3rd Annual Jr. Iron Chef VT

It's not every day that Vermont's legislators get to enjoy a Statehouse meal prepared by award-winning chefs - and even rarer for those chefs to be Vermont middle and high school students. On Friday, April 23^rd, the winning teams from the 3^rd annual Jr. Iron Chef Vermont competition will prepare and serve their winning dishes during lunch at the Statehouse Cafeteria.

Hosted by VT FEED and the Burlington School Food Project, Jr. Iron Chef VT featured 57 teams of middle and high school students competing to create local, school-friendly dishes from scratch in only ninety minutes. By engaging students' creative and competitive spirits, Jr. Iron Chef promotes healthy eating habits and increases awareness of Vermont agriculture. Over a thousand parents, siblings, classmates, farmers, teachers, and community members filled the Champlain Valley Expo on March 27 to witness this event. 

Dishes were tasted by a panel of judges, including Lisa Pino, Deputy Administrator of the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Tom Stearns of High Mowing Organic Seeds; and Xena D. Cryme from the Green Mountain Derby Dames. Prizes were awarded to middle school and high school teams in three categories: Best in Show, Most Creative Dish, and Greatest Number & Best Use of Local Ingredients.

"School food change takes many players-the students, the food service, the teachers and the community. The Jr. Iron Chef VT Competition involves all of these players and the energy it creates is palpable," said VT FEED Director, Abbie Nelson.

Sponsors of the event included Blue Cross Blue Shield, Burlington Free Press, City Market, Channel 3 WCAX, Cabot Cooperative Creamery, Fletcher Allen Healthcare, Healthy Living Natural Foods, High Mowing Organic Seeds, New England Dairy and Food Council, and Vermont Agency of Agriculture.

 
For more stories, pictures and recipes and to see this year's winners, visit the Jr. Iron Chef VT website. Or check out the great Vermont TV video of the event here.

The FFVP provides funding for fresh fruits and vegetables to be served to all children in participating schools throughout the school day. It is an effective and creative way of introducing fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snack options. To be selected for the FFVP, your school must be an elementary school, operate the National School Lunch Program and have 50 percent or more students eligible for free or reduced price meals. Schools between 40 and 50 percent may also be considered once all 50 percent and higher schools have submitted their applications. Visit http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/pgm_nutrition.html#ffvp for more information.Applications are due Friday, May 21, 2010.

The documentary film, FRESH, will be screened eight times from Friday, May 14^th through Thursday, May 20^th, as part of the Food & Wine Film festival at Merrill's Roxy Cinema in Burlington, Vermont.  The film festival is part of Vermont Restaurant Week, presented by Seven Days and the Vermont Federal Credit Union, which runs concurrently with the screenings.

Instead of presenting a message of doom and gloom, hope brightly shines through FRESH.  The film celebrates farmers, thinkers and business-people across America that are working to create a new model for modern agriculture - one that embraces healthy, local food and that confronts today's unresolved health and environmental issues.  As Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics and What To Eat, states: "FRESH is just that-an upbeat and wonderfully fresh look at our food system and how to make it work better for the health of humans and the planet.  It is a must see for everyone who eats." 

Vermont FEED is a partner in this screening. We'll be at the Roxy with a table for Sunday and Thursday's showings and hope to see you there!

For more information and times visit the FRESH website.