Catering Students to Cook at Williamsport Outdoor Growers Market

Culinary students in the Catering course offered at Pennsylvania College of Technology will prepare dishes using fresh ingredients provided by the vendors of the Williamsport Outdoor Growers Market in a cooking demonstration to be offered Saturday, Sept. 7.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at the market, located in the parking lot adjacent to Pine Street United Methodist Church, 441 Pine St., Williamsport. The market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Michael J. Ditchfield, an instructor of food and hospitality management/culinary arts in the School of Hospitality at Penn College, will supervise the students. This is the fourth year that students in his class have participated in the cooking demonstration.

"It's a great learning event for our students," Ditchfield said. "It's good for the growers, and it's good for our community. We work closely with small, sustainable farmers for our food sources at Penn College."

Ditchfield says the demonstration helps to illustrate how cooking with fresh produce obtained from local sources leads to successful dishes.

"Our students go to the farm or the market and know what it takes to have these fresh, quality ingredients to work with," he said. "Every great chef knows that all good recipes begin by saying, 'Start with high-quality ingredients.' "

Buying food locally addresses another important issue, Ditchfield explained.

"You will be hearing more about food security in the near future," he said. "I think the way to define food security is to buy locally, seasonally and from sustainable sources. By 'sustainable,' I mean food that is grown and produced in a way that is safe for the consumer and has little or no impact on the environment."

Students participating in the demonstration are: David F. Anoia, Lebanon; Culinary Arts Technology; Wesley J. Breen, Williamsport, Food and Hospitality Management; Misti M. Buttorf, Jersey Shore, Culinary Arts Technology; Donald R. Carl, Bloomsburg, Culinary Arts Technology; Timothy K. Carnes, Cogan Station, Culinary Arts Technology; Patricia J. Clark, Williamsport, Dietary Manager Technology; Shawn D. Hackman, Ephrata, Culinary Arts Technology; Nichole S. Huntley, Fredericksburg, Ohio, Dietary Manager Technology; Patrick S. Miller, Greensburg; Michael H. Morgan, Berwick, Culinary Arts Technology; David A. Oakley, Greenfield Township, Culinary Arts Technology; Laura B. Pyle, Selingrove, Dietary Manager Technology; Melanie D. Reese, Danville, Culinary Arts Technology; and Christopher M. Santucci, Drums, Culinary Arts Technology.

The vendors of the Williamsport Outdoor Growers Market sell produce and other food items each Saturday mid-June through the end of October at the Pine Street location. They also operate stands Friday afternoons at Bowman Field during the period.

For more information about Penn College's culinary programs, call (570) 327-4505 or visiton the Web.