Schools
Farmington, Avon, Granby Teen Chefs Meet in Mediterranean Battle
Valley high school teams made Mediterranean dishes, incorporating this secret ingredient.
As shoppers perused the produce section of , a few Avon, Farmington and Granby high school students and their families were there for another reason – the annual Teen Chef Battle.
With a strong smell of garlic in the air, the teen chefs hastily worked at their stations toward the front of the store to make their Mediterranean dishes, featuring a secret ingredient – kale.
Ultimately, it was Avon's Tunisian fish soup and spicy carrot salad that the judges – Tom Sentino, Simsbury High School culinary instructor, Terry Walters, author and foodie, and Carrie Taylor, Big Y registered dietitian – savored, giving Avon the championship.
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The judges told the teams that they could work on knife safety, cleaning produce more thoroughly to prevent food-born illness and avoiding cross-contamination. Taste-wise, the judges agreed all the groups could have used more kale.
However, they could not fault them for their creativity.
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While Avon made Tunisian cuisine, Granby's focus was Spain – paella and virgin sangria – and Farmington artfully cooked the foods of Southern France – ratatouille.
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