Learn, Experiences
Learn how to make Plant Infused Pasta!
Come join internationally recognized foraging instructor and author, Mark “Merriwether” Vorderbruggen, Ph.D. chemist & herbalist for a hands-on cooking class!
Students will learn the tricks of making egg noodles that incorporates wild plants into the pasta itself. These steps include proper preparation of the wild plants, order of addition of the ingredients, and how to knead the dough. After students finish preparing the raw dough they will then have the option of making it into linguini-style or lasagna-type noodles. This dough can also be used to make ravioli or other stuffed pastas.
This is a beginner-level cooking class designed to give people a new and unusual kitchen skill that can be shared with their friends and family!
Done right, pasta-making can be a bit messy! The pasta will be cut by hand rather than with an automatic pasta maker. Note, the flour used will contain gluten as gluten-free flour doesn’t hold together well enough for this sort of pasta.
All ingredients and equipment will be supplied, though if you have an apron, please bring it.
Merriwether will show the plants harvested for the pasta and how you can recognize them. Pre-made pasta will be cooked and shared with the students, so that they can take their pasta home with them to show off.
Merriwether is author of the books Idiots Guide Foraging and Outdoor Adventure Guide Foraging, along with countless other articles, interviews, and YouTube videos about foraging, wilderness survival, and herbal medicine. He is the creator of the award-winning website www.foragingtexas.com which currently covers over 220 useful plants and mushrooms in great detail. He holds 16 patents on using the chemistry of natural products to solve the world’s problems. In 2020 he joined the herbal supplement company Medicine Man Plant Co. as their formulator, creating science-backed products using ancient plants to help modern humans. His products can be found at www.medicinemanplantco.com
This class will be held in the Gathering Hall at Herff Farm near the Nest Nature School campus at 33 Herff Rd.