AEGEAN DISHES BY LITTLE CHEFS
22 children, who participated in the Leader Children Agriculture Camp, a project by Izmir Provincial Directorate of Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock to raise awareness about nature and agriculture among children, became chefs for a day at Izmir University of Economics (IUE); cooked dishes with Aegean herbs.
IUE Department of Culinary Arts and Management hosted the last event of the Leader Children Agriculture Camp project that was held in collaboration with Izmir Chamber of Commerce (ITO), Izmir University of Economics, and Izmir Provincial Directorate of Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock. Little chefs received hands on training under the guidance of Tolgahan Kamiloğlu, Trainer Chef at IUE Department of Culinary Arts and Management. They baked milk bread with dried tomatoes and olive tahini yeast, cooked artichoke, zucchini blossoms with curd cheese, stinging nettle salad with mustard sauce, sea beans salad with shelled broad beans and artichoke, çalkama (type of pastry with herbs), seabream, slow cooked blessed thistle with lamb, panna cotta with saffron and raspberry sauce. 22 little chefs, students of Bornova Ali Suavi Elementary School, greeted the guests and helped serve the dishes.
Zekeriya Erdurmuş, Director of Izmir Provincial Directorate of Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock, Yavuz Ateşalp, Vice Chairman of the Council of Izmir Chamber of Commerce, Prof. Dr. Murat Aşkar, Vice Rector of IUE, Members of Council of ITO, Members of IUE Board of Trustees, and academics attended the event.
‘New generations are disconnected from mother nature’
Director Zekeriya Erdurmuş pointed out that children were the warranty of future, and he said, “We grew up with nature; however, new generations are disconnected from nature. We hope to get them engaged with nature”.
‘Providing community service’
Serdar Gökhan Arıkan, Member of ITO Executive Board, stated that they were pleased to witness children being engaged with nature and products from the nature. IUE Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Murat Aşkar indicated that universities had a mission of raising awareness and providing community service, and the University helped raise awareness with this project. Little chefs received their certificates and gifts at the end of the event.