The following courses are currently scheduled.
Courses are listed alphabetically by title.

 
All Ground Up - Sausage Making 
Craig & Dianne Peterson/Marlo Larson
Session Options:
. . . 10/24/2009 - 10/25/2009
. . . 1/16/2010 - 1/17/2010
Make your own sausage flavored the way you like it using your favorite meats.  As a class, we will make and take 4-5 kinds of sausage of your choosing from a list of about 10 varieties.  These will be fresh, non-smoked, non-cured sausages like bratwurst, breakfast sausage, Moroccan, Polish, Italian, Chorizo and more.  Sausage meats include pork or turkey, buffalo, elk, venison and lamb.  Learn how to grind, season, mix (using no msg, no preservatives), stuff, cook, eat, and serve the best sausages in the world - taking home about 25lbs of fresh sausage!  Homemade, handmade fresh from your kitchen, it doesn't get any better than this.

Learn how to make sausage at home using your own kitchen equipment, considerations where and what to buy, and suggestions on what your sausage making needs are.  A background will be given so you can adapt these principles to make any sausage on your own, using any ingredients you wish.  Plan to take about 25 lbs of various sausages of your choice to enjoy and share with friends at home.

Course Details:
. . . Length in Days: 2
. . . Hours: 9am-5pm
. . . Tuition: $150
. . . . . . Non-peak Tuition (Nov-Apr): $130
. . . Materials Fee: Varies (approx $60-$75)
. . . Intergenerational Age: 12+
. . . Level: Beginner to Advanced

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Earthen Oven Building
     and Baking (Preserving the Past)
Kiko Denzer
Session Options:
. . . 7/10/2009 - 7/12/2009 - FULL, please call for waiting list
This class is for folks who want a (hand-sculpted) masonry oven that requires no special materials, tools, or skills — and very little cash! With little more than hands and mud, we’ll make a wood-fired oven directly from the earth that feeds us. Your (small) kids can help (indeed, they’re likely to build their own mini-ovens!), and the result is a sculpture unlimited by the square edges of industrial bricks: a dirt-cheap, beautiful masonry oven that works just like the brick ones. (Remember that bricks are just fired clay, so fire will transform the mud of your oven into your own, very local brick.) The technology is as old as the cultivation of wheat: local soil is selected for clay content, combined with varying amounts of sand, straw, and/or sawdust, and hand-sculpted into a series of layers to absorb and hold the heat of the fire. Pizza cooks (under a live flame) as quickly as a minute or so. After the fire is removed and the floor swept clean of ashes, you can cook sourdough loaves directly on the brick hearth in as little as 30 minutes. As the heat stored by the earthen masonry slowly declines, you’ll have hours to cook a full menu of baked and roasted meats, vegetables, pies, casseroles, stews, soups, and slow-cooked, overnight breads and puddings – not to mention drying your firewood, or your shoes!

The goal of this course is to give students a practical feel for the basic principles of retained heat ovens - as well as gaining knowledge and confidence to build an oven anywhere there is mud underfoot.  As for bread, we provide starter, some important rules (Patience, Wonder, Nae Stress), and enough simple instruction to give you confidence to try whole-grain sourdough (a variant of the classic desem loaf), as well as your favorite “artisan” recipes.

This workshop is both a learning and a service opportunity, as during the course we will be rebuilding a classic “Quebec Style Oven” at the Grand Portage National Monument (please note that all three days take place at the Monument). As Kahlil Gibran says, “work is love made visible,” and we find that the enthusiasm, love, and cooperation of many people working and learning together makes the resulting ovens an inspiration on many levels.  The work is as physical as you like and/or want. Since students all work together, everything gets done without too much strain. Within reason, activities will be adjusted to meet group interests and preferences.  Weather and other conditions permitting, students will build a large permanent oven and one small temporary oven for demonstration purposes.

This hands-on workshop will cover:
* materials & properties:
    - identifying, testing, & sourcing clay soils
    - mixing, shaping, sculpting
    - adapting mixes to maximize: mass, insulation, conduction, resistance
* building the oven, from foundation to finish
* quick mini-ovens you can build in an hour
* principles & steps for whole-grain, naturally leavened bread
* fire, heat, temperature, cooking
    - heating the oven: fuel, firing, efficiency
    - baking in the oven: time, temperature, measurement

Note that this is the second of two offering featuring Kiko Denzer. The first is a two day course on building and sculpting with earthen Plasters (see Art of Cob on the Shelter page).  Learn more about Kiko his projects on his web site:
  ** kikodenzer.blogspot.com
  ** handprintpress.com

Course Details:
. . . Length in Days: 3
. . . Hours: 9am-5pm
. . . Tuition: $255
. . . Materials Fee: Included
. . . Intergenerational Age: 12+
. . . Level: Beginner to Advanced

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Homebrewing
     - Broaden Your Flavor Spectrum
Peter James
Session Options:
. . . 5/8/2009 - 5/10/2009 - Full, Call for Wait List
Making boats and baskets, certainly!  But beer?  Sure!  Like many crafts of bygone days, brewing was often a home-based activity.  Here’s your chance to engage in this rewarding craft and access the complete beer flavor spectrum - from bittery IP's to smooth Nutbrown Ales, creamy Belgiums to dark Stouts - you control the spectrum.  You will discover the underlying causes of beer flavor and character by learning ingredient and process basics, augmented by several beer tastings.  Working in pairs, you will brew beers tailored to individual preferences.  You will practice those aspects of brewing essential to homebrewing success, leaving with the knowledge and skills to continue your new favorite hobby in the future.  Materials costs include an instructor-hosted lunch on Saturday to complement additional beer tastings.  Must be 21 years of age to participate.

The first evening of class will include an overview of the brewing process, interspersed with beer tastings designed to develop the participants’ awareness of beer flavor and character.  The next day, students will develop recipes and begin brewing based on individual preferences.  To broaden students’ awareness of beer styles, the day features a hosted lunch with more tastings.  In addition to the brewing process, the remainder of the class will include discussions, demonstrations, and activities related to transferring, bottling, carbonation, and conditioning.

Course Details:
. . . Length in Days: 2.5
. . . Hours: Day 1: 5pm-9pm; Day 2: 9am-5pm; Day 3: 8am-Noon
. . . Tuition: $185
. . . Materials Fee: $35
. . . Intergenerational Age: n/a
. . . Level: Beginner to Intermediate

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Lake Superior     
    Harvest Cooking Class
Chef Judi Barsness
Session Options:
. . . 9/24/2009
We often think of the harvest as something that comes from the earth.  But here on the shores of Lake Superior, the northern harvest explodes with an abundant supply of freshwater fish, sustaining both our regional culinary palette as well as our local economy.  Bring home the tastes of the Lake Superior by participating in this hands-on, participatory cooking class takes you inside the kitchen of Chef Judi Barsness at Chez Jude Restaurant, Wine Café and Cooking School.  Students prepare and enjoy a Chef's Luncheon as a class -  Lake Superior Whitefish Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Remoulade - learning to prepare a gourmet taste with some regional flavor.   Your cooking class includes a recipe packet prepared by the Chef to expand your cooking palette in your own kitchen.  Experience the best of regional and seasonal cooking of the Northern Harvest.   Advance registration recommended.

Course Details:
. . . Length in Days: 0.5
. . . Hours: 9am-1pm
. . . Tuition: $50
. . . Materials Fee: $15 (includes luncheon and recipe packet)
. . . Intergenerational Age: na
. . . Level: Beginner to Advanced

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Ovencrafting
     - Building and Baking In The Wood-Fired Brick Oven
Derek Lucchese/Kent Jones
Session Options:
. . . 10/2/2009 - 10/5/2009   - Full, Please Call for Wait List
Hearth loaves, wood-fired cooking, traditional baking - all potential uses for the wood-fired masonry oven pioneered and made popular by Alan Scott.  This workshop will explore the history of masonry ovens, oven construction, mixing dough and brick oven baking.  Over the 4 days of the course we will, as a class, build a 32" x 36" oven starting with hearth construction, followed by the oven walls, arches, door and facade in succession.  Construction will end with the facade arch and chimney, as time permits.  The building of the foundation, block walls and the finishing of the oven facade, its insulation and housing will be explained in detail.  Interspersed with oven building we'll be mixing dough and baking bread!  The focus of this portion of the class will be naturally leavened (sourdough), whole grain breads such as whole wheat, rye, spelt and kamut.   By class end you'll have natural leaven and baked bread to take home, plus all the knowledge needed to build your own oven and bake in it.

In the course, we’ll also make white-flour based sourdough loaves and yeasted bread and host a pizza night for the North House community at large.  All the while, learning about starting your own natural leaven from scratch, preparing leavens for baking, learning about the baker's percentage, creating your own recipes, and of course how to fire and bake in North House's brick oven.

Course Details:
. . . Length in Days: 4
. . . Hours: 9am-5pm
. . . Tuition: $380
. . . Materials Fee: $20
. . . Intergenerational Age: na
. . . Level: Beginner to Advanced

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Rustic Breads for the Brick Oven  
Derek Lucchese
Session Options:
. . . 10/17/2009 - 10/18/2009- FULL, please call for waiting list
Spend a weekend creating traditional rustic breads to be baked in North House's wood-fired brick oven.  These breads are characterized by their unique blend of flours (wheat, rye, spelt, kamut) and their high water content.  This class will teach you how to develop and handle these wet, loose doughs.  From hand mixing and kneading to shaping and baking, you'll gain a foundation in the most traditional of techniques. We will discuss the properties of different flours, and students will be introduced to working with and caring for natural leavens (sourdough cultures) as well as commercial yeast.  This class will also serve as an in-depth introduction to the wood-fired baking process.  These are the best breads on earth.


Course Details:
. . . Length in Days: 2
. . . Hours: 9am-5pm
. . . Tuition: $170
. . . Materials Fee: $15
. . . Intergenerational Age: 16+
. . . Level: Beginner to Advanced

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Sourdough Breads 
Amy James
Session Options:
. . . 6/27/2009 - 6/28/2009 - Full, Call for Wait List
. . . 8/8/2009 - 8/9/2009
Biga, Levain, Poolish, Sponge, Starter – tasty words (and each refers to a type of pre-ferment used in bread baking).  The technique used to create what is commonly referred to as “sourdough bread” includes a wide variety of methods all using a pre-ferment to create bread with a great crust and depth of flavor. In a wood-fired oven, we will use each of these to create tasty breads using a variety of flours and seasonings. Discussions will include creating a hearth-like setting for the home oven for bread baking.  While it would be helpful if participants have had their hands in bread dough before, this course is designed for any baker who would like to explore this technique.  Each participant will go home with wild yeast cultures to continue baking.


Course Details:
. . . Length in Days: 2
. . . Hours: Day 1: 9am-5pm; Day 2: 8am-4pm
. . . Tuition: $150
. . . Materials Fee: $35
. . . Intergenerational Age: na
. . . Level: Beginner to Intermediate

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Swedish Potato Sausage Making
Craig/Dianne Peterson
Session Options:
. . . 10/3/2009
. . . 12/5/2009
If you enjoy sausage, you have to try Swedish potato sausage, which is a homemade taste you can't find in the store! Now a full day class, you'll learn the process of preparing, deboning, grinding, mixing, stuffing and enjoying Swedish potato sausage.  Also called "potatis korv," this sausage  is traditionally served with lutefisk, lefse and creamed peas on Christmas Eve, but also makes a great breakfast or BBQ sausage. This course is "hands-on" -  from mixing and stuffing to the tasting and packing of 4-5 lbs of sausage for taking home.  You'll learn about the planning, mixing and sausage-making equipment that apply to other types of sausage making as well.


Course Details:
. . . Length in Days: 1
. . . Hours: 9am-5pm
. . . Tuition: $75
. . . . . . Non-peak Tuition (Nov-Apr): $65
. . . Materials Fee: Varies (approx. $20)
. . . Intergenerational Age: 10+
. . . Level: Beginner

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Traditional Harvest of Wild Rice (Preserving The Past)
Erik Simula
Session Options:
. . . 9/4/2009 - 9/6/2009
Manoomin, Zizani aquatica, wild rice… the symbolic grain of the North. Wild rice has been a significant food source for the peoples who have inhabited the Great Lakes region for centuries and who have harvested this annual grain generation after generation.  In this course, co-sponsored by Grand Portage National Monument, you  paddle to a historic ricing bed for a day of harvesting and visit Grand Portage National Monument for insight into the finishing of the grain. While on-site at the Monument (35 miles NE of Grand Marais), you'll learn about drying, parching, hulling, hand-winnowing and food preparation methods and you will go home with your own finished rice. Participants are required to bring canoes (one canoe per pair) and have previous paddling experience.  Your participation in this course includes admission into the Monument's historic park.

The class meets at North House for discussions about history of ricing - both traditional and conventional –the biology and ecosystems that support wild rice, and the ethics of harvesting wild grain.  Students will review ricing regulations and equipment on day 2.  The class will paddle to a rice lake and spend the day hand-harvesting rice.  Bagging, drying and storage will also be covered.  A visit to Grand Portage National Monument on day 3 will provide  insight into processing of rice, including drying, parching, hulling and hand-winnowing.  Cooking of rice includes historic recipes and ways of preparing rice.

Course Details:
. . . Length in Days: 3
. . . Hours: 9am-5pm
. . . Tuition: $225
. . . Materials Fee: $20
. . . Intergenerational Age: 14+
. . . Level: All Levels

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Whole Grain Sourdough Bakery  
Amy James
Session Options:
. . . 6/12/2009 - 6/13/2009 - FULL, please call for waiting list
. . . 7/17/2009 - 7/18/2009 - Full, Call for Wait List
. . . 10/30/2009 - 10/31/2009
Expand your baking horizon by learning to craft tasty whole grain breads using soakers and wild yeast cultures to coax the most flavor and nutrition from the grain.  Students will create whole grain wheat and rye breads, some supplemented by seeds and grains for extra texture, flavor, and health. The breads will be baked in North House's harborside wood-fired oven, and discussion will include information about creating a hearth oven baking experience for your own home oven.   Participants will go home with bread, recipes, wild yeast cultures and the knowledge to bake these breads with confidence.

Course Details:
. . . Length in Days: 1.5
. . . Hours: Day 1: 5pm-8pm; Day 2: 9am-5pm
. . . Tuition: $115
. . . Materials Fee: $20
. . . Intergenerational Age: na
. . . Level: Beginner to Advanced

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Sausages for the Summer Grill 
Craig/Dianne Peterson
Session Options:
. . . to be scheduled
Just in time for the summer season, a course to enable the grill master in all of us to make our own sausages for the BBQ.  Designed to teach you how to make several kinds of sausage for those easy summer meals - from bangers to bratwurst.  You will learn to grind, season, mix, stuff, prepare and serve your favorites.  Once you learn the basics you will be limited only by your own imagination in what you can create for your own grilling pleasure.  A summertime must try.

Summer is coming. Fire up the grill.  Here is a course for those summer cookouts.  Concentrating on bratwurst, the course will present several varieties to take and enjoy at home.  Additional recipes will be shared for many other varieties of sausage.  You will work with basic, simple equipment requiring little investment while learning complex skills.  Each student should plan to take 10 lbs of various sausages of your choice to enjoy and share with friends at home.

Course Details:
. . . Length in Days: 1
. . . Hours: 9am-5pm
. . . Tuition: $75
. . . Materials Fee: Varies (approx. $30)
. . . Intergenerational Age: 10+
. . . Level: Beginner to Advanced

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Flatbreads Bakery - From the Wood-Fired Hearth
Amy James
Session Options:
. . . 7/19/2009  - FULL, please call for waiting list
One of the oldest forms of bread, flatbread can be found in almost every culture around the world.  Explore a variety of styles, both leavened and unleavened, as we bake our creations in North House Folk School’s wood-fired brick oven.  As a class, we'll mix up and bake  'Music da Carte,' a crisp Italian flatbread, pitas, focaccia, and fougasse, a French flatbread.   This course provides a wide introduction to the variety of bread styles for the homebaker, as  class dicussions include how to create a hearth-like baking experience in your home oven.  Samples will be sent home with the students.  Interested in a complete weekend bread baking experience?  Register for the Whole Grain Sourdough Bakery course immediately preceding this course (see separate course description).

Course Details:
. . . Length in Days: 1
. . . Hours: 9am-5pm
. . . Tuition: $75
. . . Materials Fee: $15
. . . Intergenerational Age: 10+
. . . Level: Beginner