Natural meadow products masterclass for young chefs at Dobele Vocational and General Education Secondary School

On March 4, aspiring chefs from Dobele Vocational and General Education Secondary School learned this at a master class organized by the Latvian Nature Fund and the association "Young Chefs Movement" on natural meadow products and their use in cooking.

 In the introductory part, all 1st-3rd year culinary students gathered in the hall for a short informative session - a presentation by the Latvian Nature Fund about natural meadows and their products, followed by a short competition with prizes. Next, representatives of the Young Chefs movement talked about themselves and their activities at various events. The students actively took advantage of the opportunity to ask questions to Kristaps Sīlis, chef at the restaurants "John" and "John Chef's Hall."

After the break, the conversation continued in the kitchen-laboratory, where the practical part of the day took place. The master class for 20 aspiring chefs from various courses was led by experienced chefs Kristaps Sīlis and Emīls Skalbergs from the restaurant "JOHN CHEF'S HALL" and Roberts Paulāns from the restaurant "Barents". The students, with varying degrees of experience, worked together excellently in teams, showing interest and responsibility.

The team's efforts resulted in outstanding dishes made from natural meadow products. The menu included lamb tartare, cow's milk ricotta cheese with marinated tomatoes, grilled beef with potato and butter purée, and hay ice cream. Pēteris Langrāts, a member of the association from the Siliņi farm (brand name "Gardi ziedi"), talked about and demonstrated how to use both wild and cultivated plants in cooking and decorating dishes.

The dishes were prepared using natural meadow products from various farms: beef from Lat Angus, lamb products from SIA StarsSpace, meadow milk products from Elizabete Bendika's Bendiku piena aitas farm, and meadow honey from ZS Priežukalns. These producers manage natural meadows, and their products are labeled with the "Natural Meadow Product" mark.

Masterclasses for aspiring chefs are organized as part of the EU LIFE-IP LatViaNature project with the aim of supporting entrepreneurship for sustainable natural grassland management.