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I've talked to many of you about vanilla in the past. And I'll keep talking about it - because I'm passionate and I want you to be the most informed consumers that you can. Knowledge is power, and there is A LOT to know about vanilla. In my typical fashion, I'm going to try to break it down into easily digestable facts. Vanilla beans are the seedpod of a tropical climbing orchid. Originally from Mexico, the best vanilla in the world currently comes from Madagascar. Other countries popular for their vanilla are Mexico and Tahiti. As with wine and grapes, vanilla beans take their flavors from where they are grown. The soil, humidity, climates and curing all have an impact on their flavors. You'll find that Madagascar vanilla, or Bourbon vanilla, will have a deep, rich flavor. Mexican vanilla will be sweeter and creamy, while Tahitian vanilla is fresh, fruity and slightly floral. Yes, your beans make a difference! Vanilla beans are picked while green and cured, differently depending on the region that they come from. The pods are so highly prized that they are branded with each farmers unique mark. After curing, beans are graded "A" or "B". "A" will be softer, with a higher oil content and will provide the best flavor. "B" will be dryer and not contain the same oils that help with the flavor. So before you buy your beans, take a look at the pod. I often get asked if you should use the vanilla that you can buy at the grocery store. My short answer - NO!! Absolutely not. Unless they have pure vanilla that is actually coming from vanilla beans, what you are buying is actually not made from vanilla beans at all. Yep, you read that right. Synthetic vanillin has been replacing real vanilla since (wait..for..it) 1874!! And the most common synthetic that they use is coal tar. But there is some good news. The USA doesn't use coal tar as much any more because of it's carcinogenic properties. Instead they use things like paper waste, cinnamon bark, pine tar, and my personal favorite, cow poop. Yes, they have figured out how to extract a vanilla flavor from cow poop. Gross. So just pass up the vanilla at the grocery store and head for a local spice or specialty food shop and buy the real stuff. And I can already hear it - but WHY is it so expensive? Vanilla is currently the second most expensive spice in the world after saffron. And for a while the price per ounce was higher than silver. So what's the deal?! The main reason at this point in time is simple. The crops in Madagascar were wiped out 2 years ago in a tropical storm. It takes an orchid 2-4 years to start bearing pods. Supply and demand in action. The supply shortened, the demand heightened, and ALL of the vanilla prices went up, whether they come from Madagascar or not. But what is happening now is a fascinating, sad and almost unbelievable tale. Read more about it on the link I've put below. It's a long article, but filled with things that you need to know about vanilla. And remember that bottle I've showed some of you, telling you that it retails for $260? I was wrong - it retails for $594!! I'm also often asked what vanilla I recommend. I'm pretty particular about this topic. There are two that I recommend, one over the other. Hands down my favorite vanilla is Lafaza Vanilla. I found this fantastic vanilla at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco years ago. The Double Fold will change your life. They are fair trade, organic and get their beans from small local farms. In essence, they do it right. Really right. And to me it makes a difference to buy my vanilla from a company that I can trust. You see, vanilla farmers are being robbed left and right right now for their cash crops. Their field workers are often mistreated and you're not exactly sure what the orchids have been treated with. This all makes a huge difference to me, personally. The other company I recommend is Nielsen-Massey. They've been around for over 40 years and make a fantastic product. It may sound silly, but vanilla is more than an ingredient. It is the #1 flavor used in the WORLD. That means that where we buy, who we support and what choices we make DO make a difference. Not just in the flavors of our cakes and baked goods, but in the lives of people. So next time you're standing at the grocery store, looking at bottles labeled "artificial" vanilla, take a pass. I've never put cow poop in my buttercream and I don't think you want to either! Read more about vanilla in this amazing article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/madagascar_vanillla

This Fermented Garden Salsa uses fresh veggies out of your garden to make a tangy, effervescent salsa like no other! Great for gut health of just a refreshing snack with chips, our salsa will put your surplus of tomatoes and peppers to good use. It also uses tomatillos, one of Cortney's favorite things to grow in the Gather Garden. Did you know that they grow great here in Colorado and usually produce bumper crops? But these little gems are not tomatoes at all. They do live in the nightshade family, however, they are in the same genus as gooseberries (makes sense when you thing about the husks, right?!). My favorite tip for getting off those papery husks? Put them in a bowl with some cold water and then peel. The husks come right off! Ingredients: · 1 pound tomatoes, chopped · 1 pound tomatillo, chopped · 2 bell peppers, 1 red and 1 green, chopped · 2 serrano peppers, sliced thin · 2 medium onions, chopped · 4 cloves garlic, minced · ½ bunch of cilantro, chopped · Zest of: 1 orange, 1 lemon, 2 limes · Juice of 1 orange · 2/3 c. lemon juice · 2/3 c. lime juice · 1 tsp. salt (NOT IODIZED) · 1 tsp. black pepper · ½ tsp. ground cumin Instructions: 1. Start by sterilizing your fermenting crock (I run mine in the dishwasher without soap), set aside. 2. Next chop all of your vegetables and herbs and place in a bowl. Zest the citrus over the vegetables and then add the juices, salt, pepper, and cumin. Mix together well to combine and then place everything in your fermenting crock. Use the weights to push down on your vegetables until enough liquid releases that everything is submerged. Wipe down the sides of the crock with a hot damp cloth making sure not to have any food residue on the walls of the crock. 3. Let sit at room temperature (out of direct sunlight) for a minimum of 3 days or up to a week. When the desired sourness has been achieved, remove from the fermenting crock and place in a jar and keep in the refrigerator. Salsa will last for 2 weeks covered.

Ingredients: · 1 1/2 cup gluten-free flour · 1 cup Greek yogurt · 1 teaspoon baking powder · ½ teaspoon salt Instructions: 1. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 425 degrees. 2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. 3. In a separate bowl, combine the Greek yogurt and half of the flour and mix with a spoon until a very sticky dough has formed. Add 1/4 cup of flour and mix to combine into a not so sticky dough. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour and mix again to bring a workable dough together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead to form a soft and pliable dough, adding a sprinkle of flour if dough becomes tacky. Shape into a ball. 4. Place on a baking tray lined with a sheet of parchment, then add a layer of parchment on top of dough. Then roll out dough using a floured rolling pin to form the pizza base. 5. Gently prick the dough with a fork in several spots to prevent it from bubbling up and slide onto the preheated pizza stone or tray and pre-bake pizza dough for 5-7 minutes, until the dough is firm and dry to the touch but not quite browned. This time will change depending on how thick or thin your crust is. 6. Top and return pizza to oven and bake an additional 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling and base is golden.

Finally! Pancakes for grown-ups!! Pro tip: Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes for perfect, fluffy pancakes. Ingredients: For the Pancakes: 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda 1⁄2 teaspoon salt ½ cup shredded coconut 1 1⁄4 cups milk 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Directions: In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients.Add in wet ingredients and stir until just mixed.Batter will be slightly lumpy. Ladle pancakes onto a griddle over medium heat, turning when bubbles form on edges of pancakes. Reserve on a plate and keep warm in the oven. Repeat as necessary until all pancakes are all complete. For the caramelized pineapple: 1 whole pineapple, cut into small pieces ½ cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons rum (optional) Heat butter in pan on stove until melted over medium heat.Add pineapple and brown sugar and cook until pineapple is golden and sauce thickens.Add in rum and reduce until sauce is a syrup like consistency.

To begin the story we have to go backwards. Dave moves to Colorado Springs in 2014, accidentally as he says. He drives past the Chefs Catalog HQ and calls his mom. You see, she was a Chefs customer and he thought she would be excited to know that it was in his new city. She tells him he should check it out - maybe there is an opportunity there for him. So he visits the original store, connected to the headquarters. He takes a tour around the store, leaves, then calls his mom. "Mom, there is nothing there for me." Remember these words. In 2014 at the same moment, I am happily working at Chefs Catalog. Building a spice catalog, doing recipe development and leading the merchandising team. All of these lovely things...just behind the door that was connected to the store. Quite literally - my cubicle was JUST...BEHIND...THAT...DOOR. "Mom, there is nothing there for me." Fast forward and Dave is teaching classes at the new location of the Chefs store. The very one where we would meet later and fall in love. We never meet, speak or even see each other. Another year passes and Chefs closes. I am planning on opening a kitchen store with a partner. Seems like a good idea to give all of the chefs who taught classes at Chefs a call and see if they might be interested in teaching at our new store. Enter Chef David Cook. I call him, we chat about him teaching classes. And that's it. Life happens and another year passes, again. Finally, we open COOKS Marketplace (in the same location as the Chefs store) and cooking classes start. I attempt to touch base with all of the chefs via mass email. I get sent to his spam folder. Of course. Of COURSE I do! But this time he finds it. And finally, on December 7th, 2016 we "meet". Via email. We schedule his first class on February 22nd, 2017. 3 years later, we FINALLY meet. And it was over from the minute he walked through that door. That second. Then he made Lobster Bisque, one of my favorites, and I was done. He went over his time by an hour. Now he says that I made him so nervous that he couldn't focus. He also made the biggest mess I've ever seen. It was truly impressive. The next day he came back and spent $500 on knives. He didn't need $500 in knives... We talked, laughed and started a friendship. He told me he can't make fluffy, photo-worthy pancakes, and I sent him this picture. He tried to make a counter with a recipe of his own, but I think I took this round. And so it started. We had to close my store and my heart broke a little. But he held my hand and led me through it, day by day. And then almost magically we founded Gather together - our cooking school and studio. The old adage holds true - everything happens for a reason. We've learned how to cook together, enhance each other's skills, push each other, support each other and how to run a business together. We've created a community that we would have never imagined possible. Wonderful people who have become more like family, who supported us through hard times and who keep us laughing on the long days. Sometimes maniacally. Sometimes we huff and puff and have arguments about the "right" way to make red bulgur (we still haven't agreed on this). But, then. Those days. Those terrible days when you make 8 chocolate genoise for Buche de Noel class and NONE OF THEM WORK!! A phone call with tears in my voice and he's at my side, pushing me through starting 12 more with a new, improved recipe. Just hours before class. And of course I forgot that I needed to make a vegan one. Damn. Damn. Double damn. And somehow, it's done. Together we've made 22 cakes and 10 recipes of buttercream. Class starts, we put on a smile and beautiful Buche de Noel's and memories are made. And you know what? It's amazing and gratifying to do it side-by-side, with each other, and with you. And our story continues. Each day building on the last. Our community grows and feeds our souls. We make recipes for you. For you to enjoy. To become your family traditions. To nourish - bellies, hearts and souls. To surprise your wife with a romantic dinner. Gather isn't just the name of our business, it's our way of life. We're honored to have you join us on our journey. Even on the days when we're hanging on by a thread - all of a sudden you make a perfect pancake and all is right in the world. We hope you enjoy our recipes as much as we enjoy making them for you. I'll leave you with my favorite quote: "Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all." - Harriet Van Horne Click here to see the recipes that started it all. They may not seem like they go together, but neither did we! Lobster Bisque Coconut Pancakes with Caramelized Pineapple in Rum Sauce

Pure, rich lobster flavor with Bristol Cream Sherry as the secret ingredients. Shhh... Ingredients: 8-10 ounces cleaned lobster meat, shell reserved 1 onion, fine dice 2 celery stalks, fine dice 1 carrot, fine dice 8 garlic cloves, smashed 2 T. tarragon 2 T. thyme 1 clove 1 tsp coriander seed ½ c. Bristol cream sherry ½ c. brandy 1.5 qt lobster or clam stock 4 T. tomato paste ½ c. heavy cream (or whipped cream- will explain) 1.5 tsp cornstarch 1 tsp lobster or clam stock Method: In a large pot, add the lobster shells and saute in 2 T. olive oil until the shells begin to caramalize. Next add the mirepoix, garlic, herbs and seed spices. Saute for 5 minutes, then deglaze the pan with the sherry and brandy. When the liquid has reduced by 3/4 , add the lobster stock and simmer for 30-45 minutes. At this point, remove the shells, and working in batches, puree the soup and strain into a bowl. Heat another pot on the stove with 2 tsp oil, and cook the tomato paste until the raw flavor has cooked out. 2-3 mins. Then add the strained soup and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Mix the cornstarch with the stock and stir into the bisque until it has thickened slightly. Taste for a final seasoning, and top with the lobster meat and serve immediately.