Fresh Bites Winter 2021 Edition

COMMITTEES Farm to School

Jr. chef challenge with the 8th Grade Hamburg Cul inary Class

Farm to School Feature

Second Annual

BY BECKY O’CONNER HAMBURG CENTRAL SCHOOLS

on the district’s November lunch menu, and other pizza creations born out of the chef challenge may be served throughout the school year. Students who had been accepted into the culinary program but had elected to participate in remote learning were still able to take part in the Jr. Chef Challenge. They engaged in the virtual meetings with Butera and Edie and were provided a Chef Kit (packed into reusable bags donated by the Hamburg Farmers Market) which included the same ingredients the students at school had access to. Instead of being judged by the panel of administrators and students, they presented their pizzas to their families who judged them using the same criteria as the students presenting in person.

Jr. Chef Challenge Winning Recipe 2020 Toppings: 1 Cup NY ground beef 2 Cups NY spinach 1 NY white onion 1 Cup cheddar cheese 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 Cup shredded NY mozzarella cheese 1 NY tomato

Taco Pizza

Sauce: 16 oz. tomato puree 2/3 Cups water

Hamburg Central School District’s (HCSD) Farm to School program has really taken off since it began three short years ago. Most recently, they hosted their second Jr. Chef Challenge in the midst of a global pandemic, led by Culinary Arts teacher Sheri Gund. Last year for their Jr. Chef Challenge, students visited popular area restaurants to learn how chefs there were incorporating local foods in their menus. This year, they made those visits virtual, and challenged students to come up with a local twist on a perennial school lunch favorite: pizza! On Day 1 of the two-day Jr. Chef Challenge, local restaurant owners Jimmy Butera from Butera’s Craft Pizza and Lori Edie from Edie’s Pizzeria exchanged words of wisdom during virtual interviews with the 12 eighth grade students. Students were split into small teams and introduced to their pantry of ingredients, which included locally grown and raised items used in the school lunch program:

ground beef from Zittel’s Family Farm, ground sausage from Bippert’s Farms, NY cheese from Great Lakes Cheese, and plenty of farm-fresh produce from the Hamburg Farmers Market. Armed with the knowledge garnered from local chefs and a pantry full of inspiring ingredients, the teams scoured Pizza Ag Mag and local menus for even more flavor combination ideas. On Day 2 of the Jr. Chef Challenge, the teams created posters and assembled and baked their pizza masterpieces. The pizzas were judged by a panel of administrators and HCSD students on appearance, taste, student appeal, and ease of replication. The winning pizza was a Taco Pizza, created with helpful tips and advice from chef Butera and topped with local beef, cheese, tomatoes, onions, and spinach (see the recipe below). In a fun twist, the winner was revealed on the middle school’s morning announcements, which are streamed live. The Taco Pizza will be featured

2 Tablespoons white vinegar 1 Tablespoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon white sugar ½ teaspoon ground paprika

Check out more images from the HCSD Jr. Chef Challenge by visiting the Hamburg Farm to School Facebook page. Follow @HCSDF2S to see the delicious meals the district cooks up throughout the school year, and more culinary, agricultural, and garden-based student experiences!

Powered by