The Monadnock Center for History and Culture, 19 Grove St. in Peterborough, will host an open hearth cooking demonstration Saturday, March 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Phoenix Mill House.

The program, “Reaching the Bottom of the Barrel,” explores how the Phoenix Mill House family prepared meals when winter food stores were running low. Costumed interpreters portraying the Prescott family will cook authentic 1830s dishes, including Vermont graham bread, butternut hash and parsnip pancakes, using antique equipment and traditional methods. Guests can sample the food and learn about daily life for mill workers.

The Phoenix Mill House, located behind the Monadnock Center’s main building, was home to mill overseer Samuel Prescott, his wife Nancy and their four children in the 1830s.

The event is free, with donations encouraged. For more information, visit monadnockcenter.org.