A Morning Of Learning In The Kitchen At Middleground Farms

By Guest Author: Molly Allen

I arrived at The Kitchen at Middleground Farms in Wilsonville just a few minutes before class began on a sunny Saturday morning and made my way inside past the welcoming fire pit. With a cup of fresh coffee and a splash of cream, I found a seat at the long family-style barn wood table and settled in. The setting was nothing short of stunning, especially as the large barn doors were opened as the day warmed up. 

Chef Kate Johnson was behind the kitchen counter finishing up some prep before class started. She gathered the group’s attention and said, “This is going to be fun!” And she was absolutely correct. 

That morning, I was visiting to attend a croissant-making class on the 17-acre farm that is home to a culinary garden, friendly cows and goats, chickens and an experiential teaching kitchen housed in a renovated cattle barn. This was just one of many cooking classes on the calendar to learn new skills. The farm hosts other experiences that don’t require you to lift a finger at all, including winemaker’s dinners and holiday brunches. You’ll also find volunteer opportunities once a month to get dirty and lend a hand on the farm. 

Chef Kate gave us a bit of background about the farm and then went into detail about the history of croissants, the many stages of making them and how we as a group were going to pull off baking our own batch of flaky treats in the three-hour class. 

A beautiful red barn is home to an experiential teaching kitchen.

We split off into small groups of two to four and gathered around the kitchen island. Each group had a set of baking sheets with croissant dough and all the best fillings, including chocolate, almond paste, ham and gruyere cheese. We started the class by learning how to shape and fill croissants with the already prepared dough. My group members and I took turns using a wooden rolling pin to roll out the dough and cut it into triangles or rectangles for a mix of shaped croissants. We picked out our favorite fillings and rolled them up into the dough, placing them on the baking sheets to allow for proofing, which is the final rise of yeast dough before baking. Chef Kate stood at the helm, walking us through every step of the process along the way. She explained why the croissants needed time to proof, and when they were ready, each tray got baked to golden perfection. 

Because croissants take hours to make with quite a few steps in the process, we started at the end of the journey for this class. However, it came full circle with the opportunity to prep and laminate the croissant dough as well. This is a labor-intensive process involving many turns of rolling out the dough with a block of butter. A break for lunch was definitely welcome in the middle of it. 

You can almost smell these fresh croissants through this image.

The majority of cooking classes at Middleground include a meal during class, whether you’re taking a daytime or evening class. Chef Kate had prepped a flavorful strata and paired it with a salad filled with fresh herbs and edible flowers. It was a beautiful farm fresh meal and excellent nourishment to keep the class going for our last round of dough lamination. I enjoyed being able to sit down with other students in class to share the meal and get to know people. The structure of the class truly facilitated a welcoming atmosphere to mingle without feeling any pressure that you need to know what you’re doing. After all, we were all there to learn something new!

We finished class by pulling our flaky golden croissants out of the oven. Some students chose to try theirs right away while they were still fresh and hot, while others boxed up a selection to take home. We were all thrilled with the baked goods we had created that day. 

Chef Kate thanked us for joining in the fun, and I overheard people exchanging contact information as they had come away from class with new friends. I, too, had that same experience. Before it was time to leave, I visited a few other friends who weren’t able to make it into the kitchen. I wandered around the grounds and said hello to the friendly cow and group of goats in the pasture. They were thrilled to have a snack straight out of the palm of my hand. This cooking class was an experience I look forward to enjoying again — a wonderful morning well spent with strangers who became fast friends all thanks to a shared love of food and how it brings people together. 

You'll make new friends during the cooking classes, and even some fuzzy friends afterward as you tour the farm.