Garlic ice cream tops outdoor cooking class by Elburn farmers

The owners of Garlic Breath Farm in Elburn introduced garlic ice cream during “The Garlic Show,” a free outdoor cooking class Aug. 12 hosted by the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry in Aurora.

Sharon and Anthony “Tony” Pferschy led the demonstration in the pantry’s urban farm at 835 N. Highland Ave. The event was free to the public in a cooking-class series sponsored by the pantry.

Samples offered to attendees included raw garlic, garlic toast, garlic pasta, a lettuce salad and, finally, vegan ice cream topped with garlic sauce.

“We weren’t farmers,” Sharon Pferschy said in the release about how the couple launched their 80-acre farm. “We didn’t know what we were doing.”

Other discussion topics included garlic varieties, growing practices and garlic health benefits. The couple distributed recipes for roasted and raw garlic.

“Tony and Sharon’s mission is to make healthy food available to veterans. They give a huge supply of the best local garlic to Marie’s Pantry every year,” Diane Renner, pantry executive director, said in the release.

Tony Pferschy, a U.S. Navy veteran, is a member of the Farmer Veterans Coalition.

Assisting the Pferschys were Rebecca Axtell, pantry communications manager, and Rob Vaughn, manager of Charity Blooms, the pantry’s urban farm, according to the release.

Founded in 2018, the half-acre, nonprofit operation boasts a 500-square-foot greenhouse, chicken coop with eight hens and a rooster, solar power, outdoor kitchen, 32-seat entertainment space, an aviary, monarch butterfly education area, pollinator gardens with bee hotel and automated composting, according to the release.

Volunteers teach gardening classes for all ages and host private gatherings and public events.

For more information, email info@mwfoodpantry.org or visit charityblooms.org.