Fun In the Kitchen: Pasta-bilities and Chilling & Grilling Classes

There's been a lot of smiles and 'mmmmmmms' in the Dine-In Diva kitchen as two classes this weekend cooked their way through specially selected menus. 

My Friday night group, 6 lovely young women, learned how to make an awesome baked goat cheese appetizer, featuring Lucky Penny Creamery Chevre (which converted, yet again, a few more non-goat cheese eaters to goat cheese fans!), a Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette with lettuce they harvested fresh from my garden, then tackled three quick and easy pasta sauces that are perfect for summer.   I made this fresh fruit platter for them to nibble on while they worked.  For most, it was their first experience eating a kumquat.

One of the pasta sauces featured sauteed pancetta, fresh green beans from the farmers market and parmiagno-reggiano - it was a favorite of the class.

Last night's class was a couples class.  One was celebrating their fourth anniversary, and the other couple were celebrating a college graduation.  They did a grilling and chilling menu featuring Chimichurri Sauce over beef strip steaks for the gentleman, and sushi grade tuna for the ladies.

There was also Caprese salad, a shaved zucchini salad with Lucky Penny Feta and fresh mint, and an awesome take on twice baked potatoes - the baked potato filling, with sour cream and gouda, was stuffed into red bell peppers and grilled.

                                            

It was a fun weekend, with some great food and eager students.  And the Diva did the dishes.