The department is harvesting up some good food for Fall.
By: Amy Filippone, Dept. of Parks & Recreation
The Moorestown Parks and Recreation Department is now offering Fall cooking classes starting in September. There are classes for all ages. Come out and learn to prepare dishes with ingredients from the bounty of the Fall Harvest. We offer baking classes for the younger set (grades two to five). Or perhaps you’d like to join your child or grandchild and try one of the “Farm to Fork” classes open to fifth graders through adults.
Wegmans has generously agreed to donate pantry items for our Parks and Recreation Kitchen. This means essentials like flour, salt, sugar and butter. It is a contribution that is tailored to the needs of the Moorestown Recreation Community Kitchen. The kitchen is used for not only community classes (youth, adult and special needs) but also for outreach programs for open gym participants and life skill training for special needs and at-risk children. These pantry items will touch all those who pass through the beautiful commercial kitchen on the third floor of the Church Street Recreation Center. A very big thank-you to Wegmans for stocking our pantry from which we will teach, feed and nourish the community.
“Baking — Scones and Muffins” is a one day class for grades two to five on Monday, Sept. 10 from noon to 2:30 p.m. This is a great introduction for younger children to sample a cooking class. Scones will be gently blended to make a flaky delicious texture, and children will learn to make the perfect moist muffin. For a little variety, chocolate chips, orange or blueberries can be added.
“Baking Basics and More” is a four-week course for grades two to five that will be held on Mondays, starting Sept. 24th from 4 to 6 p.m. Children will fine tune their baking knowledge of measurements, ratios and proportions and be given more challenging recipes. Cookies, cupcakes, scones, pretzels and pie are some of the recipes children will prepare from scratch. There will be plenty to take home to share.
“Farm to Fork” for grades five through adults (teens too) will have two itineraries. Chef Katie Sklarow is an advocate of using local and seasonal ingredients. She specializes in healthy and simple recipes that are made from scratch and really feature the best of seasonal ingredients. The first farm to fork class will be on Sept. 17 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. This three-hour class will begin with the popular Caprese Salad, fresh jersey tomatoes, basil and mozzarella finished with a dressing made from scratch. Spaghetti squash, a protein rich, low carb vegetable will be prepared. For a perfect finish students will make a Sweet “Jersey Corn Cake” with cinnamon whipped cream.
The second “Farm to Fork” class will be a vegetarian’s dream. It will be on Friday, Sept. 28th from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. On the menu will be vegetarian meatballs, spiraled veggie “spaghetti” and homemade tomato sauce from our famous Jersey tomatoes. There will be plenty of tomato sauce to take home and impress the family.
To register go www.moorestownrec.com and be on the lookout for more exciting cooking classes throughout the fall months.
