Culinary Arts

A long-standing favorite of 577 students, our Culinary Arts class offerings have included cuisine from around the world, as well as classes with a focus on comfort foods, healthy options, vegetarian and vegan food, creative desserts, canning instruction, and more. Cooking classes are tailored to students who are looking to learn some kitchen basics, tips, and tricks, to those looking to broaden their culinary horizons. Class topics vary each month and are taught in the Cottage or House by local chefs and foodie enthusiasts.

Upcoming Classes

Foraged & Seasonal Cooking: Spring Quiche
Tuesday, April 9 ~ 6pm to 8pm
Tuesday, April 23 ~ 6pm to 8pm

Cooking with seasonal and foraged ingredients is one of the joys of being a gardener. With a little forethought, a gardener can use home-grown ingredients year-round. Spring is one of the best seasons to forage. There are so many plants bursting to life with tender, edible shoots and leaves. Join us for this unique culinary class sure to inspire.

Before we get in the kitchen, we will start by gathering some ingredients as a group. Plant profiles may include garlic mustard, stinging nettle shoots, ostrich fern fiddleheads, and other young wild greens. We will return with our findings and participants will learn how to prepare the shoots and greens in two ways. The first will be to incorporate them into a delicious quiche. The second will be in a garlicky sprouted chickpea hummus. After all our hard work, we will enjoy a meal of both quiche and hummus together. 

Stay tuned for more classes in the Foraged & Seasonal Cooking series throughout the seasons in 2024!

Please Note: Participants ages 7 to 14 are welcome but must be accompanied by a registered adult/guardian. Participants ages 15 to 17 may participate without an adult. Recipes will include milk and eggs. 

577 Staff Instructors: Samantha Day

Sweet and Savory Pies
Friday, April 12 ~ 6pm to 8pm
Monday, April 15 ~ 6pm to 8pm

Immerse yourself in the art of creating perfect pies with exquisite crusts. We’ll spend time troubleshooting the challenges of mixing and rolling out homemade flaky crusts, and in-class demonstrations will include lattice and full-top crusts, dessert pies, and decorative-edged quiches. At the end of class, we’ll sit down together to sample a slice of quiche and a fruit pie.

Everyone will go home with recipes and the confidence to make and share pies with family and friends. Please note: some samples/recipes contain milk, eggs, and wheat.

Community Instructors: Jan Szalkowski and Wendy Steusloff

Kombucha Home Brewing 101
Thursday, April 18 ~ 6pm to 7:30pm

Kombucha is a fermented drink that has been brewed and enjoyed for centuries by families across the world. Whether you’re brand new to kombucha or you currently brew at home and want to fine-tune your ferments, our own local expert from Boochy Mama’s Kombucha will be on hand in this exciting workshop to guide you to successfully brew your own.

Each workshop participant will receive their own SCOBY, 1-gallon glass jar and cover, reusable muslin tea pouch, starter tea, kombucha samples, typed instructions, and follow-up support.

Community Instructor: Stacy Jurich

Class Locations & Parking Map

Signed up for a class and need help finding your classroom location and parking? Each class description lists its location. Click the button below to view a full map of the grounds and buildings with two lots available for easy and convenient parking. 

Cancellation & Refund Policy

Because space is limited, we rely on you to register for classes thoughtfully. Please help us continue to offer these wonderful classes as affordably as possible by adhering to the following registration, cancellation, and refund policies.

Photo & Video Release

Photos and videos may be taken during 577 classes and events for use on our website and other relevant media outlets and your attendance constitutes consent. View the full policy below including how you can opt-out of this release. 

Join us on March 20 for a Day of Giving to celebrate Virginia’s birthday! Join us and make a gift to protect, preserve, and support the evolution of this magical place. Won’t you help us reach our goal?

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