MIDDLEBURY — The annual Addison County 4-H Foods Day, which featured an Italian theme, was held on Feb. 24 at the Middlebury Union Middle School. Forty-nine youths took part in the event, which included three workshops and a buffet lunch, followed by an awards ceremony.

Susan Bodette, a retired nutrition educator for the University of Vermont (UVM) Extension Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, presented a nutrition lab about spices. Participants enjoyed line dancing for an exercise workshop and prepared food for lunch in a foods lab.

The youngest group (Grades K-4) made homemade pasta, which the middle group (Grades 5-7) used to make lasagna. The older 4-H’ers (Grades 8-12) made bruschetta, all of which was served at lunch along with dishes that participants made in advance. The latter were evaluated by food service people from the community on taste, appearance and nutritional information, among other criteria. Rosette ribbons were presented to the top three winners in each age group.

BRIDPORT 4-H’ERS ROBERT Whipple, left and Hannah Stocker placed third and second, respectively, in the Grade 3-4 salad contest at the Addison County 4-H Foods Day, Feb. 24, while Ella Pope, Shoreham,
took first.
Photos courtesy of Martha Seifert/UVM Extension 4-H

The winners were:

Grades K-2 — desserts: 1. Ellis Chittenden, Whiting, maple blanc mange; 2. Case Pope, Shoreham, chocolate raspberry cream trifle; 3. Edward Gordon, Bristol, Italian Christmas cookies.

Grades 3-4 — salads: 1. Ella Pope, Shoreham, broccoli salad; 2. Hannah Stocker, Bridport, strawberry spinach feta salad; 3. Robert Whipple, Bridport, pepperoni pasta salad.

Grades 5-7 — entrées: 1. Emma Lucas, Orwell, fettuccine; 2. Mia Mitchell, Middlebury, zucchini rollatini; 3. Payton Lucas, Orwell, venison-baked ziti.

Grades 8-12 — appetizers: 1. Hailey Chase, Bristol, Italian slow cooker pizza dip ; 2. Shyanne Wedge, Shoreham, bacon deviled eggs; 3. Erin Whipple, Bridport, baked garlic parmesan potato wedges.

ADDISON COUNTY 4-H Foods Day winners in the entrées category for Grades 5-7 were, left, Emma Lucas, Orwell, Mia Mitchell, Middlebury, and Payton Lucas, Orwell. The annual event took place Feb. 24 in Middlebury.

The 4-H’ers donated nonperishable foods for the Addison County Emergency Food Shelf in Middlebury. They also each received a 4-H apron, oven mitt and lunch bag from the Addison County 4-H Foundation, which sponsored the event.

HAILEY CHASE, BRISTOL, left, Shyanne Wedge, Shoreham, and Erin Whipple, Bridport, took the top three places in the appetizer category for 4-H’ers, Grades 8-12, at the Addison County 4-H Foods Day, Feb. 24, in Middlebury.

For information about the 4-H cooking project or Addison County 4-H, contact UVM Extension 4-H educator Martha Seifert at (802) 656-7547 or [email protected].