As summer begins to wind down, tomatoes reach their peak. In this class, we’ll celebrate the richness of in-season tomatoes, using them in multiple ways.

You’ll learn how to balance acidity, enhance natural sweetness, and build depth with simple, seasonal ingredients. The result is a meal that feels both vibrant and comforting, marking the transition from summer into fall.

Event Date: September 15th, 2026

Event Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm

In this class, you'll:

• Learn how to select and cook with peak-season tomatoes at their best.

• Discover techniques for balancing acidity and enhancing natural sweetness.

• Prepare a seasonal menu that showcases tomatoes in a variety of ways.

• Explore simple methods for building rich, layered flavor with fresh herbs, olive oil, and pantry staples.

• Gain confidence creating elegant, vegetable-forward meals from everyday ingredients.

• Leave with recipes and techniques to recreate the menu at home.

• Celebrate the transition from late summer to early fall through seasonal cooking and community.

INSTRUCTOR: Ciara Morreale Lucas of HER Kitchen

COST: $65

TYPE: Partial Hands-On with Small Plates

Market to Table: Cooking Through the Seasons

Market to Table is a monthly cooking class series rooted in what’s fresh, local, and at its peak. From May through September, each month highlights different ingredients from the farmer’s market, guiding you through the process of turning simple, seasonal produce into a thoughtfully prepared meal.

Each class is hands-on and technique-driven, designed to help you cook with more confidence and connection to the seasons. Together, we’ll prepare dinner and end the evening gathered around the table, enjoying what we’ve made.

ABOUT CIARA…

Ciara Morreale Lucas is a certified sommelier, experiential cook, and co-founder of HER Kitchen.

Raised inside her family’s wellness-driven business, Ciara always understood the power of creating spaces where people feel cared for, connected, and inspired. After studying marketing at Canisius College and fashion merchandising at Fashion Institute of Technology — followed by a role in the fashion department at Teen Vogue — she returned home to Buffalo to help grow the evolving HER Story brand alongside her mother.

Though not classically trained as a chef, Ciara is a lifelong cook whose approach to food is rooted in curiosity, hospitality, and joy. As a certified sommelier and longtime restaurant professional, she brings a deep appreciation for ingredients, flavor, and the experience surrounding a shared table.

At HER Kitchen, Ciara creates immersive culinary and wellness experiences designed to help people reconnect with their kitchens — not as places of pressure or perfection, but as spaces of nourishment, creativity, and community. Her work lives at the intersection of food, gathering, and well-being, grounded in the belief that meaningful cooking is less about mastery and more about how food makes us feel.

Her cooking is shaped not by formal training, but by hospitality, storytelling, and a love of creating experiences that invite people to slow down and reconnect. Through workshops, classes, and shared meals, Ciara helps others rediscover confidence and joy in cooking — proving that the kitchen belongs to everyone.