Cooking Classes
We’ve been hosting an array of classes in our Flatlander classroom since 2011.
The Flatlander classroom has enabled us to fulfill our third end of being an educational resource in the community, as well as allowed us to bring our friends and neighbors together for new experiences. We have both in-person cooking classes as well as virtual cooking classes that come with a meal kit to cook along in your own kitchens.
Common Ground offers a range of cultural cuisine cooking classes and cocktail classes every month. We have a wonderful team of community teachers that will walk you through every step of making a meal. Register for some of our upcoming classes below and sign up for our newsletter to be alerted to just released classes.
Moroccan Virtual Cooking Class & Meal Kit
Saturday, October 28th 2-4 pm
Join us for our next virtual cooking class and meal kit highlighting Moroccan cuisine. Hind Mhaouer, Moroccan home cook and owner of Casablanca Bazar, will be sharing her family recipes and teaching how to make three traditional dishes, including dessert! The menu includes:
The $40 meal kit serves 2-3 people and can be adapted to be vegan.
Register
Salves, Lip Balms, and Lotions
Saturday, October 21st at 2pm - 3:30pm
Make your own salves, lip balms, and lotions at home with ingredients from your home garden and local farmers market. This class builds on skills learned in our first class: Preserving Herb Harvests (Missed it? Don’t worry! You can watch the class skills video here). Participants will learn how to turn herbal-infused oils into custom lip balms, salves and lotions – giving you the tools to unleash your creativity! Class registration is free with an option to purchase a class kit to use during the live virtual class. This class will highlight how to use lavender, calendula, and rosemary-infused oils and make an Itch Be Gone herbal salve, Chocolate Mint lip balm, Raspberry lip balm, and a Calendula Cocoa Butter lotion.
Register for the class using the link below. Tune in for the virtual Zoom live class on Saturday, October 21st from 2-3pm. If you receive SNAP, you may be eligible to receive your class kit for free. For more information, please reach out to Kelly Lay at kelly@thelandconnection.org.
Registration for Virtual Class & Kit
Register for free Virtual Class without Kit
Herbal Teas & Steams
Saturday, November 18th at 2pm - 3:30pm
Learn the secrets behind a truly excellent herbal tea. Make your own loose leaf blend from locally grown herbs or get tips and tricks for crafting creative single servings for great gift giving! This class will discuss tea and steam properties of locally grown herbs, the art of combining herbs into a tea or steam, storage of mixes, and packaging for teas and steams. Class registration is free with an option to purchase a class kit to use during the live virtual class. This class highlights popular tea herbs including lemon balm, rosemary, peppermint, calendula, cloves, cinnamon, ginger root.
Register for the class using the link below. Tune in for the virtual Zoom live class on Saturday, November 18th from 2-3pm. If you receive SNAP, you may be eligible to receive your class kit for free. For more information, please reach out to Kelly Lay at kelly@thelandconnection.org.
Register for Class & Kit
Register for Free Class without Kit
Brandy & The Sidecar In-person Cocktail Class
Friday, September 29th 6:30 - 8 pm
Join us for our next cocktail class with Katie Carrillo and learn all about Brandy and The Sidecar! The Sidecar is a classic cocktail made with brandy, orange liquor, and lemon juice that was invented around World War I and was named after the motorcycle attachment that was very popular at the time.
This class will include a fruit plate, a tasting of 3 brandys, lessons on the history and making of brandy and The Sidecar, and a demonstration on making the classic cocktail. Students will then make their own Sidecar using a unique combination of ingredients from the Co-op including a variety of fresh fruits and liquors.
$40/person. Limited seating available - only 12 seats per class. Ticket includes class plus tasting. No refunds due to limited space, but waiting list will be made available once tickets are sold out.
Must be 21 to attend.
Register - 2 seats left
Taste of The Mediterranean - 3 part In-person Class Series
This fall, let's take a culinary excursion to Europe and explore the northern Mediterranean coast while sampling all the good eats available in the region. We'll start in the Cinque Terre in the Liguria region of Italy where pesto was invented. It's autumn, so the tomatoes are at their full ripeness, the local basil harvest is in, and there is an abundance of freshly-made pesto available everywhere — what a great excuse to indulge in a pesto feast with some local Italian wines. Next, we'll head to the Greek island of Santorini where we'll enjoy the ultimate sunset meze dinner of Greek classics. Lastly, we'll head to the Sants-Montjuic neighborhood in Barcelona for an evening-long tasting of small plates as we crawl from one tapas bar to another.
Students will have the opportunity to watch demos and participate in the preparation of our dinner party. Do come hungry and thirsty because we’ll be cooking and tasting at the same time. Each class in this series is a complete dinner experience including wine pairings selected by Analog Wine Library with notes on how to choose the right wine for the right dish.
Students will leave each session with easy-to-follow recipes of all the dishes on the menu. These recipes have all been adapted for the typical home cook and contain many tips & tricks to help minimize your time in the kitchen while staying true to the spirit of the original flavor profiles.
Join instructor, Paul Young in this three-part demonstration cooking class series and sign up for one or all three of these classes. Register now, limited seating available.
Previous Cooking Class Videos & Recipes
Education
Common Ground Food Co-op strives to serve as an educational resource on food issues.
The Co-op works hard to serve our community, from recipes to classes to our Grow On program for kids and in-store information about our farms, our products, and the food system. We work with local teachers and schools to come up with food curriculum that exciting for all ages.
Our classroom is a great and vibrant space that is used for cooking classes, staff meetings, and as a space where folks gather to share food and build community.
Check out our class calendar! You can sign up for classes online or in person at the registers with our staff.
Teach a Class
Community education creates a positive learning experience for the community members who participate in classes. Our education is accessible and varied in topic and perspective; however, due to COVID, our educational programming has become more limited and we ask that all classes are relevant to cultural cuisines, Co-op mission, and promote the products in store. We offer a supportive learning experience to experienced and novice teachers and learners. If you are interested in teaching a class please contact our Marketing Manager by email or by phone at (217) 352-3347 about the application process.
Apply to be a Co-op Teacher
Individual Class Proposal Forms
Request a Store Tour!
If you would like to bring in a group or class to the Co-op to learn about our local farms or food systems, schedule a store tour with us. We host engaging tours geared for all ages!
Request a Store Tour
