First Fall Class, What a Blast

WOW! Thank you to the first participants in Essen's first fall season.

Glimpses into written feedback probably sum up yesterday's experience most succinctly:

"wonderful, practical, enlightening!" K.B., Lancaster

"very 'user friendly'" T.S., Lancaster

"learned to cook with ease using fresh and local ingredients ... in an intimate setting" K.S., Lancaster

We had an unbelievable time yesterday devouring the last bites of summer. Fresh on the menu:

• Creamy Tomato Soup
• Basil Croutons with Cherry Tomatoes
• Lemon Arugula Chicken Paillard
• Summer Corn and Rice Pilaf
• Watermelon, Feta and Black Olive Salad

We talked techniques, we traded secret local sources, we swapped adaptive lifestyle and planning techniqes, we made new friends, and most important of all - we had fun.

A huge thank you to Tina, owner of Cafe East on Centerville Road. I ran into her at Market on Tuesday and was it my lucky day. Tina had just returned from one of her foodie trips to Manhattan, where she routinely seeks out new and unique foods, especially produce. To make a long story short, thanks to Tina's insightfulness and generosity, the Essen Class participants and I were able to try two new fruits at class yesterday.

The first is like a large Concord grape and the eating itself is an adventure. You place the hole where the stem had been inside your mouth and suck. Hard. And watch out for that smallish seed. And don't eat the skin. This incredibly tender flesh oozes into your mouth and tastes like a solid version of Manischewitz Concord grape wine. For those who have never experienced this pleasure, let's just call it hangover in a bottle, thanks to the over the top sugar content. Really delish.

The second Tina treat was called a logan berry. As my husband stated this morning, "Sounds like something they'd eat on Dragon Tales." The logan berry is small, the size of a small super ball. It has a light brown, rough hewn, almost non-descript exterior, kind of like a dried out grapefruit. The skin is peeled away to reveal a clear yet translucent, almost pearly, gelatinous 'meat' which surrounds a single black seed. I'm still struggling to describe the flavor. Something musky. Slightly sweet. Email me if you've experienced logan berries and can put your finger on the flavor.

Next class is Wednesday, September 19th at 10 am. I've got some family friendly, seasonal subsitutes lined up to replace the corn and the watermelon. We may still be looking for our millionth use for tomatoes, and that's fine with me.