It's been a mighty filling season! Lucky me, I've been invited to judge a whole bunch of cooking contests this summer, starting with a rhubarb roundup at a farmers market to a fancy chef lamb throwdown. Whether the competitors were home cooks or pros, they all brought their A game for what basically amounted to bragging rights.
At each one of these fun, food-focused events, I had the pleasure of tasting some truly wonderful dishes, but there was also some delicious take-away lessons. I've been inspired to try re-creating many of these clever preparations at home. Yes, somebody's effort came out on top -- or, in a controversial dead-heat, ended up in a tie -- but all the contestants who took the time and made the effort were winners!
No. 1: The rhubarb contest at the Columbia City Neighborhood Farmers Market invited both sweet and savory recipes. I sure do love this plant's versatility. Contestants brought cakes and pies and a gorgeous rhubarb spritzer. The dish that caused my jaw to drop (so I could shovel more in!) was a rhubarb chutney made with rosemary. Such a great combination. The winner sent me a link to her recipe.
No. 2: When the rules toss you a curveball, make puffed rice crispies. At the annual Ready, Set, Go... Cook competition at the University District Farmers Market, two fiercely competitive chefs were given the challenge of purchasing products at the market with $20 and then creating two dishes. But, that curveball was a doozy: a grab bag of ingredients from the U-District Food Bank. Stuff like lentils and soy milk and generic Rice Krispies. The idea was to demonstrate that you can make supremely delicious farmers market meals even when you're on a budget. The chefs created some gorgeous plates in just an hour, and both toasted the puffed rice to add a note of crunch to their off-the-cuff creations. The verdict: A tie! Watching Dezi Bonow from Palace Kitchen and Josh Green from Serafina do their respective things was thrilling and reinforced my desire to take full advantage of summer produce at the farmers markets.
No. 3: At an American Lamb Board throwdown yesterday in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, chefs were charged with wowing judges and consumers by preparing dishes featuring leg and shoulder. The entries were remarkable simply because you could see the incredible thought put into the novel presentations. A banh mi made with a lamb shoulder sausage? Yes! Leg of lamb pho? You bet! Lamb that tasted like pastrami? Mmmm! The amazing sausage -- made by the crew at Bastille Cafe & Bar -- really stood out. So spicy and such a terrific snap! It immediately moved my fall sausage making project to the front burner. That, and the fact that I just bought a half a pig!
No. 4: When it comes to pies, there are no losers. I rarely make them at home -- because if I had pie around, I'd eat slice after slice -- but when I have them made by others, I so admire these sweet treats. That's what made it tough to pick a winner at a pie contest at the Phinney Ridge Farmers Market a few weeks ago. There were peach pies and tender crusts filled with berries. But it was an apple pie topped with an oatmeal crisp that rose to the top. Definitely a non-traditional pie, almost a cross between a pie and a brown betty. And I'm making one tonight.
No. 5: Finally, all things in moderation! This mantra preached by the late, great Julia Child has been floating around in my brain a lot this summer, with all the feasting and critical eating and food judging I've been doing. I really do try to take just a bite or two of everything, but that's often impossible to do when something tastes so darned good. So, to balance out my occasionally over-the-top eating schedule, I have redoubled my efforts to walk and swim. It has helped, but as August winds down, I'm finding myself reaching for those elastic waistband shorts a whole lot more.
-- Leslie Kelly
The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond Aug. 18, 2012 in Cooking On this mornings Food Network episode, I make (among ... PW on Pinterest; PW on Twitter; Tasty Kitchen! Ten Important Things I've Learned About Blogging Jewish Telegraphic Agency Alltop - Top Travel News It doesnt feel like summer until Ive been to ... Here are the top 10 things that I have learned from travelling ... video) a new topic for our Summer Photo Contest ... Top 5 things I saw in America which, as a Canadian, freaked me ... 5: Ive seen them here in Florida, too ... With that being said, Ive spent every summer for the ... Thats the top 5 scariest things he saw in America? MarytheKaytheBlog I've got things to do, and I don't have time to ... correct--which she said she learned at her etiquette class earlier this summer! ... Ago...Wedding Pictures; Moms Judging ... Music News, Reviews, Articles, Information, News Online & Free ... On-demand songs; UK Songs; Pop 100; Heatseakers Albums; uncharted; Youtube; Summer songs chart ... See which 10 duos top our list of the most powerful pairs in music Celebrity News - Latest Political News and Interviews - Esquire Julia Child: What I've Learned. By Mike Sager. The late great ... Try: PAUL RYAN. TV RECAPS. TODD AKIN. FICTION CONTEST ... Summer Songs 2012 The Pioneer Woman Cooks Ree Drummond I made some with berries last summer and slapped it on ... the roll, set a long piece of plastic wrap on top of ... One thing I've learned in my years in the country is that ... Teens: 50 Fun Things To Do This Summer! i love this site! i learned so mant cool things ... I LOVE cooking because I want to be a chef! I've met tons of ... kk..... the top 5 things i have done all summer is Tyler James Williams All Grown Up Also, does he think his young fan base will watch the show? Plus, what has he learned from his TV veteran co-star? Tweet
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