POTSDAM -- The deadline to register a team for the fourth North Country Jr. Iron Chef competition is Friday, Jan. 15.

This regional event is a competition for teams of middle and high school age students from St. Lawrence, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis, Clinton, Essex, and Hamilton counties. Teams develop healthy recipes using a combination of local and USDA/commodity foods that could be realistically prepared in a school cafeteria.

North Country Jr. Iron Chef is a project of the Health Initiative.

On March 12, teams will gather at A.A. Kingston Middle School in Potsdam, to prepare their recipes. Teams present their dish to a panel of judges, made up of chefs, farmers, school food service directors and others, who will select the winners.

“We are thrilled to again highlight the creativity of area students as they develop healthy recipes, as well as feature our region's bounty of nutritious, delicious foods,” said North Country Jr. Iron Chef coordinator Sarah Bentley-Garfinkel,. “It’s especially exciting that many teams share the enthusiasm in their home schools and organizations, by learning more about school meal programs and helping to offer these recipes as cafeteria taste tests or menu items.”

For more information, to register a team, or to sponsor the event, visit ncjrironchef.org or contact the Health Initiative at 261-4760.