Sprouts' Summer Camps ... A Success!

Sprouts is a culinary program based in the East Bay and expanding into Northern California that teaches children from all socio-economic backgrounds how to cook, hands-on, with REAL chefs using REAL ingredients, inside REAL kitchens whenever possible.

The kids learned how to make deep-dish pizzas with fresh ingredients at one of the most popular pizza shops in Northern California: Zachary's Pizza

All of our classes are hands-on.

Lauren Hopfenbeck was the camp manager this summer. She ran every day of the camp, insomuch that I didn't even have to come most days. She had 6-9 camp counselors helping her out each day, 1 from Paris, 2 from Nancy, and 1 from Morocco. The rest were high school students and UC Berkeley students.

Cooking in the kitchens of Cafe Fanny, Alice Waters' cafe which is named after her daughter.

Sprouts takes on two new managers !

Lauren Hopfenbeck and Cassie Fairfield are signing on with Sprouts as full-time employees ! We are expanding Sprouts to all of Northern California in a three-tiered partnership with Kaiser Permanente and Whole Foods. The project, called NorCal Kitchens, will hold classes right at the Whole Foods' kitchens, and offer affordable cooking classes for the community as well as Kaiser Permanente employees. Sprouts is ... sprouting. We now have an office space at Kaiser Permanente, workers' compensation, a new website in the mix ... heck, even a lemonade stand at the farmers market right next to Chez Panisse! Oh, and did I mention, a business student flying in from Paris to work for us for 9 months ...

These pictures were taken in Sprouts' new, organic garden which is headed by Ben Eichorn, head gardener of Alice Waters' Edible Schoolyard. A team of 14 garden interns help maintain the garden under Cassie and Bens' guidance.