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We were delighted to once again team up with Ed Food Fest for a weekend of cooking classes in the George Square Gardens Treehouse earlier this summer. 

The weekend was buzzing with three sessions each day and a steady stream of festival-goers coming to explore what we were up to. This year, we offered a few different styles of cookery workshops including:

  • Family Feasts – This hands-on cookery class is designed to be enjoyable for all ages, fostering teamwork and creativity in the kitchen.’

  • Fun with flour – Get stuck in and get your hands dirty in this exciting hands-on workshop where you will learn the art of kneading, shaping, and cooking pasta from scratch

  • Conscious cooking – Elevate your dining experience with this hands-on cookery class, designed for adults who are passionate about gourmet, eco-friendly cuisine.

The sessions ran from lunchtime to the evening. Family Feasts kicked off on Saturday lunchtime and an excitable crowd arrived eager to top up their cooking skills and make cooking as a family a fun experience. With introductions covered the group settled with preparation stations beautifully arranged by chef Helena. Some budding chefs were more prepared than others with matching aprons and chef hats but it wasn’t a fashion show, we were here to learn, cook and eat tasting food. 

Chef Fergus had ordered plenty of seasonal produce and the first step was to prepare vegetables to begin a chickpea stew. This would be the foundation of the dish, demonstrating safe ways to handle knives the group prepared onions garlic peppers as well as the main event the Natoora aubergines. These perfectly round bright purple aubergines are amazing at this time of year, cut into large wedges there were then roasted in a very hot oven to get some lovely colour on the outside whilst also being perfectly cooked inside. 

As the group learnt about the varied ways in which to prepare chickpeas lots of laughs were had as the young group got stuck into making flatbreads. As anyone would/should know giving children flour and yoghurt is a recipe for lovely flatbreads but also for a big mess Once everyone had removed the excess dough from their hands the kneading process was demonstrated and then the dough was left to rest whilst class continued with a herby sauce being made as the final topping for the dish along with some zingy pickled radishes. 

Two hours had flown by. At this stage it was getting close to serving time. Chef Fergus did his best to smoke out the treehouse by firing up the pans to cook off the flatbreads. The stew was bubbling away and the aromas were attracting a crowd. The plates were served and lots of very proud families had made delicious meals they could absolutely recreate at home. Full tummies and big smiles were the resounding response to the first 2.5 hours of the weekend. 

A quick reset and now it was time for the fun with flour. A pasta-making and soda bread master class was advertised and that was absolutely what they would receive. A very receptive and enthusiastic group set about weighing flour, cracking eggs and shaping what would, be everyone in the group their first first-ever batch of handmade pasta. The making of a well was explained and aided by the top-down camera the group were quickly forming smooth pasta doughs. 

Allowing the dough to rest under a towel it was time to get cracking with soda bread, once we covered the joys of curdled milk (a vital part of the recipe) the oaty loaves were shaped and baked. Bread and butter was imminent and the crowd were very happy. 

The pasta was to be accompanied by light fresh and summer courgettes two ways. One would be raw with tomatoes and herbs for a refreshing salad, the other heavily braising them into stew. Fun with flour was in full swing by this stage and it was clear to all that it was living up to its name. The pasta was consumed, the salad savoured and the bread demolished. Fun with Flour: completed.

The day rolled on at pace, the treehouse emptied and filled again for those interested in conscious cooking. This class was aimed at showcasing Scottish produce and how to make it shine. With the summer months promising great produce, chef Fergus set about explaining why this principle of sustainable cooking is at the core of EFS and its ethos. This led into conversations around provenance, sustainability and seasonality. 

The class continued with an EFS staple of pearl barley risotto which was being started with the mirepoix/sofrito veg chopping session. The meal was to be topped with a roasted hispi cabbage, and this humble ingredient was going to be the star. Posing questions around preparation times, seasonality and also how to maintain a love of cooking the group totally bought into the experience and made it a very lovely end to the day. 

Sunday was very much a continuation of the day before if slightly sleepier. The groups picked up and our final session of the weekend was our most popular. Food was prepared, dishes were washed and it’s fair to say that all who came learnt and laughed a lot, they also left with envigored kitchen confidence. 

The purpose of the weekend was definitely to showcase what EFS does and people’s engagement with the organisation was clear with multiple people returning to classes over the weekend as well as contacting us to volunteer in the future. It was a pleasure to be involved and we hope those who attended had as much fun as we did.