GM’s Jr Iron Chef team preps for weekend cooking competition

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This Saturday, Green Mountain High School’s Jr. Iron Chef team — called Put a Lid On It — will be taking its culinary creation to the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction to compete with teams from all over Vermont.

GM’s middle school team, made up of two seventh and three eighth graders, has worked for weeks to put together a recipe that they hope is a winner.

Jr. Iron Chef VT is a statewide culinary competition organized by Vermont FEED (Food Education Every Day) challenging middle and high school teams to create healthy, local, meatless dishes that will inspire school lunch programs.

This year, GM is sending seventh graders Morgan Studin and Niavh Gibney and eighth graders Vivian Languerand, Hazel Kekic and Grace Gruber-Clark. The team is coached by Katie Schneider of Mount Holly. They will prepare Buffalo Cauliflower and Wedge Salad with Ranch Dressing.

Teams are given 90 minutes to prep and cook their recipes with awards given in each age group.

There are three awards all of equal importance. The Crowd Pleaser goes to the dish that best incorporates color, texture and taste for a true crowd pleaser. The Lively Local is awarded to the dish best highlighting Vermont foods and the Mise en Place is awarded to the team that shows exemplary teamwork, order and professionalism