The Granville Middle School Family, Career and Community Leaders of America competed in a cook-off at the Farm to School Conference for Ohio Food Service professionals, and won the “Tastiest Food” category for Vegetarian Chili.
Held March 5 at the 4-H building on the Ohio State University campus, the cook-off competition criteria was to prepare an original recipe using local produce that is served in the school cafeteria. Alexandra Mazik (right in the pictures) and Rowan Yeager were the presenters for the GMS FCCLA.
Alex and Rowan talked about produce raised in the Granville High School garden and hoop house by Science Teacher Jim Reding and his environmental studies students. Alex explained AVI Fresh serves lettuce, carrots, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, Swiss chard, kale, okra, onions, squash, zucchini and green beans in our cafeterias.
Alex also explained AVI uses as many local suppliers of food as possible like Bird's Haven, Finlayson, Phillips Meat Processing, Ballreich's chips, Shargbark Seed and Mill and Dairymen of Ohio. The practice of using locally-grown foods in the cafeteria decreases the carbon footprint of the food consumed by the GEVSD students.
The students used carrots, onions and garlic from Sunbeam Farms in Alexandria for the chili. Alex explained the quinoa in the recipe is grown in South America and is one of her family's favorite whole grains. She also listed the other whole grain products served in the school cafeteria.
Alex also shared with the conference audience articles in Inspire (the Ohio State University magazine) entitled "No food fights, just healthful dining - a fresh take on the school science program" and "Satisfying food sustains students" published this fall about the GHS garden and GEVSD's food service. She discussed how the use of the GHS garden produce has enhanced the nutrition and food preparation experience for students in Mrs. Blatter's family and consumer sciences classes.
Both Alex and Rowan serve on the district’s Wellness Committee and wrote the grant for Fuel Up to Play 60.