Farmers Market Forays

Laurence Hauben-who for several years headed the Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market, and who is Food & Home magazine’s food and wine editor, as well as the leader of Slow Food Santa Barbara-has begun a new business conducting outings centered around eating. Called Market Forays: Epicurean Adventures Celebrating Seasonal Abundance, Hauben’s venture is designed to teach people “: how to shop for top-quality ingredients, and how to use them to create delicious home-cooked meals.” As such, she offers Tuesday and Saturday classes.

On Tuesdays, it’s La Cuisine du Marche-a day of shopping, cooking, and conversing with Hauben, who is an expert in the art of all three. Groups of about eight shop at Farmers Market for Chef Josh Brown of Bouchon, who later creates a feast for participants with the fresh ingredients. Recent seasonal forays have included apricot picking and jam-making with a gourmet picnic at Roblar Winery.

The Saturday forays start bright and early at the harbor to select freshly caught seafood; then, it’s off to Farmers Market and the kitchen for a hands-on cooking class, followed by lingering over the resulting five-course feast. Everybody gets copies of the recipes to take home. Both classes cost $125 per person, and include all of the food plus samplings of premium area wines.

Full of northern French charm and infatuated with the sensuous aspects of food, Hauben has been cooking since the age of three and is a true virtuoso. She will happily create custom events for special diets and special occasions. Hauben has not formally announced the launching of Market Forays and so she is not yet solidly booked for a year in advance, but in all likelihood will be soon. To reserve your space, call 259-7229 or visit marketforays.com.