Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2012 14:21:44 -0400
From: Mia Munn
Subject: Chef Challenge returns to Chatham County Schools
CHEF CHALLENGE TO RETURN FOR SECOND YEAR
On Leap Day, Chef Colin Bedford gazed at a table full of ingredients ranging from canned cling peaches and whole grain pasta, to local sweet potatoes and fresh spinach in efforts to plan a delicious, healthy meal. He was not designing a menu for his Chatham County restaurant, The Fearrington House, but a new lunch menu for the more than 8000 youth of Chatham County Public Schools.
The Abundance Foundation’s annual Chatham Chef Challenge brings high-profile chefs into schools to help create healthier school lunches in Chatham County Schools. The purpose of the Chef Challenge is to increase consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by students in grades pre K-12 while supporting GAP-certified local farms when possible. This project also works toward the Abundance Foundation’s mission of bringing greater education and access to local food to all families.
This year, the Chef Challenge consists of 4 Chefs: Chef Colin Bedford of Fearrington, Chef Jay Pierce of Lucky 32, Chef Gregg Hamm of CCCC Natural Chef program, and the cafeteria managers of some schools.
In partnership with the Chatham County Schools, Briar Chapel, Debbie McKenzie of the Southeast United Dairy Association, a team of committed community members and CCCC’s Natural Chef Program, Chatham County School lunches are going through transformation. In addition, the marketing classes at Chatham Central High will be working on promotional materials as part of their classwork and supervised by teacher, Lynda Byrke.
Each chef or team is assigned a box of ingredients to create their recipe for a healthier school lunch. The menus designed by the chefs must be easy for the school cafeteria lunch teams to create and abide by the USDA requirements for the school lunch program. Each chef partners with cafeteria managers, cafeteria staff, teachers and principals to bring greater awareness to each school this spring. The 4 recipes are cooked by the staff and served to the students in all 17 Chatham County Public Schools on the Chef Challenge Days, which are April 19, April 26, May 3, and May 10th. Cafeteria Managers and Cafeteria Staff are extremely generous for volunteering their time to learn the new recipes designed by each of the 4 Chefs. The organization of Chatham Chef Challenge could not be done without the help of the dedicated team of superstar volunteers.
On Chef Challenge Days, over 8000 students have the opportunity to try the new lunch created by a superstar Chef with fresh and local ingredients. The students then take a survey to assess the Chef’s lunch. The recipes liked most by students permanently stay in rotation on the County’s school lunch menu.
Read the entire story at
http://www.chatham.k12.nc.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/gwp/2394738/2961488/File/2012%20Press%20Releases/Chef%20Challenge%202012.htm?sessionid&sessionid=cf4358ab3e1e3227d5348c6af44a9e80