Pilot program at Dal-AC in Bible Hill finishes with a tasty presentation
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BIBLE HILL, N.S. — Whereas the shows have been fascinating and informative, the spotlight of the night occasion, for these occupying seats within the Morrison Corridor classroom on the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus (Dal-AC), might have been sampling the chutney recipes developed by the 4 pupil teams.
The occasion was a showcase for the pilot program titled Cultiv8 CHEF which was an introductory program coping with “some kitchen fundamentals, meals safety, meals preservation and the value-added improvement of sure merchandise in the direction of an introductory exploration into entrepreneurship.”
In the course of the roughly two-hour occasion, the scholars offered their custom-made chutney recipes and their eight-week “journey” in having the completed merchandise come collectively.
The artistic crew names for the 4 teams, and their customization meals, included: UnBeetable Chutney with portobello, arugula and goat cheese; Spice Women Chutney with toasted garlic butter and naan bread; Princess Peach Chutney with brie and crackers; and Carrot Date Chutney on a ginger cookie with cream cheese icing.
Jason Grant, supervisor of the Cultiv8 Innovation Sandbox program on the Dal-AC, talked in regards to the night being the “fruits” of this system.
“They took 4 weeks of studying primary kitchen abilities after which cooking some recipes, tasting and discussing taste profiles,” Grant stated. “Then we gave them a chutney recipe to start out with they usually labored on customizing that recipe to their very own liking to create their very own value-added product. Then they iterated for 3 weeks with suggestions from each other and the chef (Reinier Boermans) and I to enhance their product, incrementally.
“On the final week, they made a giant batch for this occasion. We canned it, did the suitable meals preservation, let it sit for every week after which fridged it and served it with the meals tonight.”
Grant talked in regards to the studying features for the scholars concerned.
“It was mainly a basic introduction to meals preservation because it pertains to meals safety,” he stated. “There have been some kitchen primary abilities after which dabbling in that value-added entrepreneurial area.
“So it was, very a lot, an consciousness and early ability constructing.”
Grant stated as a result of it was a pilot, there was studying for the organizers too and a part of that’s to see the way it may develop and evolve.
“It was to check the waters to see if there’s a possibility for doing the two.0 model the place we might have pupil groups, basically first or second-year college students, who might be with you over a lot of years of their diploma, working collectively to develop their very own meals product. Then, herald our entrepreneurship professor to assist them with the insights round parts of commercialization which are past myself or the chef … incorporate all these completely different disciplines.”
Program members
That’s the kind of layered pondering which led first-year worldwide meals enterprise (IFB) pupil Jocelyn Kattenburg-Schuler to become involved. She teamed up with Kate Axten on Carrot Date Chutney. She stated the very first thing that sparked her curiosity was the sustainability side.
“I discovered that fascinating,” she stated. “I have not actually dived into that in my previous however I believed that was fairly cool, particularly being on an agriculture campus … it’s neat to see their (supervisor, chef) perspective on it.
“Then I simply love cooking. I’ve all the time beloved being within the kitchen … my entire household actually revolves round meals. I additionally noticed a giant future for me as properly with it. My plan is to personal a (meals) enterprise sooner or later. So I may see lots of completely different ways in which I may use this program.”
Kattenburg-Schuler stated this system introduced residence the thought of how a lot meals may be wasted if that isn’t a consideration for these growing a product.
“We’d discuss that after each session; that is the waste we produced, what may we do with it … these type of concepts,” she stated.
This system was an extra-curricular enterprise so whereas it may contain a first-year IFB pupil like Kattenburg-Schuler, it additionally concerned college students corresponding to Cullen MacDonald who’s a plant science main going into his fourth yr.
“I am actually enthusiastic about native agriculture, sustainable agriculture and sustainable meals methods,” stated MacDonald who hails from the Halifax space. “One of many targets of Cultiv8 is to, type of, combine extra carbon-neutral choices to maneuver that ahead. So it is only a actually fascinating initiative they’ve arrange and for me, it was an important alternative.”
As for what he’ll take away from being a part of this system, MacDonald talked in regards to the truth there’s a lot to study relating to navigating round a kitchen.
“There’s all the time a brand new ability, all the time a brand new software, all the time one thing to select up,” he stated. “And simply all of what goes into getting one thing to market. Even a small product like this. The quantity of steps, all of the work, the checking, the collaboration that goes into it … it is wonderful and all the time evolving.”
For extra on the Cultiv8 applications and initiatives, go to dal.ca and click on on the suitable hyperlinks.
