Winners were announced in four cooking contests held during the 2014 N.C. Mountain State Fair at the WNC Agricultural Center. Contests were held to find the best blueberry, dairy, apple and sweet-potato recipes from area amateur chefs.
On Thursday, the N.C. Blueberry Council sponsored the “Anything Blueberry” cooking contest. Each entry had to include at least one cup of blueberries, and blueberries had to be a main ingredient. Dishes were judged on taste, creativity and family appeal, and ease of preparation.
Rheta Merrell of Rutherford County walked away with first place and earned $175 for her recipe for “Sour Cream N.C. Bluebarb Pie.” Lacey N. Grogan Davis of Buncombe County finished second and earned $125 for her “Blueberry Basil Quinoa Salad” recipe. In third place, Debbie A. Bender of Henderson County earned $85 for her “Red, White and Blueberry Biscotti.” In addition, the judges awarded Susie Zuerner of Buncombe County an honorable mention for her “Blueberry Caramel Cheesecake” recipe.
Friday’s contest was sponsored by the N.C. Dairy Producers Association. Contestants were asked to prepare dishes featuring dairy products from either North Carolina goats or cows as a main ingredient. Entries were judged on taste, creativity, appearance and ease of preparation.
In first place, Sharon Gates of Buncombe County earned $100 for her “Creamy Loaded Baked Potato Soup” recipe. Second place and $75 was awarded to Susie Zuerner of Buncombe County, who prepared a recipe for “Harvest Quiche.” Connie Pegg of Buncombe County placed third and earned $50 for her “Taco Casserole Fiesta” recipe. An honorable mention and $25 went to Rheta Merrell of Rutherford County for her recipe, “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay Scallops Fettuccine.”
The N.C. Apple Growers Association sponsored Saturday’s contest. Entries were judged on taste, appearance and creative use of apples. In addition, each dish had to include at least two cups of apples. Prizes were awarded for first, second and third place.
The first-place winner was Janet Cordell of Henderson County. Cordell earned a blue ribbon and $100 for her “Apple Cheddar Sliders” recipe. Sharon Gates of Buncombe County earned $60 for her second-place recipe, “Sensational Smoked Sausage and Apple Stir Fry.” In third place, Sonia Worley of Buncombe County earned $40 for her “Jazzy Apple Slaw” recipe.
The final cooking contest of the fair was sponsored by the N.C. SweetPotato Commission and was held Sunday. The “52 Ways to Love a Sweet Potato” contest asked contestants to create unique dishes that included at least one and a half cups of sweet potatoes. Entries were judged on taste, creativity and preparation time.
Sylvia Robinson of Buncombe County came in first place and earned $250 for her “Tuscan Sweet Potato Soup” recipe. In second place, Barbara Creasman of Buncombe County earned $175 for her “Sweet Potato Roll” dessert. The recipe for “Nutty Sweet Potato Chips” earned Connie Pegg of Buncombe County third place and $125. In addition, judges awarded an honorable mention to Zoe Capps for her “Sweet Potato Delight” recipe. The Henderson County resident earned $75.
Following are the winning recipes from the contests:
SOUR CREAM N.C. BLUEBARB PIE
Rheta Merrell, Rutherford County
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
7 tablespoons flour, divided
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh or frozen N.C. blueberries
1 cup small diced N.C. rhubarb (about 2 medium stalks)
9-inch unbaked pie shell, premade
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
Mint sprigs for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, mix 1 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons flour. Add egg, sour cream, almond flavoring and salt. Stir until smooth. Gently fold in blueberries and rhubarb.
Form pie shell into baking dish. Pour blueberry mixture into pie shell and bake for 30 minutes. In the meantime, mix together the remaining sugar, 5 tablespoons flour and butter in a small bowl. Mix to resemble crumbs.
After the 30-minute baking time, remove pie from oven and cover with the baking crumbs. Return pie to oven and bake for 12-15 minutes longer or until crumbs are a light brown. Most of the crumbs will fuse together while baking.
Garnish with a simple mint sprig if desired. May be served warm, cold or room temperature.
CREAMY LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP
Sharon Gates, Buncombe County
3 large baking potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 cups half-and-half
1 15-ounce can chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Colby-jack cheese
3-4 slices crumbled bacon
2 green onions including tops, sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
Use leftover baked potatoes or if potatoes are not previously prepared, poke potatoes with a fork and either bake potatoes in oven at 400 F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on size, or microwave potatoes 5 minutes, turn, then microwave an additional 5 minutes.
In a large pot, melt butter. Add onions and sauté for 5-7 minutes until onions are clear. Pour in half-and-half, chicken broth, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Chop potatoes into small cubes. Add potatoes to soup. Bring to boil, then lower to medium low and simmer 20-30 minutes or longer, if desired, stirring occasionally.
Before serving, add cheese and bacon. Ladle into bowls and top with green onions and sour cream.
APPLE CHEDDAR SLIDERS
Janet Cordell, Henderson County
1 1/4 pounds ground beef
1 medium Golden Delicious apple, finely diced
1 medium Red Delicious apple, finely diced
1 medium Red Delicious apple, sliced into thin rings
3 tablespoons chunky apple sauce
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup apple juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Form patties using about 1/2 cup per slider, making 12-16 patties. Bake for about 25 minutes or until slider reaches 145 degrees, or grill to desired internal temperature.
OPTIONAL: Combine 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese with 1/4 cup mayonnaise. Mix well and spread on slider bun. Then place slices of grilled apple against cheese spread.
TUSCAN SWEET POTATO SOUP
Sylvia Robinson, Buncombe County
2 cups sweet potatoes cut in half pieces
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
4 ounces sour cream
6 ounces Italian sausage
Pinch, cinnamon
32 ounces, chicken broth
In a large saucepan, sauté sausage, sweet potatoes, celery and onion until meat has no pink and vegetables are tender. Add cinnamon and chicken broth and continue to heat. Before serving, add sour cream and blend. If desired, top with additional spoonful of sour cream before serving.