21 Acres Cooking Class: Masa Tortillas and Fresh Salsa

Join us in the 21 Acres kitchen to learn the art of making masa corn tortillas - then enjoy eating those fresh tortillas with a delicious salsa bar. During this two-hour class, students will experience the process of preparing authentic masa tortillas and two classic salsas, salsa verde and pico de gallo. A selection of seasonal farm products and pantry accompaniments from the 21 Acres Farm Market will be featured in both salsa recipes and self-serve salsa bar, showcasing local flavors and sustainable ingredients.

Masa tortillas trace their origins to ancient Mesoamerica as early as 500 BCE, where indigenous peoples domesticated corn and discovered nixtamalization—a process that transformed corn into masa, the dough used for flatbreads. These early tortillas served as a vital food source and carried profound cultural and spiritual meaning for civilizations such as the Aztecs and Maya. Over time, tortillas have continued to evolve and are a delicious vessel for meals both traditional and non, for tacos and taquitos and even leftovers.

Each pair of students will share a hands-on workstation and receive personalized instruction from Chef Ron Askew. Key topics include understanding nixtamalization and masa preparation; hands-on tortilla pressing and cooking; balancing acidity, heat, and texture in salsas; and highlighting seasonal and local farm ingredients.

Registration fee: $55 per person. This class is open to students ages 8 and up, and the maximum class size is 12 students (6 workstations, 2 participants per station). Pre-registration is required.

About your teacher: Chef Ron brings over 40 years of global culinary experience from the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Saipan, and Hong Kong. Known for his passion for scratch cooking and food education, he served 19 years as Executive Chef at Forest Ridge School in Bellevue, where he built a vibrant garden-to-table program and inspired students to cook, grow, and share real food. Chef Ron now teaches farm-to-fork and cultural cooking classes across the region, celebrating local farms, seasonal ingredients, and the joy of cooking together.

Stay tuned for future Masa classes taught by Chef Ron — Tamales, Pupusas, Enchiladas, and more…

CANCELLATION POLICY

In the event 21 Acres must cancel the class, registered attendees will be informed as soon as possible and will be issued a full refund. Please make sure that the email you provide during registration is accurate.

If you are feeling sick, we kindly ask that you respect the safety of yourself and others by not coming to campus. If you are unable to attend this event for any reason, send an email to generalinfo@21acres.org or call us at (425) 481-1500. A full refund will be issued if you cancel your registration no later than 3 days before the class.

The 21 Acres Center for Local Food & Sustainable Living is a global leader in sustainable & regenerative practices, serving as a living laboratory and learning center for conscious consumers who want to learn new, more sustainable ways of living.