Dining at restaurants has a plethora of perks. Oftentimes, however, one of the few downsides is being left in suspense as to how the delish meal you just devoured was crafted. Savor the River Valley, a culinary collective based in the Driftless Region, is hoping to fill this void for local foodie experiences.
Launched in 2021, the goal of this initiative is to promote a variety of the food-based businesses and farms in Southwest Wisconsin such as Brewhaha Roasters, Tortilleria Zepeda and Future Fruit Farm. The ability to partner together to host tours and cooking classes allows for current members to cross-promote menus, tours and pre-packaged products. They are also exploring ways to troubleshoot broader issues, like supply and staff shortage, that many entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry have been grappling with since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
And they are taking an equally collaborative approach to events this year. The first was a pasta-making workshop in January led by the head chefs at Homecoming in Spring Green, during which participants used Meadowlark Organics flour (produced in Ridgeway) to make fresh noodles from scratch. The cooking instruction is extremely interactive as attendees are given hands-on steps to follow throughout the process at individual stations—giving everyone ample opportunity to test, and improve, their kitchen skills.
A series of short demos (beginning with entrée prep) is interspersed between the students’ own trial and error attempts before the moment most folks are eagerly anticipating: a sample of the finished meal. For those present, the feast can now be continued at home thanks to each person leaving with one to two portions of pasta, a simple red sauce and a recipe card.
Next up in Savor the River Valley’s event lineup are a Cajun Cookin’ crash course on Feb. 19, facilitated by RedBarn Catering Kitchen owner Jay Miller, and a Making Maple Syrup session on March 26 at My Fine Homestead farm. Snag a spot in one or either to broaden your perspective on farm-to-table dining—and eating.
To book a class or to learn more about Savor the River Valley, visit www.savortherivervalley.org.
Photo credit: Rachel Werner