Local chef competition draws hungry crowd
Lines formed around an arrangement of tables in the courtyard outside the Hub as students and faculty celebrated the end of Earth Week on April 12. The two-hour Earth Week finale consisted of chef demonstrations, free food and prizes.
“We know people really gravitate around food,” said Stephanie Tomlin, director of Earth Week. “So we thought having the chef demos and the food being a good finale would be a great way to end.”
The food demonstrations were done by chefs representing USU dining venues. Most of the food used for the demonstrations was donated from local farms.
Luke’s Cafe, USU Catering, The Junction and The Marketplace were all represented.
Luke’s Cafe demonstrated to participants how to make a Sally’s iced coffee, an Italian soda, a Shirley Temple sunrise and a raspberry Lime Rickey. USU Catering made pork tenderloin with micro greens and apple bacon relish. The Junction served Au gratin potatoes and pot roast. The chef demonstrations ended with The Marketplace frying cheese curds to dip in jalapeno blue cheese sauce.
Tomlin said it was a great embodiment of local food.
“That’s the sustainability aspect is having local food,” Tomlin said. “Learning how to cook your own food is another aspect of it.”
All of the food made during the chef demonstrations were available for participants to eat.
In addition to the free food available to the public there was produce available to purchase from First Frost Farm, which will have produce available at the gardener’s market in Willow Park starting May 11.
Penny Trinca, the representative present from First Frost Farm, said local produce is good for the community and is sustainable.
“This food has been transported four miles, as opposed to something that is in Arizona or California,” Trinca said. “All the energy that’s gone into the transportation of foods farther away has been saved or not used by growing local and buying local produce. Additionally, it supports the preservation of farmland. That my farm can make money helps it to stay in farmland.”
A table was also set up for The Johnson Family Farm and for The World of Difference.
“This event, I saw it on the Earth Week posters all around school,” said Nicole Compton, a junior majoring in art. “The free stuff is awesome, but I really like how they’re bringing sustainability to be aware because I know how they have all of these water bottles, because I think people really need to stop using plastic water bottles.”
A bag donated by Aggie Blue Bikes and water bottles, mugs, t-shirts and a bike donated by USU Dining Services were all given away as raffle prizes.
– jerawood@aggiemail.usu.edu