05/19/11Chattanooga’s youngest Chef
Local Profile: Jarquasha Springs
Buying local, seasonal produce is not something Jarquasha Springs is all too familiar with, yet. However, as a 9 year old, she does seem to know quite a bit more about the benefits of using local products than others her age.
Last year, she visited Crabtree Farms on a field trip with her school, Calvin Donaldson Elementary. The group learned about plants and about growing your own food. The first graders also got to pick blackberries off the vine and lettuce, which they made salads out of.
Jarquasha first got interested in cooking while watching a show on Channel 58, but her trip to the farm made her want to be a chef. The trip also inspired her to open her own restaurant someday, where she could grow the fruits and vegetable she would cook with in back. She says, though, she has no intention of picking those-she will have someone else to do it for her.
She cooks for her family now, not often, she says, but enough that she’s learning her way around the kitchen. Here is her favorite recipe:
Homemade Chili
Put the following in a pot:
Black beans,
Kidney beans,
Tomatoes (chopped),
Ground meat (beef).
Mix it up and cook it for a while.
Top with shredded cheese and Fritos. Serve warm.