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
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