Workshops

Liam Fisher, founder of Maine Garum Co., is back at the Fermentation Fair leading a workshop all about garum. 

Garum is the Roman name for a fermented fish sauce that was an all-purpose liquid umami used in ancient cuisines throughout the Mediterranean region. Maine Garum Co. is reviving the popular ancient sauce to reduce food waste, working with Maine seafood processors to save their byproducts to ferment into this delicious and versatile seasoning. In this workshop you will learn a bit of history, how garum is made and some fun ways to use it in your kitchen.

Liam is an engineer, cook, food safety professional and fermentation lover with a particular focus on waste utilization. He has held roles including a stint as head of fermentation at a nationally recognized Maine restaurant and has spent years managing seafood processing operations.

@elliemarkovitch #storycooking

Ellie will share the process of making “farinha de beiju de milho,” a fermented corn flour. Ellie explores the fermentation, grinding, sifting, cooking and various ways it is eaten in Brazil, her native country.

Ellie will use corn from Rusted Rooster Maine Farm.

In this workshop we will discuss the historical uses and understandings of miso as one of the ancient life sustaining foods of Japan. Breaking it down further we will discuss the process of fermentation, some of the compounds that are produced and released as well as some of the more current knowledge about the beneficial health properties of this ancient food.  We will finish by discussing Miso’s use as a preservative and its ability to not only preserve other medicinal; plants, fungi, and foods, but to potentially enhance upon and make more available the compounds in many of our common and not so common foods. Participants will be asked to consider what may be a different perspective of their understanding of medicine and begin to explore utilizing their intuition and senses as a means to guide their own health and well being. Participants will walk away with simple techniques to take home and begin experimenting with creating their own personalized miso blends at home.

Bob Sewall is a long-time organic apple grower and former President of Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners.  After preparing his fields organically for two years using the Rodale method, he planted 550 trees to create what is now the oldest certified organic orchard in Maine still in operation.

Besides farming, consulting and mentoring young farmers, he speaks to groups around the state about his organic apple cider vinegar, which was voted “Best of Maine” (Down East Magazine) in 2008, the only year they had a vinegar category. A few of the notable Maine restaurants which use Bob’s three-year-old, cold-aged vinegar include Fore Street, Primo in Owl’s Head, Nina June in Rockport. It is also sold in many stores and co-ops in the mid-coast and in Portland and used by makers of sauces, shrubs and tinctures. In the cookbook Vinegar Revival (Harry Rosenblum, 2017) Bob is mentioned in the acknowledgments. Our vinegar is mentioned in the newest Down East Magazine (October, 2024).  He has been written about in the Boston Globe, Bangor Daily News, Portland Press Herald and was featured in the October, 2017 Down East Magazine. He has also been written about in Michael Phillips’ book The Apple Grower, and the book Fire Cider by Rosemary Gladstar and friends.

Bob and his wife, Mia Mantello, will explain how vinegar is made and speak about the many uses for vinegar from cooking to using for its multiple medicinal benefits. There will be aged vinegar to sample and vinegar for sale.    

Join Chef Sean Doherty as he highlights the essential best practices for making salt-rising bread, including proper fermentation techniques, temperature control, and ingredient selection to ensure a successful outcome.

Sean will present a prepared starter as a successful example, demonstrating the outcome participants can achieve by following the salt-rising bread process. The workshop also includes a tasting of the finished salt-rising bread to showcase its unique flavor, texture, and aroma, allowing participants to experience firsthand the delicious results of the workshop.

Boasting a culinary journey spanning nearly three decades, Sean Doherty merges a passion for fermentation with a commitment to sustainability through the lens of microbial terroir and closed-loop processes. Armed with a culinary degree and a background in pastry and baking, Sean pivoted towards fermentation, championing the use of locally sourced, seasonal, and responsibly procured ingredients. Embracing the ethos of microbial terroir, each creation showcases a deep connection to the land and its flavors, while employing closed-loop processes to ensure minimal waste and a sustainable culinary footprint. From tangy sourdough bread to Aronia Berry Kvass, Doherty crafts probiotic-rich delights that not only tantalize the taste buds but also reflect a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation in the realm of fermentation.