Garden to Table: Eggplant Parmigiana

Sunday, March 5, 2023 | 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Summer is on its way. Mangos, jackfruits, annona will step into the spotlight (rightly so!) while our vegetable gardens take a bit of a nap. Even still, there are some vegetables that really do hold up well to our climate’s early summers, and to celebrate, we will make eggplant parmesan. Well, sort of.

Here, we will focus on the most current iteration of what is considered to be the traditional form of Melanzane di Parmigiana. This dish has centuries’ worth of history, and with that, centuries’ worth of variation, but we will honor the magical, across-the-board favorite of the tomato + basil + cheese combination with the sensibilities of a European, southern Italian method.

We learn how to select and grow ingredients, how to make a versatile and delicious sauce from either fresh or preserved tomatoes (which doesn’t take 15 hours to prepare), and we discuss historical precursors to the modern classic, as well as some of the more common elements of Italian American variations.

This class will be led as a demonstration with many opportunities for volunteer involvement. This iteration of the dish is naturally gluten free. We cannot make accommodations for those abstaining from dairy products. We will discuss how to ensure that this dish can be adapted for vegetarians and vegans.

This class is not ideal for children under the age of 13. Please check some of our other cooking class offerings specifically designed for children.

Ticket Rates
Members $45 per person
Non-members $55 per person

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Tickets are nonrefundable. This class runs rain or shine.

Instructor bio: Nick is the Classes at Fairchild Program Coordinator. He has over 15 years of professional culinary experience, which has taken him through the kitchens of restaurants, food trucks, and farmhouses in the south of Italy for months on end. His culinary expertise is in the cuisines of Italy (particularly the central and southern regions) as well as those of Greece and the Aegean islands. He is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University and the University of Miami.