Sold out! Sheet Pan/One Pan Dinners with Chef Diana Andrews 4.28.22

Samantha Seneviratne, Food Styling, Mike Yamin, Photography

Thursday, April 28, 2022

7 PM – 9 PM

Join Chef Diana Andrews as she introduces three easy-to-prepare, absolutely delicious sheet pan/one pan suppers.

Baingan Bharta

In this spicy, smoky, Indian-style vegetarian dish, eggplant, tomatoes, onion, and jalapenos are broiled together until silky and tender, then mixed with sweet cashews, golden raisins, aromatics, and spices that are bloomed in ghee. A great combination of deep flavors and textures for a satisfying meat-free meal.

Sheet-Pan Shrimp and Vegetables with Orange Dressing

The flavors of Spring in one pan. Sweet and succulent shrimp, tender asparagus, Vidalia onion, cherry tomatoes are tossed with on orange-infused vinaigrette. Italian flavors add a touch of sophistication to this colorful pan-roasted dinner, which comes together quickly for a great weeknight meal.

Easy Moroccan-Style Sweet & Savory Harissa Chicken with Chickpeas, Olives & Prunes

Who says you need a tagine and long-cooking time to develop deep savory-sweet Moroccan-style flavors? Here, chicken thighs combine with olives, prunes, chickpeas, and sweet potatoes to produce a simmering pan of simply delicious.

Basic Class Info

•Students will partake in tastings and not full meals, but you will NOT go home hungry.

•Recipes are subject to change based on ingredient freshness and seasonal availability.

•Full recipes provided at class and will be posted to the chef’s website shortly thereafter.

•Maximum class capacity: 12.

• All COVID rules in effect at the time of publication. You must be fully vaccinated to attend. The current rule in Westport is that masks are optional.

• No refunds allowed. If you cannot attend, you may pass or sell your ticket to another person, however, you must provide us with their contact info prior to class for admittance.

Chef Diana Andrews is a culinary and editorial director, recipe developer and tester, food writer, and instructor.

She was the senior food editor and test kitchen director at Fine Cooking Magazine and head recipe developer/editor for the first six seasons of the Emmy-nominated PBS TV show Moveable Feast.

In addition, she has worked with Meredith Corporation, IAC, Wolf-Subzero, Food Network, Cuisinart, Sur La Table, Dressing Room Restaurant, Park Avenue Seasonal Restaurant, and the James Beard Foundation.

Currently, she manages all recipe testing and editing for The Spruce Eats and develops recipes for popular brands such as Mutti Tomatoes, True Aussie Beef & Lamb, Colavita, Filippo Berio, Prosciutto di Parma, Grana Padano, Belgioioso, Boursin, Scharffen Berger, Sun-Maid, If You Care, Mutti, Nielsen-Massey, Oatly, Gallo, and Dole.

She is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York/Los Angeles. Visit her at https://chefdianaandrews.com.

Blooming with Paint 5.9.22

BLOOMING WITH PAINT MAY 9TH 6-8PM

Spring has sprung! Join us in an observation-based painting and drawing workshop where we will bring to life a floral still life arrangement

Each participant will receive a piece of handmade Nujabi paper (16 inches in diameter). The final work of art may be hung on the wall or used as table decor. Exploring color hues, values and saturation, this workshop will include a guided demonstration by the instructor and challenge participants to notice scale, proportion and placement. Materials provided include watercolor and oil pastels, paint brushes, Nujabi paper and drawing board




Conscious Consumption - Fashionable Choices for Ourselves + the Planet 3.28.22

Join us at the Farm to learn about conscious consumption and how our fashion choices impact the planet!

March 28 @6:30 p.m.

Panelists Therese LeFever, Cynthia Davis, Carly Ridloff and Haley Lieberman will discuss the effects of fast fashion on our environment, the consumers, and the workers. Attendees will also learn how to identify sustainable businesses, make smarter buying choices, and what it really means to be a conscious consumer. Additionally, we will spotlight local sustainable clothing business, including Our Woven Community, The Exchange Project, and Shop Tomorrows, to show how they are making an eco-friendly impact on the fashion community.

Meet the Panelists

Haley Lieberman, AKA "The Queen of Hand-Me-Downs," is a born and bred Manhattanite raising her boy-girl twins in Fairfield County, CT. In her former life, Haley was a costume designer and stylist for stage, screen and print. After working on several operas, dozens of films and commercials and hundreds of fashion shows, it was time to build a company founded on making great clothes accessible to all while preserving our natural resources. As a lifelong thrifter, the idea for Shop Tomorrows was a no-brainer. So with #twinning #momlife in full gear, Shop Tomorrows was launched. In her free time, Haley enjoys eating and sleeping.

Cynthia Davis is a decorative artist and resident of Fairfield. Cynthia has volunteered for area organizations including: Operation Hope, The Bridgeport Rescue Mission, Habitat for Humanity, The Lighthouse Program, The Burroughs Community Center of Bridgeport and The Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants. Cynthia’s work with refugees began in 2008 as fundraising chair on the board of Hope for Ariang, a non-profit organization founded by one of the Lost Boys of Sudan with a mission to bring primary education to war torn areas of South Sudan. Her love of textiles, art and supporting others led her to create Our Woven Community (OWC in 2015). OWC is a program providing refugee women in Bridgeport economic opportunity and community integration through the skill of sewing. In 2019 she was awarded the American Dream award from The Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants for her work with Our Woven Community.

Carly Novick Ridloff is the founder and CEO of The Exchange Project. Carly is a working mother of two and alongside her husband, she does her best to live an eco-conscious life in and outside her home. The concept for The Exchange Project came to fruition after watching the documentary The True Cost. She was shocked to learn that the clothing crisis even existed and the harmful impacts that the garment/retail industry have on the planet and not to mention the exploitation of workers, and that no one was discussing it! She had to do something. The goal of The Exchange Project is to reduce the amount of materials that are added to a landfill and instead will be reused and live on in someone else's life. Follow her @the.exchangeproject to find out when the next event will be and how you can get involved with the movement.

Sold out! Pizza Pop-Up! Outdoor Pizza Making Class for Kids Ages 8+ 4.8.22

An Outdoor Pizza-Making Class for Kids Ages 8+

April 8 @4:15 -6 p.m.

Calling all jr. pizza chefs! Come make your own homemade pizza with your choice of toppings, baked in a flash in Wakeman's own outdoor pizza oven. Learn the techniques, roll the dough, top your creation, and enjoy your custom pizza hot and fresh at our picnic tables.

Part of our Friday Fun series

Mom is One of a Kind, and So Are These Bouquets - Order Now

Make Mom smile with a gift of a sweet and whimsical spring flowers. The bouquet comes in a mason jar tied with grosgrain ribbon, $55, designed by Sarah Shaw Floral Design exclusively for Wakeman Town Farm. We will be taking orders until Wed May 4 @6 pm. Pickup is at the Farm Sat May 7, 10-1. 134 Cross Hwy. Enter through the gate at the red pillars.

A portion of the proceeds will support Farm programs.

@sarahshawfloral

Photos: nancyelizabethhill photography

peruse our kids’ spring + summer camp offerings. registration opens 3.2.22

SPRING PROGRAMS + SUMMER CAMPS - UPDATE: We have listed our lineup of our Kids’ Camps and Programs under the Programs tab above. Feel free to peruse the descriptions, dates and times and get ready for registration on March 2 by writing down the codes of the programs you want to enroll in!

Please note:

Registration for spring and summer program offerings will open ONLINE on Wednesday, March 2nd at 9am. Visit Westport Parks + Recreation at www.westportrecreation.com to register. If you have issues with your online account, Email them directly at recreation@westportct.gov or call them at (203) 341-5152 and they will be happy to assist you!

 Start Your Garden Right 3.7.21

Want to get the right start to your best garden ever?

Lay the groundwork for success in your garden by joining our Pollinator Pathway talk on March 7. Find out how to approach essential first steps – whether you want a bonanza of produce or blooms. We’ll cover soil testing & prep, sun/shade conditions, assessing plantings, planning crops and prioritizing your garden tasks, with plenty of time for Q&A.

Taught by UConn advanced master gardener Alice Ely and UConn master gardener, and WTF’s own veggie whisperer, Farmer Ryan Brunelle.

This pollinator series talk is sponsored by WTF and Westport’s Pollinator Pathway.

Landscape Painting Class with Artist Katherine Gagnon 3.9.22

Come to Wakeman Town Farm and join artist Katherine Gagnon to learn and create a beautiful oil pastel and watercolor landscape painting

3.9.22 6-8 p.m.

About this event

Bring a compelling landscape image (photograph printed out (or on an iPad/tablet). Something you are drawn to mimic, find aesthetically pleasing or has a meaningful connection to you. Using watercolor and oil pastels, participants will layer these materials and think about how color and texture are applied to create their very own landscape painting! We will learn about and be asked to consider light condition, proportion, placement and figure/ground relationships. Join artist Katherine Gagnon to find your own artistic voice through painting and drawing in this hands-on workshop!

About the Instructor

Katherine Gagnon has exhibited her work up and down the east coast over the past 10 years. She holds a BA from Colby College and an MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art’s LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting. Notable shows include independent projects #shedshow2020 and #shedshow2021 and exhibitions with June Fitzpatrick Gallery, Portland, ME (2012), Lazy Susan Gallery, New York, NY (2017), and Artfare.com (2021). Residencies include the Edward Albee Foundation, Montauk, NY (2017), Art Farm, Marquette, NB (2014), and being the first Maryland Institute College of Art-St. Mary’s College of Maryland Artist House Teaching Fellow in Residence in 2014. Her work is featured in private collections throughout the United States.

SIP & CHARCUTERIE - A DIY BUILD-A-BOARD WORKSHOP 3.10.22

Putting together a well-paired grazing board can be daunting, but after participating in this hands-on workshop you will have the confidence to create your own spread that is almost too beautiful to eat. Great option for a date-night, girls’ night or a special experience with a parent.

3.10.22 @7p.m., $95 pp

Included:

Disposable palm leaf board

All ingredients (imported cheeses, charcuterie + gourmet accoutrements)

Hands-on tutorial on how to thoughtfully curate & arrange a stunning board

Tips & tricks that will transform the way you entertain so you can enjoy yourself as the host!

Red or white wine to get those creative juices flowing!

This hour-long workshop is lead by Elizabeth Drew of Drewlizcious, LLC.  Liz is a caterer and food stylist with an expertise in food & wine pairing. Her classes are popular and sell out fast.

Calling all Volunteers! We Run on Volunteer Power + Love and We Want You- 3.11.22

Stop by at 11 a.m. for an informal coffee chat about to learn ways you can get involved as a volunteer at Wakeman Town Farm . You don’t have to have a green thumb or be an alpaca whisperer (although we have volunteer opportunities for both of those). What you do have to have is a few hours a year to help out at the Farm, either as a planner or helper at one of our signature events, like our Family Fun Day, Pancake Breakfast, Eco Fest, Harvest Fest. We have committees for all our events and programs, and our volunteers sign up to help plan and run them. Whether you’re taking tickets at the front gate, planning the Farm Olympics at Family Fun Day, serving pancakes at the Pancake Breakfast or pizza at our Pizza Nights, or soliciting sponsor for Harvest Fest or other events, we could use your talents and time. We love moms and dads with kids, as well as retirees and singles; pretty much all the amazingly talented people who enjoy the Farm and want to lend a hand every now and then. It takes a village to keep a community Farm thriving!

Crazy Jumping Worms Are  Here – What’s a Gardener to Do? 3.14.22


If you always thought earthworms were beneficial in your garden, you may be surprised to learn that many are not! There are several Asian worm species invading North America which are currently wreaking havoc in our northeastern forests and gardens. 
 
Zoom in to hear Dr. Gale E. Ridge, Associate Scientist at The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, to learn how to identify these earthworms and what measures you need to take to protect your gardens and native habitats. Dr. Ridge will share the most recent research about the impact these worms are having in our woods and yards, and possible methods to contain or control them.
 
Following Dr. Ridge’s presentation, you will have the opportunity to ask questions.
 
This Pollinator Series talk is brought to you by Wakeman Town Farm and Westport’s Pollinator Pathway.

The Perfect pairing: a fabulous Baker + a Master Preserver 4.3.22

Please join us in Tim's Kitchen for a special Sunday "team teach' featuring local Master Preserver, Pam Lillis, of Pam Jams, and Baker Extraordinaire, Sheryl Mascarinas, of Peyton's Pastries, as they pair up in this hands-on culinary class. This is part cooking class, part Afternoon Tea, featuring culinary lesson, tea, tastings, and a bit to take home! This is a fun experiential event to share with a friend or loved one.

$125 pp

First, we will learn to make scratch-baked scones from the dough up.

Next, we will learn to make fresh jam from best-of-the-season berries.

Put them both together, and your mornings just got better!

Note: this is not a canning class

Pam's bio here

Sheryl's info here

Kids' Pizza Pop-Up Class / Friday Fun (Ages 8+) 4.8.22

An Outdoor Pizza Making Class for Kids Ages 8+
4:15-6 p.m.

Calling all jr. pizza chefs! Join us for some Friday after-school fun as you make your own homemade pizza with your choice of toppings, baked in a flash in Wakeman's own outdoor wood-fired pizza oven. Learn the techniques, roll the dough, top your creation, and enjoy your custom pizza hot and fresh at our picnic tables. Limited number for best experience.

Home Hacks:The Eco Dude’s sustainable swaps for a healthier home 6.29.22

NEW DATE! 06.29.22 @ 7PM - "Home Hacks: This for That" with the Eco Dude

Join Brad Kerner, aka, The Eco Dude, owner of the Eco Dude, to learn how he made sustainable swaps with his family to reduce their reliance on plastic and ultimately reduce the amount of trash they created.  Brad's story will inspire you to take this waste free journey on your own.

Brad will bring a set of products from his store, Eco Evolution, located in South Norwalk (135 Washington Street) and explain why these products are better than their traditional peers.  His commitment? All products are good for people and the planet.  Join us in person and you will get 15% off all products demonstrated.  Products will range from bathroom, laundry, kitchen, skin care, kids, pets and more!  A night with The Eco Dude not to be missed.

Purchase tickets to this in person event on Eventbrite.

Haiku Workshop with Westport's Poet Laureate 2.28.22

Date/Time: Feb 28th at 7pm

Join Westport Poet Laureate for a Haiku Poetry Workshop: Haiku is a poetic form consisting of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively. It is the perfect way to learn to write concisely. Diane Lowman will discuss the origins of this beautiful genre, and participants will then write and share their own creations. We will use the environs of the Farm for our inspiration.

About Diane

Diane's essays have appeared in many publications, including O, The Oprah Magazine; Brain, Child; Brevity Blog; and When Women Waken. She writes a weekly column called Everything’s an Essay. In addition to essays, she has written a memoir called Nothing But Blue, which was published in November 2018. Shortly thereafter, she received her M.A. in Shakespeare Studies from the University of Birmingham’s Shakespeare Institute. She has explored other forms of literary expression in more than 2,000 haiku and essays analyzing each of Shakespeare's 37 plays. In July 2019, she was named Westport, CT’s first Poet Laureate.

Interested in Electric Vehicles? A Discussion with the Experts 2.7.22

Interested in purchasing an electric car, but not sure where to start? Want to make an informed decision before purchasing? This is the lecture for you! Brady Kresch and Analiese Mione of the EV Club of CT will host a lecture at WTF going over what is an EV, different types of EV's, the process of charging the battery, what to look for in an electric car, and the climate effects of an EV.



Encore Class: Fire Cider Infusing Workshop - The Age-Old Cure-All 1.27.22

Our last class was so popular, we are hosting an encore! Whether you want to fight cold & flu season, or just feel great, this class is for you! Learn to make the age-old cure-all in this workshop Thursday, January 27, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

What is Fire Cider and why is everyone drinking it? We'll talk about the health benefits of each ingredient in this metabolism & anti-inflammatory tonic, then pitch in together and chop! Whether you want to fight cold & flu season, or just feel great, this class is for you! Once you know the method, you can make your own version all winter long.

Did you know that Fire Cider takes 3 weeks to infuse? (We best get started now)

This is a Hands-On Workshop, and you will leave with a quart of your very own Homemade Fire Cider and a refillable Mason Jar with label.

Pam Lillis is a certified Nutritional Health Coach as well as a Master Preserver & Culinary Instructor specializing in all methods of canning and preserving. Pam loves to teach her students to preserve real organic fruits and vegetables to enjoy year round. Whether you are interested in shrubs & tonics, jams & pickles — or any of the bounty from each season, small-batch canning is easy to learn from this Master Preserver. Pam is the owner of Pam's Jams at Cook Up A Storm in Westport CT.

DATE CHANGED to 2.17.22 Winter Soup class with Chef Diana Andrews/Originally 1.13.22

TWO SPOTS LEFT. DATE MOVED TO 2.17.22

In this winter soup class, participants will learn to make three crowd-pleasing cold-weather soups with different flavor profiles—a hearty chili, veg-forward soup, and an old-school Italian comfort classic.

•Chocolate Stout Chili. Learn the secrets to making the most tender, flavor-enriched, craveable chili. Caramelized onions and bittersweet chocolate combine to lend their savory-sweet intensity. Stout beer adds a creamy, hoppy flavor with coffee notes. This full-bodied, complex chili gets even better with time. Make it once; eat it twice. This chili freezes extremely well.

•Roasted Vegetable-Quinoa Soup with Garlic and Kale. This zesty soup is perfect to come home to on a cold day. A variety of oven-roasted vegetables combine with warming spices to make an inviting dinner that fills the kitchen with mouthwatering aromas. Served with a toasted baguette, it makes for a satisfying one-bowl meal.

•Chicken, Escarole, and White Bean Stoup (somewhere between a stew and a soup). Living in a world between a soup and a stew, this nurturing wholesome, and substantial “stoup” combines diced chicken, ditalini pasta, escarole, and cannellini beans to make a hearty, rib-sticking feast.

Basic Class Info

•Students will partake in tastings and not full meals (this is not a dinner class).

•Recipes are subject to change based on ingredient freshness and seasonal availability.

•Full recipes provided at class.

•Maximum class capacity: 8 to 9

• All Covid rules in effect.

• No refunds allowed. If you cannot attend, you may pass or sell your ticket to another person; however, you must provide us with their contact info prior to class for admittance.

Diana Andrews is a culinary director, recipe developer and tester, food writer, and instructor. Her clients include online and print food media publications and kitchen appliance and food companies. She was the senior food editor and test kitchen director at Fine Cooking Magazine and head recipe developer/editor for the first six seasons of the Emmy-nominated PBS TV show Moveable Feast. In addition, she has worked for Spruce Eats, Meredith Corporation, Food Network, Cuisinart, Sur La Table, Dressing Room Restaurant, Park Avenue Seasonal Restaurant, and the James Beard Foundation.

She is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. Visit her at https://chefdianaandrews.com.

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