10th Annual Adults-Only
'USDAN University'
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10th Annual Adults-Only
'USDAN University'
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The adults-only "USDAN University" was an all day arts camp experience including pottery, musical theater, jazz dance, Festival Concert, and the one hour course we experienced, the "Organic Gardening and Simple Food" class. This was the first year for the Organic Gardening and Simple Food workshop, taught by the talented Chef Richard LaMarita, who has taught at the Natural Gourmet Institute for the past 18 years and has worked with Chef Floyd Cardoz at Tabla Restaurant. Students learned how to create their own miniature herb garden and prepare recipes that incorporate foods from the organic garden at USDAN.
Chef Richard LaMarita started the class with an overview of what the students will be preparing and how to make it (above). He was very clear and instructional. Chef LaMarita handed out packets, titled "Hors D' On The Grill," with all of the recipes for the hors d'oeuvres. He then split up the class into groups to participate in preparing different recipes. Everyone worked together harmoniously with exceptional teamwork (below left). As the students were working, Chef LaMarita went around to put in a helping hand when necessary and assisted with additional cooking tips (below right).
There were five dishes on the Hors D' On The Grill menu. The Chilled Cucumber Soup (below left) was a purée of cucumbers, avocados, jalapeños and additional spices. The students simply had to cut up the vegetables and put it in a blender. It was refreshing because of the cucumber with a hot jalapeño kick. The Watercress, Avocado & Pickled Ginger Spring Rolls (below right) was avocado, watercress and pickled ginger with additional spices wrapped in a spring roll. Chef LaMarita taught students how to make a wrap with rice paper. Rice paper can be found in packets at local food markets. First one would have to soak a single sheet of rice paper in water for about fifteen seconds to make it pliable. He went over the technique of how to roll a wrap.
The
Grilled Tuna - Cucumber Canapé
(below left) was tuna cut into cubes with a dollop of wasabi Aioli on a slice of fresh
cucumber. The tuna was coated in extra virgin olive oil and spices such as fennel seeds
and coriander seeds. The tuna was cooked rare, grilled for one minute on each side. The
wasabi Aioli was a mixture of mayo and wasabi paste for a little bite. The Crostini Of
Grilled Wild Mushrooms (below right) was grilled and sautéed wild mushrooms on toasted
sour dough baguette with hazelnut butter. The Portobello mushrooms were grilled and the
oyster mushrooms were sautéed in extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and seasoned
with salt, pepper and parsley. The sour dough baguette was coated in extra virgin olive
oil and toasted on the grill until golden brown. It was everyone's favorite.
There was also grilled vegetables with Tomato Jam. The tomato jam had a strong sweet scent that filled the room while simmering. It was prepared before class. It contained tomatoes, ginger, cinnamon sticks, cumin, cloves and cayenne amongst other spices. The vegetables were sliced and grilled until tender. The Tomato Jam was sweet and tangy. All dishes were unique, delicious and satisfying. The class was an enjoyable learning experience with a friendly atmosphere. To participate next year, contact USDAN Center at 631.643.7900, visit EventBrite online or visit USDAN's website and click the Alumni Section for information and reservations. Click here to see the full recipe for Crostini Of Grilled Wild Mushrooms.
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