Chef Fest Notebook Available On-Line Now!

ASHEVILLE , NC (October 11, 2007) – The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s (ASAP) Growing Minds program is offering a new resource for area teachers and schools.  With funding from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, ASAP recently held Chef Fest, a workshop for chefs and nutrition educators to prepare them to conduct cooking classes with children.

On October 4 th, some of the area’s best chefs met at Vance Elementary School in West Asheville for hands-on training. The participants represented several local businesses including: Laurey’s Catering, Sunburst Trout, Earth Fare, the Inn on Biltmore Estate, and West End Bakery.

Chefs that participated in this workshop are now equipped to provide cooking classes and demonstrations to schools and individual classrooms while integrating standard course requirements like math and science. These chefs will also be available to mentor others who are interested in being trained to hold cooking classes for children.

The program is designed to build a community resource of chefs who are interested in providing experiential nutrition programs for area schools.  ASAP will serve as a clearinghouse to match schools and trained chefs to provide additional opportunities for students to be involved in cooking with fresh, local ingredients.

“We could talk all day in a meeting room about why cooking with children is important,” said Molly Nicholie, Growing Minds Program Coordinator, “however, we feel it is important to provide hands-on, experiential education.  It is only natural to throw chefs in with a group of kids for on-the-job training.”

During Chef Fest, participants were given advice on how to incorporate curriculum requirements along with the equipment and ingredients to make a pumpkin apple soup and a goat cheese appetizer.  The students then crowded around the cooking stations and were taught techniques of chopping, scooping, and measuring.

The recipes utilized local ingredients, which featured six local farms and herbs that were harvested that morning from the school’s garden.  Students were able to see how the garden they have worked on throughout the year contributes to the food they eat.  Positive experiences like this contribute to healthy eating since children become excited about food that they have helped grow and cook.

Chefs who are interested in this training or schools interested in hosting an interactive cooking demonstration can contact ASAP at 828-236-1282. For more information on ASAP’s Growing Minds program, visit www.growing-minds.org

ABOUT THE APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT

ASAP is strengthening the economy and preserving mountain heritage by creating and expanding a food system that is locally owned and controlled in Western North Carolina and the Southern Appalachians.  The loss of Appalachian family farms threatens rural heritage, weakens the regional economy, and prevents development of a sustainable local food system.