The Renfrew County National Farmers Union hosted a Cooking with Pulses workshop at the Barr Line Community Centre on Saturday.
There were 16 women who attended the morning-long session to find out what pulses are and how to cook with them.
Pulses are part of the legume family, but the term “pulse” refers only to the dried seed. Dried peas, edible beans, lentils and chickpeas are the most common varieties of pulses. Pulses are very high in protein and fibre, and are low in fat. Like their cousins in the legume family, pulses are nitrogen-fixing crops that improve the environmental sustainability of annual cropping systems.
The women watched a nine-minute video then took instruction from Lauretta Rice and Connie Tabbert on dishes prepared with pulses.
The women had their questions answered and were able to see how some of the dishes were prepared, while other dishes were available for taste, and were explained how they were created.
They then had opportunity to try about 15 different dishes at lunch time, even taking some of the left-over home.
