József Bernáth bids farewell to Frutti, Veggi and Káosz with autumn delicacies

(Photo: NAK/Zsolt Lévai)

Balázs Győrffy, the president of NAK, Lili Fülöp, the program’s dietician, Luca Kozák, European champion silver medal hurdler, Soopfie and Sajt32 influencers, as well as the Vegetable and Fruit Heroes chosen during the program, who were also accompanied by children, participated in the cooking. The European Fresh Team, the National Chamber of Agriculture’s program promoting fruit and vegetable consumption, was launched in 2021 as a continuation of the successful European Fresh Adventures, which ran from 2018-2020. In fact, he has been campaigning for six years in order to increase the knowledge of children, young people and families about vegetables and fruits. Be it cultivation, usability, regular consumption or their positive effects on health.

More than half of the children know Frutti, Veggit and Kaosz

Balázs Győrffy’s greeting at the event of the European Fresh team revealed that more than half of the children know the program, and four out of five think that vegetables and fruits, as well as their consumption, are fun. From the research results, it is clear that both parents and children have become more comfortable in the kitchen when it comes to meals made with fresh vegetables and fruits, which is why the types of food and dishes made from vegetables or fruits also occur in a higher proportion in families. In the case of vegetables, this represents an increase of 11 percentage points compared to 2021. Furthermore, as a result of the program, 71% of children like to cook with fresh vegetables and fruits, and three quarters of them are already involved by their parents in buying vegetables and fruits.

Autumn delicacy: rosé duck breast with cabbage custard and almond apple from József Bernáth

After the official part of the event, a joint cooking session began, during which the participants prepared and tasted the autumn-flavored cabbage-apple recipe of the program’s gastro ambassador, chef József Bernáth. According to the popular chef, cabbage and apples are also popular and healthy ingredients in Hungarian cuisine, but we rarely use them for anything other than the usual, well-proven dishes. However, both ingredients can be prepared in many ways. “If we want the children to taste the dishes made from them, then it is worth involving them in the preparation of the cooking, or even in the cooking! When I cut the cabbage, I usually eat the trunk raw, which, when fresh, is a pleasantly sweet treat, even for a snack. Of course, in addition to the torso, the cabbage leaves can also be eaten raw: you can also wrap them with sliced cheese or even tuna cream!” – says József Bernáth. Lili Fülöp, the dietitian of the European Fresh Team program, said while cooking that in the autumn period, both apples and cabbage are essential to protect our health, as they contain a lot of vitamins. “Cabbage and apples are also in season at this time, so it’s worth eating as much of them as possible. They contain a large amount of fiber, and the pectin (water-soluble fiber) found in apples also has a great effect on our intestinal flora! Cabbage, especially in the form of pickles, also contains a large amount of vitamin C, which is especially important in terms of immune protection as the cold weather approaches. Their antioxidant content has many positive effects on disease prevention or even on the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Since cabbage and apples can be prepared in many different ways, it is worth including them in our daily meals: even as a soup, side dish, or main dish. Apples can be eaten raw for snacks, and cabbage can also be used to make a delicious salad. Cabbage should be seasoned with cumin, because not only does the taste go very well with it, but it also helps digestion,” said the dietician. In addition to the recipe for the dish prepared at the event, a number of delicious and healthy vegetable and fruit recipes are available on the website and social media platforms of the European Fresh Team.

NAK