MBCFM

Cooking Seasonally: Live Demonstration with Bay Living Culinary
2026-04-18 09:45 - 10:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Aptos Farmers Market | Cabrillo College, Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA, 95003, United States
oin us for a lively spring cooking demonstration with Chef Jody Lombardo of Bay Living Culinary, as she showcases how to cook deliciously with the freshest ingredients of the season.
During this live demo, Chef Jody will demonstrate simple, flavorful ways to use her popular balsamic glaze to elevate everyday cooking—from fresh market greens to marinating your favorite proteins—highlighting how it enhances flavor and creates beautiful caramelization. She’ll finish by roasting seasonal vegetables, tossed and glazed to bring out their natural sweetness. Along the way, she’ll share practical cooking tips, ideas for using spring vegetables, samples, and insights into why supporting local farmers and food producers matters.
What to expect:
• A live cooking demonstration featuring seasonal spring produce
• Tips for selecting and preparing farmers market ingredients
• Ideas for incorporating local products into everyday meals
• Chef insights, stories, and culinary inspiration
• A celebration of community, seasonal eating, and market cooking
About Chef Jody Lombardo and Chef Aunikah Bastian
Chef Jody Lombardo, founder of Bay Living Culinary, is beloved at the Aptos and Monterey Farmers Markets for her ultra-premium comfort foods crafted with local, organic ingredients. With more than two decades of culinary experience, Jody creates take-home dishes that evoke warmth and nostalgia — from Chicken Pot Pie and Creamy Clam Chowder to globally inspired favorites like Thai-Coconut Curry Simmer Sauce and Beef Bourguignon Shepherd’s Pie. Her mission is simple: bringing people together through food that sparks memory and connection.
Joining her is Chef Aunikah Bastian, whose culinary path blends global exploration with a deeply rooted, community-driven spirit. Aunikah trained at the Institute of Culinary Education and in traditional Japanese macrobiotic cuisine, and previously cooked at Sierra Mar at Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur. She has since transitioned into freelance cheffing, offering private culinary services while embracing a more grassroots, flexible approach to her craft.
Food entrepreneurship runs in her blood — she grew up immersed in her family’s small popcorn business, which began with humble pop-ups at markets, fairs, and community events before growing into the nationally recognized brand BOOM CHICKA POP. That early experience continues to shape her passion for connecting food, people, and place.
Today, Aunikah serves as Production Lead Chef, Kitchen Manager, and Marketing Coordinator for Bay Living Culinary, where her talent and vision are helping expand the company’s reach and creative offerings.
Together, Chef Jody and Chef Aunikah bring creativity, experience, and a shared love of community to the farmers market — celebrating fresh ingredients and the joy of everyday cooking.
👉 Learn more about Bay Living Culinary ( https://www.baylivingculinary.com)

Celebrating National Nutrition Month with Kids Eat Right (Montage Health)
2026-03-27 08:00 - 12:00 | Del Monte Shopping Center, 1410 Del Monte Center, Monterey, CA, 93940, United States
Join us for a fun and educational morning at the market as we celebrate National Nutrition Month with the Kids Eat Right team from Montage Health.
Families are invited to take part in a guided farmers market stroll (9:00–10:00 AM) featuring seasonal tastings, conversations with local farmers, and hands-on learning designed to help children and adults discover how to nourish their bodies with fresh, local foods. Outside of the guided stroll, visitors can stop by the Kids Eat Right booth throughout the market for samples, nutrition resources, and family-friendly activities.
What to expect:

A guided market walk highlighting seasonal fruits and vegetables
Tastings and farmer meet-and-greets
A kids’ scavenger hunt exploring foods found around the market
Potter the Otter Market Adventure books for young visitors
Nutrition education resources and take-home materials
$5 Farmers Market Bucks for the first 50 families or children who participate (while supplies last)
Dried fruit samples provided by the farmers market

About Kids Eat Right
Kids Eat Right is a free nutrition education program developed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and offered locally through Montage Health. The program helps children and families build healthy habits through fun, science-based lessons focused on eating well, staying active, and understanding nutrition.
Through school programs and family workshops offered in English and Spanish, Kids Eat Right teaches practical skills such as choosing fruits and vegetables, reading nutrition labels, preparing healthy foods, and making balanced lifestyle choices — all with the goal of helping children grow up healthy and confident around food.
👉 Learn more about Kids Eat Right (link to program website: https://www.montagehealth.org/about/communityhealth/kids-eat-right/)
👉 KER Family Workshop Events March 2026 (link to downloadable PDF)
