(Additional photos below)
WESTFORD — Nashoba Valley Technical High School students recently won a statewide cooking competition, advancing on to represent Massachusetts this spring in a national event.
Jillian Cambridge (sophomore, Ayer), Colby Hebert (junior, Ayer), Alexis Linstad (junior, Chelmsford), Samantha Richards (junior, Chelmsford) and Tyler Zerbinopoulos (junior, Chelmsford) won first place at the annual Massachusetts ProStart Competition at Gillette Stadium on Feb. 11.
“They are a group of wonderfully dedicated students who have put a lot of time and effort into winning,” Nashoba Tech Chef-Instructor Carley Capraro in a news release. “It wouldn’t be possible without all of the support they get from their peers, parents and fellow staff members.”
Students were tasked with creating a three course meal within an hour using two burners. The team designed a menu with a Japanese theme, including:
- Pork and bok choy gyoza dumplings in a mushroom and carrot stock with macerated cucumbers for the appetizer.
- Pan-seared duck breast with a miso cherry demi-glace, Okinowan Japanese purple sweet potatoes and a vegetable stir-fry for the main entrée.
- A pistachio purin (milk custard) with a caramel top, pistachio cookie crumble and tanghulu fruit for the dessert.
“The students take this seriously as major scholarships can be and have been awarded for winning first place,” Capraro said. “They have been practicing two times a week for three months to get timing down to the second, and clearly it paid off. Now, moving on, they will practice even more.”
Students will now advance to represent the state in the National ProStart Invitational in Baltimore, Maryland this spring.
