Gurrie Middle School Students Learn to Cook with Student-Grown Peppers

Submitted by Wild Monk.

Wild Monk, the lively gastropub sibling of award-winning prasino LaGrange’ was “peppered” with young talent last week, welcoming a group of students from Gurrie Middle School in La Grange to cook alongside executive chef, Franke Vasquez, using fresh produce grown in the School garden.

Gurrie Middle School teacher Steve Driscoll, (and a regular customer at Wild Monk), approached Chef Franke with chili peppers that the students had grown last summer and early this school year. He asked if they could be incorporated into a dish that the students could enjoy, a chance to sample the fruits of their labor.

“I loved the idea that these kids were nurturing the pepper plants and following nature’s progress,” says Demetri Kopley, co-owner and general manager at Wild Monk. “So, I took it a step further and invited them to whip up something themselves.”
The students worked alongside Chef Vasquez to prepare and sample marinated steak kabobs with tomatoes and grilled chile peppers; house-made vanilla ice cream with ghost chiles; and Wild Monk’s signature chile pepper relish.

The budding chefs joined Wild Monk staff for a post-production meal and departed with a jar of chile pepper relish to enjoy at home.