Jam Class with Terra Organics and Deluxe Foods

I love making jam. Love it. In fact, when my husband Casey and I got married, we canned 150 jars of jam as wedding favors. Don’t try that at home. It was quite the undertaking to do that many at once.

If you’d like to learn how to make jam, my good friends at Terra Organics are hosting a jam class with Rebecca Staffel of Deluxe Foods this Thursday, September 19 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The cost is only $10. Register online.

Taking a class to learn preservation techniques is actually a really good idea — not only will you learn the process, but you can learn tips and tricks from a pro like Rebecca. Though I have experience making jam, I am very interested to see how her technique may differ from my own.

I’m going to be there, and I hope to see you there as well!

July Food Events

  • South Sound BBQ Festival
    July 6, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free event held at Huntamer Park in Lacey.
  • Metro Parks Tacoma Cooking Classes
    July 8, 6-7:30 p.m. Fresh and Healthy Summer Desserts. Enjoy delicious desserts with ripe summer berries sure to please any crowd.  And the best part, they taste good and fit into your healthy diet! SP $22; R $25; N/R $27. Call 253-404-3939 to register.
    July 15, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Summer Grilling. Take advantage of the great weather and learn different techniques and ways to grill veggies, seafood, and meats on the barbeque.  Even better, you’ll be able to sample the different dishes and take home the leftovers.
    SP $20; R $24: N/R $26. Call 253-404-3939 to register.
    July 31, 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Fresh Berry Canning. Learn through hands-on work how to prepare strawberries and raspberries and take home your own jam!
    SP $26; R $32; N/R $36. Call 253-404-3939 to register.
  • Morso Wine Bar Wine Dinner
    July 11, 6:30 p.m. Seven course dinner paired with Loire Valley wines. $69/person, excluding tax and gratuity. Call 253-530-3463 to reserve.
  • Art on the Ave Grub Crawl
    July 14, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Participating 6th Avenue restaurants will have appetizer-sized dishes for $6 during the Art on the Ave event. In 2012, Asado offered house-made chorizo sausage and marinated beef skewers with Argentine flair, O’Malley’s had sliders, Dirty Oscar’s had a Turkey drumstick big enough for a caveman, and Six Olives had chicken Caesar lettuce wraps. At 2:30 p.m., come to the Community Stage for a competition of the dishes, and a winner will be crowned. Free event.
  • Primo Grill Cooking Class
    July 20, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. The Bounty of Local Farm. The $65 fee includes recipes and instruction, lunch with a glass of wine, tax and gratuity. Call Jacqueline at 383.7000 to purchase tickets.
  • Pacific Northwest Mushroom Festival
    July 27 and 28, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. held at the Regional Athletic Complex at Steilacoom & Marvin Road in Lacey. Festival admission is $5. Kids 12 and under are free. Cooking demos (schedule), Ostrom Farm Tour, Food and Wine Event, kids activities, food and more.
  • The Moveable Feast
    July 28, noon-5 p.m. at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma. Second annual food truck festival. VIP tickets available, which grants you access to the event early for $10. Last year’s event was really great, and very popular. This is one not to miss.
  • Olympia Meat Collective Classes 
    July 13, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Basic pig butchery class. This class will teach students how to split sides of pork into primals, and how to cut those primals into familiar cuts like ribs, pork chops, tenderloins, ham roasts, picnic roasts, and coppas. More information on their website. $235 per person. Reserve online.
    July 27, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Sausage making class. Come learn the art of preparing French, German, Spanish, and Italian-style links, among many other varieties, with Camas Davis, founder of the Portland Meat Collective. Students will learn how to select the right meat and trimmings from the appropriate muscle groups, and how to grind, flavor and stuff their sausage of choice. At the end of this hands-on class, students will go home with more than enough links for their frying pans and freezers, plus recipes for further adventure. $145 per person. Reserve online.
  • Bayview School of Cooking Classes
    For each class, call 360-754-1448 to reserve.
    July 8, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Nineveh Assyrian Food Truck. Learn to make baba ganoush, fattoush, tabbouleh, dolma and more. $45/person.
    July 15, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. The Art House Cafe. Pastry Chef Marie teaches how to make brioche bites, molasses spice cake and more. $55/person.
    July 16, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. The Beautiful Pig. Versatility of cured meats. $45/person.
    July 22, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. The Perfect Grilled Steak. Learn to make the Classic “El Gaucho” flank steak directly on the coals and more. $45/person.
    July 25, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Home Canning. Lean to can dilly beans and jams and jellies. $45/person.
    July 26, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Benson Vineyards Dinner. Six course dinner paired with wines.$65/person.
    July 29, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Summer European Salads. German potato salad, Dutch cheese salad and more. $45/person.
  • Bella Kitchen Cooking Classes
    July 26, 6 p.m. Hard Cheese Making. Learn to make cheddar and gouda. $75/person. Reserve online.
    July 30, 6 p.m. Summer Sushi. Learn to make seven sushi items with Chef Toby Kim. $75/person. Reserve online.

May Food Events

  • Opening Day of Broadway Farmers Market
    May 2, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at S. 9th and Broadway, Tacoma.
  • Opening Day of 6th Avenue Farmers Market
    May 7, 3-7 p.m. 6th and Pine, Tacoma.
  • Gig Harbor Beer Festival
    May 11, noon-6 p.m. at Uptown Gig Harbor. 21+. Tickets $20/advance, $25/at the door. Buy tickets here.
  • Primo Grill Cooking Classes
    May 4th, 2-4 p.m. Mole, the Savory Sauces of Mexico. $65 per person, includes recipes and instruction, lunch with a glass of wine, tax and gratuity. Call Jacqueline at 383.7000 to purchase tickets.
    May 18, 2-4 p.m. The Cuisine of Southern France. $65 per person, includes recipes and instruction, lunch with a glass of wine, tax and gratuity. Call Jacqueline at 253-383-7000 to purchase tickets.
  • Bayview School of Cooking Cooking Classes
    May 7, 6-8:30 p.m. Cooking with Chef Amadeus. Learn to make stuffed mushrooms, kale salad, lamb chops, currry-crusted risotto with chard and more. $65 per person. Call 360-754-1448 to reserve.
    May 8, 6-8:30 p.m. From India, With Love. Learn to make vegetable pakoras, parantha, raita, cilantro chutney and more. $45 per person. Call 360-754-1448 to reserve.
    May 14, 6-8:30 p.m. Light Seasonal Italian Pastas. Orchiette with asparagus and vegetables, penne with mussels and clams, fresh fettucine with leeks and pancetta and more. $45 per person. Call 360-754-1448 to reserve.
    May 21, 6-8:30 p.m. German cooking. Learn to cook a variety of authentic German dishes. $45 per person. Call 360-754-1448 to reserve.
    May 23, 6-8:30 p.m. Northwest Vegetarian. Fire-roasted tomato bread pudding, garlicky spring greens and more. $60 per person. Call 360-754-1448 to reserve.
    May 29, 6-8:30 p.m., Cook with Jennifer Nelson of Basilico Ristorante Italiano. Calamari affogati, Pacific wild cod, sauteed fresh spinach and more. $65 per person. Call 360-754-1448 to reserve.
    May 30, 6-8:30 p.m. A Taste of the Tropics. Chipotle bacon guacamole, mango-black bean salsa, Caribbean spiced pork tenderloin, roasted banana and macadamia cheesecake and more. $45 per person. Call 360-754-1448 to reserve.
  • Toscano’s Cooking Class
    May 19, 4:30 p.m. An Italian Spring Cooking Class. The fresh flavors of spring comprise this 4-course exhibition style cooking class and dinner. Recipes, instruction and wine samples also included. $60 per person, includes tax & gratuity. Call 253-864-8600.
  • Morso Wine Bar Six Year Vertical Borgogno Barolo Dinner
    May 11, 6:30 p.m. An opportunity to taste for yourself a vertical of great barolo and explore the differences and nuances when paired with traditional favorite dishes, including antipasta, fonduta, risotta ai funghi porcini, braised beef and more. $100 per person, not including tax and gratuity. Call 253-530-3463 to reserve.