POTSDAM -- Registration for the seventh North Country Jr. Iron Chef competition opens this month on Monday, Jan. 6.

“We’re very excited about this year’s competition, and for area youth to bring their enthusiasm and creativity to school food,” says Sarah Bentley-Garfinkel, school program director at the Health Initiative and event coordinator.

This regional event is a competition for teams of middle and high school age students from Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.

Teams develop healthy recipes using a combination of fresh produce and USDA commodity foods that could also be realistically prepared in a school cafeteria.

North Country Jr. Iron Chef is a project of the Health Initiative.

On March 14, teams will gather at A.A. Kingston Middle School in Potsdam, NY to prepare their recipes.

Teams then present their dishes to a panel of distinguished judges, made up of chefs, school food service staff, students and others, who select the winners.

“Youth use a variety of ingredients from apples and broccoli to black beans and brown rice to create a healthy, tasty recipe. They consider cost and time constraints to learn what might work in a cafeteria”, says Sarah Bentley-Garfinkel. “Along the way they chop, measure and stir, practicing cooking skills that last a lifetime.”

Teams can be formed within schools, youth clubs, afterschool programs or just friends.

Registration materials and event details are available at https://www.ncjrironchef.org/.

For more information, to register, or to sponsor North Country Jr. Iron Chef, please visit https://www.ncjrironchef.org/ or contact the Health Initiative at 315-261-4760.