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Table Talk Winning Recpies & Stories: Young Cooks
Posted on Thu, July 28, 2011 by Intern
12 Comments | Categories: Biodiversity, Cooking, Youth Food Movement,
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by intern Kelsey Wickel
This week’s featured Table Talk contest category is “Young Cook,” where cooks under 25 were encouraged to submit their personal recipes. These young chefs share a common value in creating good food inspired by taste tradition and local flavor and sharing it with friends and family.
Rachel Nichols’ first place-winning pickled heirloom tomato recipe comes from her time working as a Youth Educator in Chester County Pennsylvania CSAs. In her first week of work, the Assistant Director of the Program and local farmer handed her an heirloom tomato seedling. Originally, she claims, “I had no idea what to do with the thing,” but after some experimentation making sauces, salads, and pickles, Rachel settled on her favorite recipe for pickled heirloom tomatoes. “This is the pickled tomato recipe I experimented with after growing my first garden. The heirloom tomatoes I inherited from a young organic farmer were a life changing experience, as I am now working as a full-time cook and nutrition educator.”
Read Rachel’s recipe for pickled heirloom tomatoes here
2nd and 3rd place winners after the jump
Second place winner Naguine Bensimon Tree also features heirloom tomatoes in her recipe, though Naguine combines them with homemade egg tagliatelle, fresh ricotta, and herbs. Part of what makes Naguine’s recipe truly representative of slow food is that she holds a monthly at-home restaurant, Clandestinorante, in which she shops at her local green market and food co-op for all of her ingredients. For the month’s theme of “An Italian Affair,” Naguine and friends decided on using the abundance of heirloom tomatoes and herbs, intentionally omitting the meat to enhance the recipe’s light, seasonal flavor and produce.
Read Naguine’s recipe for Egg tagliatelle with heirloom tomatoes, ricotta, and herbs here
“I believe that the future of the world depends on the choices we make in our meals, and I feel good about mine,” asserts Lisa Kelly, Young Cook’s third place winner. Her recipe, stuffed eggplant and polenta towers, is vegetarian, organic, and local, emphasizing her values on supporting a good food system. Often challenging her home cooking skills, Lisa states, “I always like to cook as unique as I can, too!” She finds much of her inspiration from her Italian roots and their inherent love for good food. Like Rachel and Naguine’s recipes, Lisa’s connects to farmers and family through buying, cooking, and eating good food.
Read Lisa’s recipe for a stuffed eggplant and polenta tower here
Next up in the series: winning recipes from the Slow Food Done Fast category.
Thanks to Anolon cookware for providing top-notch prizes to the winners. All winners also received a one-year membership to Slow Food USA.
Member Comments
From La Vegetariana on Wed, August 03, 2011
Fantastic way to get young cooks involved! When will this Table Talk contest take place again?~
LaVegetariana.com
From Matt on Thu, August 11, 2011
The older I get the more I wish I got into the culinary field. People are always going to need cooks, and hey on top of that you can make amazing meals for your family!
From G. Moore on Mon, August 15, 2011
I strongly agree on what Lisa Kelly said about the choices of food. I myself as well is a vegetarian. I actually love Lisa’s recipe. because it’s purely vegetables. Anyhow, so proud of all the young cooks. You gave me inspiration to study culinary arts.
Best,
Ginger Moore
Co-Organizer
From Jonathan on Tue, August 16, 2011
sweet recipes, hungry just reading about them, especially the pickled heirloom tomatoes. great post and information all around, thanks!
From Francis on Tue, August 23, 2011
most excelling cooks now a days are those who are young and full of enthusiasm and imaginations.
From Susan on Thu, August 25, 2011
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From Training Courses on Fri, August 26, 2011
It’s great to hear that the youth today are already aware of how important of the food they intake everyday. Glad to know that they are more concern now of what is needed and healthy for the body.
From Tarah Adermann on Fri, August 26, 2011
It’s great to hear that the youth today are already aware of how important of the food they intake everyday. Glad to know that they are more concern now of what is needed and healthy for the body. Sometimes the training courses they got from the internet is also helpful in cultivating their talents.
From Cathy Walker on Fri, August 26, 2011
Maybe it’s about time to become conscious of what we eat and how they could affect our body. Keeping healthy is important. We can always buy medicines but not good health.
Cathy Walker from travel and tourism courses
From Karen Weiss on Fri, August 26, 2011
When a body is fit, it can handle the everyday stresses of life and helps maintain both physical and mental health. A fit body requires proper diet, regular exercise, and habits of moderation. Nutrition involves providing the body with the nutrients it needs to be healthy. To do this, we need to consume the appropriate foods, vitamins, and minerals. Being fit also means having good spiritual health. When all the body’s processes function at their peak levels, we say a body is fit. It takes more than simply going to the gym and taking occasional walks in the park.
From Karen Weiss on Fri, August 26, 2011
When a body is fit, it can handle the everyday stresses of life and helps maintain both physical and mental health. A fit body requires proper diet, regular exercise, and habits of moderation. Nutrition involves providing the body with the nutrients it needs to be healthy. To do this, we need to consume the appropriate foods, vitamins, and minerals. Being fit also means having good spiritual health. When all the body’s processes function at their peak levels, we say a body is fit. It takes more than simply going to the gym and taking occasional walks in the park.
From Elizabeth on Fri, August 26, 2011
We need money to pay medical expenses and buy medicine, but money can not replace lost health. That’s why the saying goes better to prevent than cure should we pursue. Start exercising, stop smoking, and many other things that would have you know.
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