Imagine a 3,000-square-foot community cooking school dedicated to preparing local, sustainable food.

Imagine no more ... It's a reality, in the form of Peterson Garden Project's new Fearless Food Kitchen. Even better, Chicago Market will host a monthly cooking class in this beautiful new space in the historic Broadway Armory Park building. 

And, this Saturday, you're invited to a grand-opening benefit of The Fearless Food Kitchen. All proceeds will go toward Peterson Garden Project's mission of teaching everyone in Chicago how to grow and cook their own food. 

Peterson Garden Project is a not-for-profit group dedicated to teaching Chicago communities how to grow their own food.  The group runs eight community gardens in different Chicago neighborhoods (Rogers Park, Albany Park, Edgewater, Andersonville, West Ridge, Swedish Covenant Hospital, and at the Field Museum). They refer to these green spaces as the “Pop-Up Victory Gardens”.  Chicago residents rent plots and use them to cultivate their own vegetables for the season.  They gain skills and confidence which they can use in subsequent seasons to grow food in their own back yards, or they can choose to come back and continue to grow at the Peterson Gardens.  Each community garden operates in its location from two to five years, and then the group picks up the raised beds and moves them to new locations, starting all over again in the new site.  

The Fearless Food Kitchen teaches how to prepare fresh, seasonal produce -- homegrown or purchased from local markets.  The kitchen is spacious and equipped with numerous learning stations, ovens, counters and refrigerators.  All are brand new, state of the art.  It’s a great place to learn how to cook and create community at the same time. 

If you would like to teach one of the "In the Kitchen With Chicago Market" classes or would like to suggest an instructor or class topic, contact Liat at [email protected].

Click here to find out more about the Fearless Food Kitchen.

Click here for more info on Saturday's grand-opening benefit.