Soup to Carrots, Granby Memorial Competes in Teen Chef Battle

As shoppers perused the produce section of , some Avon, Farmington and Granby high school students and their families were there for another reason – the annual Teen Chef Battle.

With a strong smell of garlic in the air, the teen chefs hastily worked at their stations toward the front of the store to make their Mediterranean dishes, featuring a secret ingredient – kale.

Ultimately, it was Avon's Tunisian fish soup and spicy carrot salad that the judges – Tom Sentino, Simsbury High School culinary instructor, Terry Walters, author and foodie, and Carrie Taylor, Big Y registered dietitian – savored, giving Avon the championship.

The judges told the teams that they could work on knife safety, cleaning produce more thoroughly to prevent food-born illness and avoiding cross-contamination. Taste-wise, the judges agreed all the groups could have used more kale.

However, they could not fault them for their creativity.

While Avon made Tunisian cuisine, Granby Memorial's focus was Spain – paella and virgin sangria – and Farmington artfully cooked the foods of Southern France – ratatouille.