Dear friends,
Here is the schedule for this autumn. Dates for workshops are below.
TALKS & SUPPERCLUBS
October 5th, Thursday – a talk with Sarah Raven at her farm in Sussex
I will be cooking and talking about Ukrainian food and culture with Sarah Raven, at her farm in East Sussex. I will be preparing some autumnal dishes using seasonal produce harvested from Perch Hill, and after the demo, lunch will be served.
October 12th, Monday – a conversation with Samyukta Nair at BombayBustle, Mayfair
As part of a new female-led conversation series called Made by Women.
Link to book TBC
October 17th, Cruise for Ukraine fund-raising dinner
I am cooking my South Ukrainian menu on a boat in London, and we are raising money for Legacy Of War Foundation, who are supporting Ukraine on the ground.
It is a special fundraiser with London Shell Company for Ukraine (lowf) aboard the Prince Regent boat, which will depart from Paddington and sail along the canal. I’ll be serving a menu expressive of Ukrainian culture and talking to guests on board.
Link and menu TBC
November 4th, Saturday – a talk at Writeldea Book Festival at Bethnal Green Library
Link TBC
December 18th, Monday – Christmas Book Fair at St Paul’s Girls School
I am signing my cookbooks – Summer Kitchens and Home Food.
AUTUMN IN PERSON WORKSHOPS
The dates for in person classes in E7 London are the following. £120 per person + VAT.
To book please contact Maria via this email cookwith@oliahercules.com
We will then book you in. Payment information and shopping list and recipe pack will be sent as soon as the classes are fully booked. We cater for dietaries such as vegetarian or vegan, dairy intolerance, coeliac decease.
Fund-raiser pop up lunch at my house
Saturday, 7th October – 12:30 am – 3:30 pm
I am raising £1500 to help my uncle and aunt (displaced from Lyubymivka near Kakhovka) to buy them a house in Kyrovohrad oblast. They are in their early 70s and it does not look like they will be able to return back home soon enough.
They have been living in a rented apartment for two years and it is killing them. They need a garden – the best therapy and a way for them to start earning some money again.
My uncle’s wife, aunt Lyuda has taught me so much. A lot of the recipes in Mamushka and Summer Kitchen are hers, so I will cook her dishes for this fund-raiser. It will all be delicious. And we will also offer organic wines (hoping also a Ukrainian fizz – TBC).
The ticket is £100, please contact cookwith@oliahercules.com to book. Thank you for your support!
Fermentation Class
Saturday, 14th October – 10:30 am – 2:00 pm
We will draw on Ukrainian traditions of preserving the glut of the season for winter. We will make a number of ferments, both traditional Ukrainian and modern Ukrainian. We will also have lunch cooked using fermented vegetables and organic wine and beers.
You will take the ferments you’ve made home.
Jars provided unless you have favourite ones at home you would like to use or recycle.
Lunch will have a vegetarian/vegan option, just let us know!
Ferments that we will make (subject to change, if organic ingredients unavailable):
Fermented tomatoes & celery
Pelustka (cabbage & beetroot pickle)
Pineapple and jalapeño kraut
Beetroot kvas
For lunch (which I will demo): ohirkivka – a barley and brined cucumber broth with either meat or wild mushrooms (VG) + lots of sourdough, cheese and fermented pickles to sample.
Georgian Cookery Class
Friday 10 November – 6:30 – 9:30 pm
Dishes TBC, requests welcome! I was thinking:
Khachapouri (cheesy bread);
Charkhali (beetroot and plum salad);
Kharcho (beef/wild mushroom and walnut broth);
Fermented chillies
+ some surprise dishes with authentic Georgian ingredients
Ukrainian Christmas Cookery Class – Friday 24 November – 6:30 – 9:30 pm
Dishes TBC, requests welcome! I was thinking:
Vushka dumplings (filled with kraut, mushrooms and chestnuts) in borsch consommé
Christmas kraut (cabbage, carrot, chilli & other spices)
Holubtsi (cabbage rolls with meat or mushrooms)
Sweet potato kolach (Ukrainian challah) and bay custard
Dumplings Classes
Friday 1 December – 6:30 – 9:30 pm
Friday 8 December 6:30 – 9:30 pm
(Great way to bring your work colleagues, friends and family together – perfect your dumpling skills then sit down and eat the delicious meal you have all prepared)
We will learn how to fold Gul Khanum and Manty (Central Asia); Varenyky (Ukraine); Khinkali and Kurze (Caucasus).
We will make the dumplings and then have a feast with organic wine and beers.
The course is vegetarian and vegan friendly, but sadly cannot cater for gluten-free.
The Zoom Classes will be held on:
Zoom Fermentation Class – September 7th
We will make:
South Ukrainian fermented aubergines
Fermented stuffed Gagauz peppers
Tomato mors (fermented passata)
Fermented corn on the cob
You need to subscribe to the £35 tier on Patreon for the month of September. You can easily unsubscribe the following month.
https://www.patreon.com/OliaHercules/membership
Once you subscribe – you will see a post with the Zoom Link and shopping list, prep list and recipes!
