Photo by Katie Knapp
Select a session, 9 a.m.-noon
Garlic on the Table
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - no longer available
Basil and Blooms
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Corn and Color
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025
Early Harvest: Apples and Grapes
Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025*
*New date
$145 member/$165 non-member, includes all ingredients and supplies.
Adult 18+
Immerse yourself in a hands-on garden-to-plate experience and connect personally with horticulture educators and a professional culinary expert. Dig in deep through small group sessions led by Extension Master Gardeners and immerse yourself in the art of growing and harvesting a diverse array of ingredients from the bountiful Foodscape encircling the Myers Education Center. Afterwards, bring your harvest into the Kitchen Classroom and learn from Chef Beth Fisher how to craft innovative recipes that celebrate the freshness of these harvested treasures.
"What a creative and fabulous class! Worth every penny!" - 2024 Grow. Harvest. Eat. Student
In this class you will:
Grow.
Start the morning with a beverage and a personal introduction to class in the beautiful Kitchen Classroom with educators and Chef Beth. Head out to the Foodscape, a half-acre sustainably designed landscape featuring over 250 beautiful food plants. Learn first-hand from Extension Master Gardeners, the research-based details of planting and caring for food plants from seed to harvest. Take home seeds to grow on your own along with instructions.
Harvest.
Picking fresh, healthy food is fun, meaningful, and creates a special connection to the foods we eat. Learn and apply best practices for harvesting herbs and vegetables to keep plants producing throughout the season. And, because food safety is key, hone your skills in the proper cleaning of harvesting tools. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and enjoy the hands-on experience of harvesting your own produce!
Eat.
In the kitchen, Chef Beth will guide the preparation of the garden harvest and incorporate complementary ingredients into the delicious menu of the day. Enjoy lively conversation while learning tips for cooking fresh, seasonal foods and taste the delicious culmination of this garden to plate experience.
Garlic on the Table
Wednesday, June 25
9 a.m.-noon
Kicking off summer has growing and harvesting garlic top of mind! Learn everything you need to know to grow, harvest and prepare garlic at home from your own garden. From planting tips to creative cooking techniques, you'll leave ready to enjoy the full flavor of fresh, homegrown garlic.
Menu
Starter: Strawberry Basil Buttermilk Scone with Lilac Sugar
Salad/Soup: Micro Greens, Radish & Asparagus Salad with Black Garlic Drizzle and Crunchy Hazelnut - Bee Pollen Dukkah
Main: Fried Wild Rice, Choy, Toasted Sesame Chive Eggs and a Bright Green Herb Sauce
Sweet: Rhubarb Cake with Raspberry Basil Whipped Cream
Tasting: Garlic - Garlic Scapes/Green Garlic/Black Garlic/Roasted Garlic
Basil and Blossoms
Wednesday, July 30
9 a.m.-noon
Celebrate the peak of garden season with this inspired class that is sure to answer your gardening and culinary questions! Learn new and creative ways to incorporate seasonal produce into delicious dishes that will elevate your cooking and impress your guests.
Menu
Starter: Zucchini Bread Toasts with Ginger Tomato Jam & Thai Basil
Appetizer: Garlic Scape & Herb Goat Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Micro Greens and Hot-Honey Drizzle
Main: Veggie Pot Pie with Zucchini, Kale, Chive, Sweet Peas + More Garden Goodies with Fennel Pollen Biscuit
Sweet: Raspberry Mint Upside Down Cake
Garden Tasting: 5-7 Varieties of Basil
Corn and Color
Wednesday, Aug. 20
9 a.m.-noon
Come join Chef Beth for a celebration of the golden heart of summer with a menu that honors the many ways in which corn can be prepared at its seasonal peak! Learn about this amazingly hardy crop grown for thousands of years right here in the U.S. and perfectly at home in Minnesota.
Menu
Starter: Zucchini-Pepper Cornbread Boats with CFANS Crispy Bacon
Salad: Heirloom Tomato, Cucumber, Mozzarella Stacker with Fresh Herb Salad and Shallot-Apple Cider Gastrique
Main: Oven Roasted Veggie Kabobs Basted with Herby Oil over Creamy Horseradish Polenta
Sweet: Sweet Corn Pancakes with Aronia-Black Pepper Jam
Tasting: Corn - Sweet, Field, Popped
Early Harvest: Apples and Grapes
Wednesday, Sept. 24
9 a.m.-noon
With fall just around the corner, it's time to savor apples and grapes! Start off the early harvest season and learn from UMN experts alongside Chef Beth, as she adds her own twist to these sweet and seasonal delights. Discover creative and delicious new ways to enjoy the rich, comforting flavors of autumn.
Menu
Starter: Sweet Corn Muffins with Rose Geranium Sugar
Salad: Spanish Tomato Bread and Late Summer Salad
Main: Minnesota Kernza® Paella with Tomatoes, Fennel, Peppers, Alliums, Herbs
Sweet: Apple & Lemon Thyme Hand Pies
Taste: Many Varieties of Apples & Grapes
Instructor Bios:
Chef Beth Fisher is thrilled to bring her experience to a new role as Culinary Lead at The University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Known for her years of teaching at various cooking schools and creative culinary work at several popular Twin Cities restaurants, Beth is now focused on enhancing the Arboretum's fast growing culinary offerings and kitchen classroom educational experiences. Join Beth and discover the joy of learning and cooking in the kitchen!
Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are your neighbors and are among more than 2,700 active experts across Minnesota. Their mission is to share U of M research-based horticultural knowledge and practices, cultivate diverse collaborations, support project-based volunteer activities and inspire change to promote healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy planet. Julie Weisenhorn, Extension Horticulture Educator and designer of the Foodscape, along with Laura Irish-Hanson, Extension Horticulture Educator, will collaborate with the Master Gardeners and bring their expertise to the Grow. Harvest. Eat. sessions. When not at the Farm at the Arb, Julie and Laura regularly appears on the popular WCCO Radio Smart Gardens show (Saturdays, 8-9am, AM 830), and Laura has taught HORT1001: Plant Propagation at the University of Minnesota.
Special Note: Attendees should wear closed-toe shoes appropriate for entering the garden which can include dirt and mud.
We recommend that you enter the Arboretum via the back gate on 82nd St, not the main entrance on Hwy 5. This is the most direct route to access the Farm at the Arb, and avoids potential delays when driving through the Arboretum.
Address: Farm at the Arb Entrance Gate
If you do wish to enter through the main Arboretum gate on Hwy 5, you can take 3-Mile Drive through the Arboretum and turn right on Peter Moe Drive to get to the Myers Education Center (this route may take an additional 15-20 minutes, so please plan accordingly).
Main Entry instructions:
You will receive a bar-code ticket for entry to the Arboretum in your email purchase confirmation. Your ticket is valid for entry on the day of your class. Present your ticket to the gate attendant as you enter the Arboretum. You may stay at the Arboretum after class as long as you want during our operating hours.