Karen JurgensenCHEF KAREN JURGENSEN grew up in the heart of wheat country near Republic, Washington, and her inspiration to cook came from her grandmother who took her foraging in the region and showed her the adventures of working in a kitchen. Jurgensen iscurrently the Chef Instructor at Quillisascut Cheese Company's Farm School and at Seattle Culinary Academy teaching farm-to-table practices and philosophy to professional chefs, culinary students, and agricultural professionals.

Karen spends winters as the catering chef for The Ruins and serves as president of the Seattle chapter of Chefs Collaborative. Active in the broader food community, she also sits on the WSDA small farm and direct marketing advisory board, is an advisory board member for the regional Food Policy Council, a member and mentor of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, and a member and civic agriculture project mentor for Les Dames de Escoffier. She is the co-author of Rethinking the Kitchen: The Sustainable Kitchen Handbook.

Jurgensen was recently invited to sit on the board for Slow Food's RAFT project, identifying endangered foodstuffs and food traditions of the Northwest. This is a collaborative project, headed by writer Gary Nabhan and supported by Slow Food, Seed Savors Exchange, Chefs Collaborative, and the Kellogg Foundation. She also has been invited to prepare a course at the Women Who Inspire Dinner for the Women Chefs and Restaurateurs National Conference. Read More Read Less