I’m not sure how I got so lucky on this one, but here’s what happened:
My friend and vegan compadre, Valerie visited Rancho Compasión , “an urban farmed animal sanctuary” for their Thanksliving event in November 2023. There, she and her husband, Alistair, bid on, and WON a private tour of the sanctuary PLUS a cooking class for six people with MIYOKO!
Imagine my surprise when Valerie invited me to be one of the lucky six. The truth is, I had never met Valerie in person before, nor any of her other invited friends (though three of us are humane educators and have known each other professionally).
This post is really about our time with the animals and Miyoko, but I would be remiss not to gush over how amazing Valerie and Alistair are. They are some of the best people you could ever want to know, on every level.
And as you might imagine, their friends are fabulous too.
Ok, back to the experience. The day was finally here! After a short morning hike, we arrived at Rancho Compasión where we were greeted by Fred Astaire, the friendliest turkey I have ever met. He fluffed up his feathers and was truly a spectacle. More about Fred in a bit.
Caroline, who runs the sanctuary, (and is delightful) met us and provided a little backstory on the sanctuary. From there she gave us a tour and we met and learned about the beautiful resident sheep, goats, cows (and their bird friends), donkeys and piggies! Each animal has a unique story about how they landed at this beautiful sanctuary. (Two of the pigs, for example, are rescues from the Maui fires.) We visited the vegetable garden, then up to the chicken area where I fell in love with a Silkie chicken.
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire climbing stairs
If you’ve never been to a farmed animal sanctuary, I recommend finding one to visit. Spending time with the animals enables us to see them as individuals with personalities, preferences, and feelings. Truly special beings deserving of our respect.
After the tour it was time to go up to Miyoko’s house for the cooking demonstration.
Fred, who had followed us for the majority of the tour, decided that he wanted to join us, so he came too! Have you ever watched a turkey climb a flight of indoor stairs? I had not prior to this.
Miyoko was gracious opening her home to us. She had just returned from travel and was a little under the weather (hence the masks) but rallied so she could teach as promised.
Portions of the recipes were prepped but she gave us all jobs to do. We made multiple appetizers and a dessert, and everything was so delicious and so easy. We couldn’t believe how many dishes we prepared in just two hours. And we also pinched ourselves a couple of times that we were actually in Miyoko’s kitchen cooking with her!
Here’s what we made:
- Crostini topped with Olive Tapenade, Buffalo Mozzarella drizzled with vegan honey
- Moroccan Spinach and Red Lentil Pancakes
- Crispy Polenta with Sundried Tomato Pesto
- Basil and Lime Panna Cotta
Are you salivating reading this? I am salivating writing it, imagining all the incredible plant-based food we prepared and ate together.
Miyoko demonstrating
Fred Astaire at Miyokos
We all learned tips and tricks and I can’t wait to make these dishes at home. (Bonus that we got to take home the recipes. ☺ ) And while we were prepping, she shared homemade cheese and crackers. As you might imagine, also delicious.
Miyoko is writing a cookbook, and I can’t wait for it to be published. While we know her for her creamery endeavors, she is a phenomenal plant-based chef and I’m sure the cookbook will be fantastic.
Just in case you were wondering, Fred stayed with us for the entire time we cooked! At one point we thought he was getting tired, but he was having too much fun and wouldn’t leave until we did.
Thank you to everyone at Rancho Compasión, to Miyoko, my new friends, Cheryl, Staci, Heidi and Sara and especially to Valerie and Alistair for including me in this truly memorable once-in-a-lifetime experience.