Cooking class is all about making healthy pies
Homemade pies were on the menu for the latest Rockmart Farmers Market cooking class that taught youth how to make the food from the ground up.
Once again focused on using healthy, local ingredients, the class used peaches and tomatoes directly from the market as their base.
Making a crust is the first step to any pie, and Market Executive Director Shonna Kirkpatrick’s recipe called for 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar, half a tablespoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, half a cup of cake flour, a third of a cup of cold or frozen butter, 1 egg, and a fourth of a cup of ice water.
“Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl,” Kirkpatrick said. “Grate the butter into the dry ingredients, stopping to coat the shredded butter with the dry ingredients three to four times while grating. Combine egg, vinegar, and ice water in a separate bowl and then stir it into the butter and flour- mixing until just combined.”
After students learned proper kitchen hygiene, they were in charge of everything from grating the butter to flattening the crust.
The group was also taken to the market to shop for their own ingredients before returning and finishing the dish.
The tomato pie recipe required 5 peeled and sliced tomatoes, half a cup of chopped green onion, two 8 ounce containers of pimento cheese, 10 fresh chopped basil leaves, a 9-inch pre-baked pie crust, salt, and pepper.
“Pre-heat the oven to 350,” Kirkpatrick explained. “Line a colander with paper towels and lay sliced tomatoes on the paper towels. Lightly salt the tomatoes and let them rest for 10 minutes. Using fresh towels, pat dry the tomatoes and place them in the bottom of the pre-baked pie crusts before seasoning with salt and pepper. Cover the tomatoes with basil leaves and onions. Spread pimento cheese over the top to make a thin cheese crust going all the way to the edge. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.”
The numerous peaches the group had were also put to good use. Kirkpatrick’s peach pie recipe calls for 2 unbaked pie crusts, half a cup of sugar, 4 tablespoons of cornstarch, a fourth of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, 5 cups of peeled, sliced peaches, a fourth of a cup of packed brown sugar, a fourth of a teaspoon of nutmeg, an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, and a tablespoon of butter.
“Roll out the pie crusts to the desired size and place one in a pie man,” Kirkpatrick said. “Toss peaches, sugars, cornstarch, spices, salt, and lemon juice with the peaches. Pour into the pie crust and dot with butter. Cover with second pie crust and seal the edges. Cut a design into the top crust to allow steam to escape before covering the edges with foil and baking for 50 to 75 minutes. Let it sit for 20 minutes before serving.”
Not only did the group get to eat the meal they made, they can now make pie at home or anywhere else.
Those interested in taking a class hands-on can still sign up for the 6-week cooking course that’s scheduled to begin on Aug. 14 form 5 through 7 p.m.
Sign-ups and other details about cooking classes can be found at http://www. rockmartfarmersmarket. com/upcoming-classes.
Those interested in purchasing the ingredients used in the classes can visit the Rockmart Farmers Market every Thursday from 2 through 6 p.m. on Water Street.