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Cooking Classes on Tap

Chef Jarred Harris

Beginning this month, Resident Chef Jarred Harris will have cooking classes on tap at the Sanibel Community House all summer long.

On June 15, Harris will begin his three-week cooking series entitled “Healthy Cooking at Home.” Harris said that the inspiration for the majority of his cooking classes comes from meals that he cooks for his family at home.

“I’m in the process of getting completely healthy. We’re going to be using a lot of whole foods to make dishes that are extremely healthy and delicious as well. Sometimes healthy food is tasteless, a lot of the things that we are going to be preparing in the classes have so much flavor. You just have to stock your refrigerator at home with a few simple ingredients. I think this is going to real interesting and helpful for everyone who takes these classes,” Harris said. “I give them useful information and tips that they can’t get in recipes.”

For the first hands-on cooking at the Community House which takes place June 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Harris will teach attendees how to prepare grilled corn and tofu salad with sweet chili and lime dressing, chicken tikka masala with cauliflower bhaaji and a flourless chocolate cake topped with drunken berries for dessert.

The second hands-on class on June 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. consists of Thai chicken salad with green mango and papaya, kale and portobello mushroom lasagna and vegetable ragout and baked cranberry and walnut stuffed apples for dessert.

The final class on June 25 from 4 to 6 p.m. is a demo. Instead of preparing the food on their own, attendees will watch Harris make it and try samples afterward. The demo will consist of watching Harris prepare a Chinese long bean salad, cocoa rubbed pork tenderloins, grilled plums with hasselback sweet potatoes, steamed bok choy and summer fruits in white wine syrup mint and yogurt for dessert.

The hands-on classes are $95 while the demos are $45. Harris keeps the classes fairly small; the classes allow a maximum capacity of 20 people.

Other classes on tap:

In July, Harris will offer another three-week cooking series called “Summertime Cooking at Home.” This class consists of out-of-the-ordinary salads, desserts and cool drinks.

On July 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Harris will show attendees how to prepare shrimp kabobs with papaya salad, grilled watermelon salad, whole roasted mackerel with soy, chili, lime and spicy hoisin glazed eggplant during this hands-on class. Harris will pair the meal with a frozen dark and stormy beverage. For dessert, attendees will learn how to make grilled pound cake with sour cherries and yogurt.

The second hands-on class which takes place July 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., will consist of learning how to prepare jalapeno spiked bourbon julep, panzaella, grilled artichokes, polenta with pesto, jerk wild boar chops with grilled bacon wrapped with peaches and asparagus and for dessert, a kiwi tart with ginger, mint and coconut.

The demo on July 30 is from 4 to 6 p.m. is another watch-and-learn class. Harris will show attendees how to pair watermelon champagne with grilled potato salad topped with a black garlic vinaigrette and dill cream. Attendees will also learn how to make carrot, date and feta salad, barbecued lamb leg with grilled nectarines, red onion and basil relish. For dessert, Harris will prepare zucchini doughnuts with grilled pineapple and cinnamon honey.

In addition to adult cooking classes, Harris will also be offering classes that are aimed at kids and college students. From July 10-14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Harris will offer a kid’s cooking camp, aimed for ages 10-15 that costs $175. During the camp, kids will learn the ins-and-outs of cooking along with food safety.

On July 21, Harris will teach a cooking class to college-bound students from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Price has yet to be announced.

Along with the cooking classes, Harris also has some other exciting things in the works. As of right now, a variety of fruit trees are blooming in the Community House’s garden. Some of those fruit-bearing trees include haas avocados, macadamia nuts, blackberries, six different varieties of mangoes, pink guava, mission figs, lemon quat, kumquats, keylimes, pineapples, mission figs and thai roselle (Jamaican hibiscus). Harris even has two beehives outback which he recently purchased from a friend. The first batch of honey will be ready for purchase at the Community House in July.

For more information, go to sanibelcommunityhouse.net or call 1-239-472-2155.

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