Looking for fun projects to do this summer? Come join me in a class (or two, or three) at Love Apple Farm’s awesome teaching kitchen, on the grounds of the-even-more-awesome Love Apple farm in Santa Cruz. This summer I’ll be leading a workshop to make the dainty French macarons, teaching you how to make a killer Pad Thai and other wok goodness from the Thai street food repertoire, and how to make lovely, delicious summer jams with the bounties from your backyard and our farmers markets.

Want to learn how to make the dainty (and, yes, fickle) macarons? Come join my workshop. This is not a demonstration class, the only way to learn how to do macarons properly is to feel it and make it yourself. You’ll be getting your hands dirty and learning how to make perfect macarons just like they do in fancy French pâtisseries. Once you master the technique, you can go totally crazy with your own combinations. The limit is your imagination! Plus, you’ll leave with the macarons you’ve made in class to share with [read: show off to] your friends and family afterwards.

There are two class dates for Macarons Madness workshop: May 29 and June 25. Go sign up here. (Note: May 29 is already full, so be quick and sign up for the June 25 class before it’s sold out too.)

You’ve always loved Pad Thai but felt too intimidated to try them at home? Come take this class with me. We’ll not only make the best Pad Thai at home, but we’ll also cover other Thai stir-fry favorites like Pad See Ewe, Pad Kee Mao, Pad Kaprow, and more. At the end of class, you’ll get to make one (or more) of these noodle dish and eat the result! So come hungry! Oh, and go ahead and throw out your take-out menu right now. You won’t need them anymore, I promise.

Pad Thai and Other Delicious Wok Dishes: Sunday, June 19, noon-4pm. Sign up here.

Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, plus our famous local Blenheim apricots; these early summer bounties are here today and gone tomorrow. Come and learn how to preserve the sprightly flavors of early summer with me. We’ll start with a basic, straight-up berry jam without using commercial pectic. Next, we’ll spice it up by making a herb-infused berry jam. Then, we’ll craft a berry conserve with beautiful whole fruits. And finally, we’ll make the best Blenheim apricot jam, ever. After the class, you’ll get to take home a jar or two of the jams we made in class.

Early Summer Jamming: Saturday, June 11, noon-4pm. Sign-up here.