Public Workshops
The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation now offers public workshops based on the philosophy of the Kitchen Garden Program.Participants enjoy a wide selection of workshops based in either the kitchen or the garden, but always highlighting the intrinsic link between both elements. These engaging, group-based sessions are based on seasonal activities such as preserving, composting, seed saving and seasonal dishes, as well as fundamentals such as planting and pasta making.
'It was just fantastic - great atmosphere, friendly delivery, well-organised and lots of easy to understand step-by-step instructions.' Calabrian Homemade Sausages & Salamis workshop participant.
If you are interested in experiencing a school tour or viewing the Kitchen Garden Program in action, please see our Events pages.Italian Summer Preserving - Saturday 25 February
In the Italian food calendar it's passata time, and what better way to learn to make it than in the warm home-style kitchen at our Learning Centre. Keryn Ursi from La Micia Cooking joins us for a fun and hands-on morning exploring and celebrating key summer produce and some of the best ways to preserve it. Read more »
Building Garden Beds with Recycled Products - Saturday 17 March
It's possible to build great garden beds and garden structures using only found and recycled materials - if you've got the know-how. Get some inspiration and guidance from experienced recycler Derek Ashby in this garden workshop, along with some hands-on opportunities to build and create in our beautiful Learning Centre garden. Read more »
Designing your Vegetable Garden - Saturday 17 March
Designing a vegetable garden can be a daunting prospect for some, but it doesn't need to be! Led by experienced garden designer Derek Ashby, this workshop will cover all the basic concepts you need to consider when designing your own kitchen garden space. Be it large or small, you'll learn everything you need to know, from design ideas to aspect, through to the ideal bed sizes for your garden. Read more »
Seasonal Recipe Writing - Saturday 17 March
A bountiful vegetable garden should mean there is never a shortage of recipe ideas, but sometimes creativity needs a helping hand! Chef and Collingwood College Kitchen Specialist Desley Insall has been creating beautiful, seasonal recipes based on the produce available in the garden for many years. She is passionate about presenting seasonal produce in multiple ways in an array of the most delicious dishes. Desley will get your imagination racing! Read more »
Jams, Pickles and Relishes with Caroline Grey - Saturday 24 March
What better way to continue to enjoy the glut of bountiful summer produce than to turn the fruit from your garden into beautiful preserves. Caroline Grey from Cunliffe & Waters (the people who Make Things That Go With Things) joins us for an exciting hands-on workshop looking at the art of jams, sauces, pickles and preserves. Read more »
Cheese Making - Camembert - Saturday 21 April
Making cheese is a skill that can be easily mastered in the home, with time, love and patience. In this workshop Isobel Piper will teach you how to create your own camembert, one of the most famous and well-loved French cheeses, while also finding time to make the quick soft cheeses quark and mascarpone. Read more »
Organic Principles of Gardening - Saturday 21 April
Organic gardening offers a way of gardening with nature that avoids the use of chemicals and artifical fertilisers. It is based on a set of key principles that, once learnt, will help you create a bountiful and healthy home garden. In this double garden workshop, Derek Ashby will lead the group through demonstration of organic gardening principles as well as hands-on techniques. Read more »
Olive Season! - Saturday 12 May
Unlike the commercial variety, each batch of homemade preserved olives has a unique character and reflects the incredible versatility of this crop. So says Teresa Oates, co-author of Mangia! Mangia! and leader of this workshop. In her always warm and generous way Teresa will guide the group through the many ways of preserving olives while they are in abundance. Read more »
Cheese Making - Blue Cheese - Saturday 26 May
Making cheese is a skill that can be easily mastered in the home, with time, love and patience. In this workshop Isobel Piper will teach you to create a soft blue, one of the most famous and well-loved French cheeses, while also finding time to make gourmet feta and sour cream. Read more »
Espaliering - Saturday 2 June - 12:30-2:30
Espaliering - the art of training trees or shrubs to grow against walls or trellises - is perfect for inner-city gardens with limited space. Join our workshop to learn how to get started, how to maintain your espaliered trees and how to prune to ensure a bumper crop. Read more »
Espaliering - Saturday 2 June - 9:30-11:30
Espaliering - the art of training trees or shrubs to grow against walls or trellises - is perfect for inner-city gardens with limited space. Join our workshop to learn how to get started, how to maintain your espaliered trees and how to prune to ensure a bumper crop. Read more »
Sausage Making - Saturday 2 June
Making sausages at home is a skill that is increasing in popularity again, and really quite simple with the right equipment. Sandy Leatham from Hook and Spoon, the specialist paddock- to-plate butchery in Benalla, hosts this hands-on session that will focus on the art of making sausages along with a discussion on meat production. Read more »
Calabrian Pancetta and Salamis - Saturday 23 June
It's the perfect time of year to be making your own salamis and pancetta. Teresa Oates, co-author of Mangia! Mangia!, joins us again in 2012 after hosting a series of highly successful workshops in 2011. In her warm and generous way Teresa will guide you through the hands-on techniques for making both salamis and pancetta at home in the Calabrian style. Read more »
Yum Cha and Dim Sum with Tony Tan - Saturday 21 July
The remarkable Tony Tan joins us again in 2012, this time to guide the group through an introduction to the delightful world of Cantonese yum cha and dim sum. Read more »
Garden Workshop August Pack - Saturday 11 August
Combine Garden Workshop Pack Part 1: Creating the Ideal Growing Environment and Garden Workshop Pack Part 2: Composting and No-Dig Beds for this comprehensive Garden Workshop Package and receive a discount on the total price. Read more »
Garden Workshop Pack Part 1: The Ideal Growing Environment - Saturday 11 August
Winter is the perfect time to look at the garden and start preparing for the warmer months. In this introductory workshop we will investigate all the methods by which you can create the ideal growing environment for your fruit and veg plants.This is Part 1 of the two-part Garden Workshop August Pack - you may book into parts separately, but we highly recommend you book the two together for a full training package, as well as receiving a discount on the total package. Read more »
Garden Workshop Pack Part 2: Composting and No-Dig Beds - Saturday 11 August
Winter is the perfect time to look at the garden and start preparing for the warmer months. In this workshop we will look at two key garden techniques that involve layering: composting and no-dig beds.This is Part 2 of the two-part Garden Workshop August Pack - you may book into parts separately, but we highly recommend you book the two together for a full training package, as well as receiving a discount on the total package. Read more »
Modern Thai Cooking with Martin Boetz of Longrain - Saturday 11 August
We are excited to present Martin Boetz, Executive Chef of the highly regarded Longrain Restaurants in Melbourne and Sydney. Martin will lead the group through some of the key elements of modern Thai food, with opportunities for discussion and learning via hands-on techniques. Read more »
Garden Workshop - September Pack - Saturday 8 September
Combine Garden Workshop Pack Part 1: Introduction to Propagation & Seed Saving and Garden Workshop Pack Part 2: Advanced Propagation for the Spring & Summer Garden into one package and receive a discount on the total price. Read more »
Garden Workshop Pack Part 1: Propagation & Seed Saving - Saturday 8 September
Spring is on its way - now is the time to get propagating and preparing for bountiful spring and summer crops. This introductory session will cover the basics of propagation: investigating what it is, why it is a great idea for the home gardener and how to begin the process in your own garden.This is Part 1 of the two-part Garden Workshop September Pack - you may book into parts separately, but we highly recommend you book the two together for a full training package, as well as receiving a discount on the total package. Read more »
Garden Workshop Part 2: Advanced Seed Propagation - Saturday 8 September
Spring is on its way - now is the time to get propagating and preparing for bountiful spring and summer crops. Following the Introductory session, this Advanced session will delve deeper into the methods of propagation you can employ to raise your own vegetable plants.This is Part 2 of the two-part Garden Workshop September Pack - you may book into parts separately, but we highly recommend you book the two together for a full training package, as well as receiving a discount on the total package. Read more »
The Pugliese Tradition - Saturday 15 September
This workshop, led by Keryn Ursi of La Micia Cooking, is focused on the beautiful and often little-known traditional cuisine of Puglia in southern Italy. Passed down through generations, Keryn will now share some traditional Pugliese cooking techniques in this hands-on workshop. Read more »
Authentic Spanish and Portuguese - Saturday 20 October
Beautiful Mediterranean cooking is embraced in this workshop, led by Ema Parrino, a well-received and popular presenter at some of our prior school workshops. Ema will lead the group through some of the most popular Spanish tapas and Portuguese dishes, including her beautiful Portuguese tarts, and provide some insight into the traditions and techniques of cooking from the Spanish and Portuguese regions. Read more »
Phillippa's Secrets for Breadmaking - Saturday 27 October
Andrew O'Hara, Operations & Production Manager of Phillippa's, joins us in the Learning Centre kitchen for a morning of advanced breadmaking. He may even get the wood-fired oven cranking - come along and find out! This was a sell-out session in 2011 so get your bookings in early. Read more »
Sustainable Gardening Principles - Saturday 10 November
Sustainable gardening is an holistic and environmentally responsible way of gardening. In this double garden workshop, Pete Huff will guide the group through discussions on sustainable gardening principles as well as hands-on techniques. Read more »
Southern Italian Sweets - Saturday 1 December
Teresa Oates, co-author of Mangia! Mangia!, leads this final session of three very special workshops focusing on home-style Southern Italian food. With Christmas round the corner this workshop features some of the many delicious sweet treats that can be made for gifts and guests.Read more »
Building Chooksheds and Chook Tractors - May
Expressions of interest only: if you are interested in attending a day learning how to design and build chooksheds, with the hands-on element via chookshed and movable chooktractor construction, then register your interest here by 29 February. The day and registration details will be confirmed in early March. Read more »
Building a Wood-fired Oven - September
Expressions of interest only: if you are interested in attending a day that looks at the technical requirements for building a wood-fired oven, with the hands-on elements supplied via the construction of a wood-fired oven on the day, then register your interest at the email address below by 31 May. The day and registration details will be confirmed in early June. Read more »