2009 Culinary Competition

From the Saint Croix Courier Tuesday, December 1, 2009

By BARB RAYNER
barbrayn@nbnet.nb.ca

Culinary students cook up a storm with wild blueberries

ST. ANDREWS – First year culinary students at the community college got the chance to create their own dishes using wild blueberry gourmet products from Granite Town Farms at a competition held Monday night.

Instructor Chef Dave Irvin said the students had to come up with a recipe using one of the many products from Granite Town Farms which was then judged on several criteria such as its creativity and uniqueness, the taste and texture of the dish, the plate layout, whether it was something everyone could prepare and whether the blueberry flavour could be identified.

The idea, he said, was to prepare something using the blueberry products that was simple yet elegant. Irvin said he introduced the project in September then the students developed their recipes and they had two practice runs prior to Monday night’s competition.
Judges for the evening were Markian Shafransky from the Rossmount Inn, Jean Sabourin from the Fairmont Algonquin and Beth Hatt of Granite Town Farms who sponsored the competition.

She said one of the goals of the competition was to showcase Granite Town Farms wild blueberry products and they were excited to be able to partner with the college. Hatt said Irvin had worked really hard to get this project off the ground.

Although judging was tough, the first prize of a $500 tuition award went to Mathieu Mazerolle for his blueberry glazed chicken - made with the blueberry maple vinaigrette - and spinach salad with blue cheese. Granite Town Farms also donated $500 towards the Hospitality and Tourism Management Student Fund.

First runner-up was Jennifer Carnahan with her blueberry marinated pork tenderloin and second runner-up was John Douglass with his wild blueberry pizza.

Hatt said they were also inviting Mazerolle to appear on Breakfast Television so he can promote New Brunswick, the community college and Granite Town Farms products and he agreed to go.

Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet, who had a chance to sample the recipes along with other invited guests, congratulated Beth and David Hatt on what they were doing with the college and told the students they had done a great job.

He invited Mazerolle along with the Hatts and Irvin to attend the Legislature in Fredericton this week where he would introduce them in the house, officially congratulate them and they would get a chance to meet Premier Shawn Graham as well as Donald Arseneault, Minister of Post Secondary Education, Training and Labour.