • Policy and Initiatives
  • Building a Future of Farming with Internships and Education
  • Business Planning and Farm Finances

For more information and to register for the conference, please visit this website, http://www.alaskawatershedcoalition.org/safs2017/, or contact Lia Heifetz at lia@growsoutheast.com.

Sitka Local Foods Network to host annual meeting and potluck on Saturday, Feb. 4

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The Sitka Local Foods Network will host its annual meeting and potluck dinner from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Sitka Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall (408 Marine St., parking off of Spruce Street).

Participants are encouraged to bring a dish featuring local foods to share, and please bring your own utensils (note, this is a non-alcoholic event). This event is a good event to attend for people who want to learn more about the Sitka Local Foods Network and what we do around town.

Attendees will hear about project updates, plus the current board will vote on by-law changes. We will introduce our new board members for 2017, and we will confirm the election of our officers. We also have a couple of openings on our board, and people wanting to learn more about joining can click this link for info and applications.

Individuals interested in learning more about the Sitka Local Foods Network can email sitkalocalfoodsnetwork@gmail.com to learn about our projects and volunteer opportunities.

Sitka Kitch to host Cooking From Scratch class Jan. 21 on homemade tortilla-making

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kitch_logo_mainLearn the basic fundamentals of how to make homemade tortillas from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen (505 Sawmill Creek Road, inside First Presbyterian Church).

This class will be taught by Elvia Torres, a teacher at Blatchley Middle School who in May 2016 joined several others in Sitka to complete the Safe Home Food Preservation Certification course from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. Elvia will share her mother’s traditional recipe, and she will demonstrate what good and bad tortillas look like.

tortillasongriddleThe cost for this class is $15, plus a food/supply fee split between the members of the class. Space is limited at the Sitka Kitch, so register early. Students should prepay for the class through the Sitka Kitch online registration site, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com, using PayPal. If you need other payment arrangements, contact Chandler or Clarice of Sitka Conservation Society at 747-7509 to pay with cash or check. To qualify for a refund, please notify us at least three days in advance if you need to cancel. The registration deadline is 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19. Please email sitkakitch@sitkawild.org with any questions.

Also, keep an eye out for the announcements of two upcoming class series this winter/spring — Cooking Around the World (featuring a variety of instructors demonstrating how to cook international dishes from February through April) and Food As Medicine (taught by dietician Holly Marbán during National Nutrition Month in March). Details are coming soon.

Scenes from the Holiday Make and Take class Dec. 12 at the Sitka Kitch

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kitch_logo_mainStudents learned how to make whipped body butter, peppermint lip balm, luxurious sugar scrub, and holiday cheer room spray using essential oils during the Holiday Make and Take class held Dec. 12 at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

The class was taught by Nickie Knight, who sells and makes a variety of products that use essential oils. Students took home a jar each of the body butter, sugar scrub and room spray, plus they took home five tubes of lip balm.

Since this class sold out, Nickie had hoped to teach a second class before Christmas, but she didn’t have enough supplies on hand and so won’t be able to schedule a second class until after the holidays. Watch the Sitka Kitch page on Facebook or our online registration page to see if and when a second class is scheduled.

Also, watch our Facebook page and online registration page for the announcement of an upcoming Cooking Around The World class series that will start in late January and will run through April.

A slideshow of scenes from the Holiday Make and Take class follows below.

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Scenes from the Cooking From Scratch Winter Morning Creations class at the Sitka Kitch

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kitch_logo_mainStudents learned how to make a variety of fried and baked pancakes from around the world during the Winter Morning Creations Cooking From Scratch series class held Monday, Dec. 5, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

The Winter Morning Creations class was the third of three classes in the Fall 2016 Cooking From Scratch series at the Sitka Kitch, which is located at First Presbyterian Church (505 Sawmill Creek Road). The three classes are taught by Lisa Sadleir-Hart, a registered dietitian and health educator. The classes were designed to help Sitka residents learn how to expand their culinary skills while also eating healthy foods and stretching their food dollars.

platewithkrupsolatkesandswedishpancakeThe Winter Morning Creations class taught students how to make a Finnish baked pancake called Krupso, the Eastern/Middle Eastern potato pancakes called Latke, Swedish pancakes, and Strata, a baked bread, kale and egg dish.

The first class in the series, on Nov. 14, taught students how to make homemade yogurt with non-fat powdered milk. The second class in the series, on Nov. 28, taught students how to make whole-grain breads using the Tassajara bread technique.

make-and-take-classThe Sitka Kitch will host a Holiday Make and Take class with Nickie Knight from 6-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 12, where students will learn how to make a variety of organic bath and body products using essential oils (such as body butter, luxurious sugar scrub, lip balm and holiday cheer room spray). This class will cost $20, plus a supply fee of about $15. This class currently is full, but you can email Nickie at nickie@essentialwellnessak.com to see if she has a waiting list in case someone cancels.

We’re also putting together a Cooking Around The World class series for this spring, so watch for updates once details are confirmed.

A slideshow of scenes from the Winter Morning Creations class can be found below.

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Scenes from the Cooking From Scratch whole-grain breads class at the Sitka Kitch

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kitch_logo_mainStudents learned how to make whole-grain breads using the Tassajara technique during the second Cooking From Scratch series class held Monday, Nov. 28, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

The whole-grain breads class was the second of three classes in the Fall 2016 Cooking From Scratch series at the Sitka Kitch, which is located at First Presbyterian Church (505 Sawmill Creek Road). The three classes are taught by Lisa Sadleir-Hart, a registered dietitian and health educator. The classes are designed to help Sitka residents learn how to expand their culinary skills while also eating healthy foods and stretching their food dollars.

breadandbreadbookThe Tassajara bread technique, which also was taught last year, is a virtually fool-proof way to make whole-grain breads. It was developed at a monastery in California, and there have been books detailing the technique. In addition to proofing a loaf of whole-wheat bread (so it’s ready to bake at home), the students also learned about a variety of whole grains that aren’t commonly used in the United States but are rich in flavor and nutrition.

The third Cooking from Scratch class will focus on winter morning creations (registration link), featuring baked and fried pancakes from around the world. It will be taught at 6-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 5. This class is new this fall, and it will teach students how to make a Finnish baked pancake called Krupso, the Eastern/Middle Eastern potato pancakes called Latke, Swedish pancakes, and Strata, a baked bread and egg dish. The first class in the series, on Nov. 14, taught students how to make homemade yogurt with non-fat powdered milk.

The Cooking from Scratch series goal is to teach basic cooking skills using high-quality ingredients, and to help Sitkans take back their kitchens and reduce their food budgets. Interested individuals can register at https://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com/ (click on the event title to register, and use our PayPal feature to pay for the class). We need at least eight students registered for each class to guarantee they happen.

revised2cookingfromscratch2016flierClass size is limited, so register early. The cost is $27.50 per class, plus a food/supply fee that will be divided among registered participants. The registration deadline is late on the Friday night before each class. For more information about the class series, call Lisa Sadleir-Hart at 747-5985.

In addition, the Sitka Kitch will host a Holiday Make and Take class with Nickie Knight from 6-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 12, where students will learn how to make a variety of organic bath and body products using essential oils (such as body butter, luxurious sugar scrub, lip balm and holiday cheer room spray). This class will cost $20, plus a supply fee of about $15. We’re also putting together a Cooking Around The World class series for this spring, so watch for updates once details are confirmed.

A slideshow of scenes from the whole-grain breads class can be found below.

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Sitka community gardens project meeting on Thursday moved to Harrigan Centennial Hall

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Since the Sitka School District closed Blatchley Community Gardens in October, the gardeners have been removing their raised garden beds and soil in preparation for finding a new location for Sitka’s community gardens.

Due to a schedule conflict, the Sitka community gardens project meeting scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1, has been moved to Harrigan Centennial Hall instead of its originally scheduled location of the Sitka Community Hospital classroom.

The Sitka community gardens project is one of the two community wellness projects chosen at the 10th annual Sitka Health Summit in October. Because of the recent closure of the Blatchley Community Gardens by the Sitka School District, Sitka residents are looking for a replacement site and structure for some new community gardens. People are encouraged to bring their ideas about where they think might be a good location for new gardens, and how the gardens should be structured.

All are invited. For more information, contact Dave Nuetzel, 738-8372, or go to community.garden@hotmail.com or sitkagardens@gmail.com. People also can like the Sitka Community Gardens page on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Sitka-Community-Gardens-210713299032006/, for more info.

Check out the December 2016 edition of the Sitka Local Foods Network newsletter

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The Sitka Local Foods Network just sent out the December 2016 edition of its monthly newsletter. Feel free to click this link to get a copy.

This month’s newsletter includes short articles about our #GivingTuesday campaign on Nov. 29, a request for new board members, an update on two food-related Sitka Health Summit projects, and info about some upcoming classes at the Sitka Kitch. Each story has links to our website for more information.

You can sign up for future editions of our newsletter by clicking on the registration form image in the right column of our website and filling in the information. If you received a copy but didn’t want one, there is a link at the bottom of the newsletter so you can unsubscribe. Our intention is to get the word out about upcoming events and not to spam people. We will protect your privacy by not sharing our email list with others.