Cookin’ it Fresh Challenge Engages Youth, Chefs, Community; Promotes Local Food

The month of April has been a fun and exciting time for re:TH!NK and the Winnebago County Farm to School program as we geared up for a major food event.

The Oshkosh Area School District, in partnership with the re:TH!NK’s Winnebago County Farm to School program, hosted the first annual Cookin’ It Fresh Challenge on April 19th, 2015 at Oshkosh North High School. Approximately 150 people attended the event.

The competition was modeled after the Harvest Challenge in Vernon County, which has been popular there for the past 6 years.  The cooking competition challenged students from Oshkosh North and West high school to influence their school lunch menu by creating new entrées using locally grown foods that would appeal to student’s tastes.

Each team of students was to create their entrée to meet the National School Lunch program nutritional guidelines while incorporating locally grown foods. The teams were paired up with a local chef who mentored the students throughout the project. The restaurants the student teams worked with were, “The Roxy”,” Mahoney’s” ,”Beckets”, and “Fratello’s”.

The purpose of the event was also to help students learn more about school foods, food safety, local foods, cooking skills, and how to make nutritious foods taste great. Several students and chefs were asked what their favorite part about the experience was. Student Kyra Eirman stated, “I really like having an impact on what we eat at school.” Another student claimed, “Learning about the school’s difficulties when preparing food”. Chef Elliott Boushele from The Roxy stated, “the team bonding” and Chef Scott Roekle from Fratello’s in Oshkosh stated, “working with the students”. Overall, the first annual Cookin’ It Fresh Challenge was a success.

Entrée’s were presented to a panel of judge’s and later served to the community. A vote was taken as to the favorite dish.  The four entrée’s the teams create d were, “Turkey Vegetable Alfredo Cannelloni (Team Roxy)”, “Pork Roulade served with Brown Rice and Steamed Broccoli (Team Becket’s)”, “Roasted Vegetable Thai Coconut Curry with Tofu or Chicken served over Brown Rice (Team Mahoney’s)”, all served with Fresh Dinner Rolls, and “Chicken Walking Tacos made with Tortilla Chips (Team  Fratello’s)”.

Prizes were awarded to the winning teams, including a traveling trophy for the judge’s choice, a hand-crafted painted pottery dish for the community choice, and one of the entrée’s served on a future high school lunch menu for the student choice.  The award winners were, Team Fratello’s who won both the judge’s choice and student award, and Team Roxy, who won the community choice award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proceeds from the event will support a project to put salad bars in all elementary, and middle schools in Oshkosh.

Look out for Chicken Walking Tacos made with Tortilla chips on the future Oshkosh areas school district lunch menu! We look forward to next year’s Cookin’ It Fresh Challenge.

The  competition was made possible through funding from a USDA Farm to School grant, and is supported by re:TH!NK/Winnebago County Health Department, Oshkosh North Communities Program, the University Studies Program at UW Oshkosh, and other community partners.