Cooking with Confidence: Simply Pesto
From Fresh Basil to a Sauce You’ll Use on Everything
Presented by 4Root's Culinary Health Institute at 4Roots Farm
Fresh basil. A handful of simple ingredients. So many possibilities.
Join us at 4Roots Farm for a fresh and flavorful evening dedicated to one of the kitchen’s most versatile sauces: pesto.
Led by 4Roots Farm’s Isabella Fry, this interactive Cooking with Confidence class will take you from the garden to the kitchen as you discover how fresh basil and a few thoughtfully chosen ingredients can become a sauce that goes far beyond pasta.
You’ll learn what makes a great pesto, explore the best ways to grow and harvest basil, and discover creative ways to use pesto in everyday meals. Along the way, you’ll taste different applications, get hands-on with the preparation, and make your own jar of pesto to take home.
No advanced cooking skills required. Just come ready to learn, taste, and leave a little more confident in the kitchen.
In recognition of Deaf Awareness Month, ASL interpretation by ASL with Courtney is available upon request for the September offering of this event.
About Isabella
Isabella is an environmental engineering student and agro-culinary enthusiast who enjoys the relationship between food, culture, and traditional preservation techniques.
About Cooking with Confidence
Cooking with Confidence is the Culinary Health Institute's introductory culinary series, created to make plant-forward cooking feel approachable, flavorful, and achievable at home.
Each demonstration-style experience is led by a local chef, home cook, nutrition specialist, or member of the 4Roots team who shares practical techniques for preparing delicious, nourishing food.
Guests are encouraged to ask questions, engage throughout the experience, and build skills they can immediately put to use in their own kitchens.
Whether you're just beginning to explore plant-forward eating or simply looking for fresh ideas and new skills, Cooking with Confidence is designed to make healthy cooking something you feel excited and equipped to do.
What You’ll Experience
- Make Your Own Pesto – Get hands-on as we walk through the simple techniques behind a fresh, flavorful pesto.
- Taste Beyond the Pasta Bowl – Sample creative ways to use pesto and discover just how versatile it can be.
- From Garden to Kitchen – Learn best practices for growing and harvesting basil for maximum freshness and flavor.
- The Story Behind the Sauce – Explore the origins of pesto and the ingredients and techniques that have shaped this classic.
- Practical Kitchen Skills – Learn how to balance ingredients, flavor, texture, and freshness so you can confidently recreate pesto at home.
- Take It Home – Leave with the featured recipe and your own jar of freshly made pesto to enjoy.
Event Details
📍 Location: 4Roots Farm Campus – Education Building: 1101 N. John Young Parkway, Orlando, FL 32804
📅 Date: September 9 | 6:00PM – 7:00 PM
🎟️ Ticket Fee: $35
About the Culinary Health Institute at 4Roots Farm
The Culinary Health Institute (CHI) is an initiative of 4Roots in partnership with AdventHealth, Florida Blue, and Gordon Food Service. CHI works to transform community health by advancing food as medicine and whole-person care through education, clinical innovation, and research. Learn more at 4rootsfarm.org/CHI.
Continue Your Culinary Health Journey
This Cooking with Confidence class is part of CHI's monthly culinary education series, designed to offer experiences for every level of interest:
Level 1 | Cooking with Confidence
An approachable, demonstration-style introduction to essential cooking skills and plant-forward recipes led by a local chef, home cook, or nutrition specialist.
Level 2 | Food as Medicine
A chef and physician- or dietitian-led three-course demonstration exploring the connection between food, nutrition, and health, with tastings of each course.
Level 3 | Harvest to Table
Our premium hands-on experience, where guests cook alongside a chef, engage with a physician or dietitian, and enjoy a complete culinary experience.
Each month brings a new culinary or nutrition focus, giving guests the opportunity to continue learning, tasting, and building practical skills for healthier living.