Chefs Make Fine Meals From LCOC Pantry Food; Lower Cape Outreach Celebrates 40 Years With ‘Chefs’ Challenge’

CHATHAM – The nine emergency food pantries supported by the Lower Cape Outreach Council help local families keep nutritious food on the table. But how tasty is that food?

It certainly made the cut with a few of the area’s finest chefs and a panel of foodies who judged their creations in a “Chefs’ Challenge” Friday afternoon.

As part of its 40th anniversary celebration, Lower Cape Outreach partnered with Pate’s Restaurant to present the fundraiser. Pates’ Executive Sous Chef Chevaun Goulborne competed against local chef Christian Schultz and Julio Lazzarini of Navillus Bar and Grill in Orleans. Each was allowed to “shop” for ingredients at an LCOC food pantry, and were limited to a $20 stipend to buy other ingredients.

“You can still make an amazing meal,” Lazzarini said. His chili, made with ingredients that included canned pineapple, a tube of frozen ground turkey and a can of spam, took top honors. Lazzarini said he grew up in a family of limited means, and he learned how to create great-tasting foods with modest ingredients.

Lower Cape Outreach Board Chair Jim Botsford of Cape Cod 5, a sponsor of the event, praised committee members for coming up with the creative idea for a Chefs’ Challenge.

“Pate’s has been awesome,” he said. The event also has the purpose of connecting donors with the food that LCOC pantries provide every day, “to get a feel for what it’s like.” He thanked the crowd of supporters who attended the sold-out event and made generous bids for items in the benefit auctions.