Port Angeles students’ salads come out on top in contest

Published 12:01 am Sunday, March 17, 2013

PORT ANGELES — Alisandra Baccus, a Franklin Elementary School fifth-grade student, was selected grand champion of Sodexo’s annual Kids Cook Off — Future Chefs: Healthy Salad Challenge with her special recipe for “Delicious Caribbean Salad.”

The student was awarded a cooking bowl full of kitchen utensils and other prizes after competing against 19 other Port Angeles elementary school students Friday.

Sodexo Food Services Director Kathy Crowley and her elementary schools staff orchestrated the contest in Port Angeles High School’s kitchen and cafeteria, and served as mentors for the young cooks.

Finalists — who were narrowed down from 42 school district students who submitted healthy salad recipes — prepared and presented their creations before being assessed on criteria including originality, taste, presentation, kid-friendliness and use of healthy ingredients.

Alisandra may have a chance to be part of the next step in the Sodexo K12 Chefs program after officials review regional finalists and their recipes.

More information will be released as it becomes available, school district officials said.

Other awards in Friday’s contest:

■ Most Original — Ella Holland, Franklin Elementary, for “Rainbow Pearl Couscous Salad.”

■ Healthy Attributes — Jada Brisbois, Franklin Elementary, for “Raspberry Delite.”

■ Easy Preparation — Rylan MacDonald, Jefferson Elementary, for “Fun and Fabulous Forkless Salad.”

■ Kid-Friendly — Emily Balser, Jefferson Elementary, for “Fresh Fruit Salad.”

■ Plate Presentation — Lydia Sandberg, Roosevelt Elementary, for “Lydia’s Taco Salad.”

Five-way tie

Judges found too much of a good thing in one category — Taste — and awarded a five-way tie among Alisandra, Ella and Delaney Wenzl of Dry Creek Elementary for “Broccoli Salad,” Jordan Abbott of Jefferson Elementary for “Rosemary Chicken Salad with Pineapple Mango Salsa” and Camille Stensgard of Franklin Elementary for “Super Salad.”

Contest judges were Port Angeles School Board members Lonnie Linn, Cindy Kelly and Sarah Methner; Olympic Medical Center chef Matt Fineout; Graciela Harris, director of nutrition services at Olympic Medical Center; and Mary Wong, manager of the Farm Store for Nash’s Organic Produce.

The national program is in its sixth year in Port Angeles public schools.

Port Angeles students joined more than 1,750 other students at 943 Sodexo-served school sites in 28 states nationally in the contest.

Other finalists:

■ Dry Creek: Nat Mcinnis, “Chopped Salad with Bacon and Fried Garbanzo Beans”; Haley Blevins, “Rainbow Chicken Salad”; Kaya Reynolds, “Chicken Chinese Salad.”

■ Hamilton: Mariah Jensen, “Celebration Salad”; Alex Delgado, “Salad Supreme”; Myra Walker, “Italian Salad”; Jaden Gadbaw, “The Heffalump Salad.”

■ Jefferson: Katelyn Sheldon, “Katelyn’s Green Salad.”

■ Roosevelt: Alexus Yeater, “Tangy Turkey Salad”; Kaysey Kathleen Roberts, “Strawberry Cucumber Boat Salad”; Breanna Schafer, “Mama’s Caribbean Island Salad.”