Cookery Workshop

Cheese and onion roulade.

For us the food we serve and eat is very important, as well being an enjoyable experience it reflects our philosophies and beliefs. We often say we serve a “Home Grown Cuisine,” and about 30% of the food we serve is produced on the hotel farm. This means we have constant access to really healthy fresh produce and it also means the cooking has to be adjusted to what is available and in season.

Practising how to make different types of bread with Samantha supervising.

and writing notes….

This weekend we held a cookery workshop where participants learnt how to handle the spontaneity and the art of cooking healthy seasonal food, organic and vegetarian as it is prepared in the restaurant of the Hotel Posada del Valle. In the hotel set we serve a vegetarian and meat option; the meat always comes from carefully selected local and sustainable organic producers, but in this workshop we decided to specialize on vegetarian dishes.

It wasn’t just the women who were hands on.

The cookery workshops are informal and hands-on, taught by Joann and Samantha they are normally bilingual, but on this occasion all the six participants were Spanish. We limit the number of participants to six so that everyone has a chance to participate fully.

Preparing a leek and cheese roulade.

The cold carrot roulade.

The emphasis on the course was spontaneity and adaptability, taking standard recipes and adapting them to the seasonal ingredients that are available. Roulades are a classic example, they are very versatile and once the basic technique has been learnt they can be served hot or cold, sweet or savoury, making use of the ingredients that are available. A hot leek and cheese roulade, a cold carrot roulade and a raspberry and cream roulade where the types of roulades made by everyone this time. Amongst other dishes, all the participants made their own bread with different combinations and types of flour as well as adding a range of ingredients such as seeds, olives or grated vegetables.

Joe demonstrating another recipe

Proudly showing her home made bread before baking it.

During the weekend there was plenty of opportunity to try the food they had prepared as well as other dishes typical of the cooking at Hotel Posada del Valle. All the participants left at midday today most taking small samples of some of the dishes they had prepared. By all accounts everyone had an enjoyable time. The next weekend Cookery workshop is at the end of September and there will also be a seven day course “The Way of Food” in the middle of October. For more information on courses and events at the hotel check our web page.

The vegetable garden at the hotel.