Wild Tide: Pacific Harvest Feast

We’re delighted to invite you back to the table on Wednesday, February 18th for the reconvened Wild Tide dinner. From seaweeds and clams to salmon and fir needles, this immersive dinner brings together Chef Kären Jurgensen of Seattle Culinary Academy and Jennifer Hahn, WWU Wild Food teaching professor, scientist, and author, to explore the rich interconnection of our coastal ecosystems and cultures.

In February, we’re deepening the meaning of the evening by adding a charitable holdfast: a fundraiser in support of the , whose food programs help anchor community nourishment during changing tides. Like a true holdfast, the anchor-like structure seaweed creates to grip rocks while gathering nutrients in the changing currents, this dinner invites us to come together to eat, drink, and learn about traditional foods of the Pacific Coast, and raise the tide of funds for a longstanding community organization that helps ensure no one in our city goes hungry.

We hope you’ll join us for this special evening celebrating the bounty of our coastal comestibles and the connections that sustain us.

photo of seaweed holdfast: courtesy of Jennifer Hahn

Jennifer wears many hats: educator, scientist, writer, adventurer, naturalist, culinary explorer, and wilderness guide. She teaches sustainable wild food harvesting at Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Western Washington University, and leads seaweed workshops for the North Cascade Institute, Salish Sea Tribes, and First Nations.

During a 750-mile, two-summer solo kayak expedition from Alaska to Bellingham, she foraged sea vegetables to supplement her dry stores along the way. In the 1990s, she founded her adventure travel company, Elakah Kayak Tours, where she began teaching popular wild foraging and cooking courses. Her seaweed workshops with Salish Sea Tribes and First Nations later inspired a six-year research project on Salish Sea seaweeds, now published in PLOS One.

Her first book, Spirited Waters: Soloing South through the Inside Passage, won the Barbara Savage Miles from Nowhere Award. Her love of foraging inspired her latest titles with Mountaineers Books, Pacific Feast and Pacific Harvest.

Chef Kären is the Executive Chef Instructor at Seattle Culinary Academy, where she oversees One World Dining Room. She developed the school’s sustainability curriculum and was honored with the prestigious Lifetime Learner Award by the Seattle Colleges Board of Trustees.

Each summer, Chef Kären teaches at Quillisascut Farm School, leading farm-to-table immersion courses for professional chefs, culinary students, and agricultural professionals. She is the co-author of Rethinking the Kitchen, the sustainable kitchen handbook and Chefs on the Farm cookbook.

Under her direction, the Seattle Culinary Academy became the first culinary school in the nation to implement a sustainable food systems course and integrate social justice initiatives throughout its program. The Academy was awarded the Slow Food Snail of Approval, recognizing its leadership in local and sustainable sourcing, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.

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The Seattle Indian Center is a longstanding community organization ensuring heathy food access in our city. Its food bank offers wholesome, essential groceries to individuals and families facing food insecurity, welcoming people from all backgrounds with dignity and care. Throughout the week, the Center also serves hot breakfasts and lunches, providing consistent, nourishing meals that many community members depend on.

Funds raised through our online campaign and this dinner will help the Seattle Indian Center bridge critical funding gaps, allowing them to continue providing fresh food and hot meals to those who need them the most.

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DATE: Wednesday, February 18, 2026

TIME: 6:00 pm

LOCATION: Seattle Culinary Academy / One World Restaurant
1701 Broadway
Seattle, WA 98122

TICKETS:
• Slow Food Members - $75 Members check your inbox for promo code.
• General Admission - $85

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