This morning I present a preview of this year’s Country Roads Cook-Off, which will be held at the Market today starting at 10am. This will be the 4th annual Cook-Off at the Market. This year it was originally scheduled as the culmination of last month’s Bridgeport Restaurant Week and Jazz Expo but due to weather-related concerns it was postponed until today.

 

This year’s six contestants are a mix of Country Roads Cook-Off (CRCO) veterans and newbies plus one legacy team. I am not going to tell you what recipes they have come up with though. You will have to come by the Market today and see that for yourselves. The recipes will be available for you to try at home.

 

Our two-time defending champion, Chris Stearns, has officially retired (undefeated, mind you) from CRCO competition. We haven’t let Chris go quietly into the night, though, as he is doing the occasional Fresh Fire Chef’s Demo at the Market this year. In his stead is our legacy team made up of three of Chris’s children, Bryce, Tarissa, and the team leader Deacon. If it’s true that the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree then it could be said that this is the team to beat this year. This year’s competition will be formidable, though, as we have three veterans returning to the field as well as one award-winning amateur chef and one new highly motivated team.

 

Returning for their third crack at the title this year are Bridgeport’s own Rick Johnson and Cara Ewald. Rick, who is a past People’s Choice Award winner, will be teaming up with another well-known Bridgeport resident, Jerry Pomeroy. Rick and Jerry have the added experience of cooking together on the Bridgeport Conference Center’s Cast Iron Cook-Off team the past two years so they may present quite the challenge for the Stearns team.

 

Cara, who owns Blooms Florist in Bridgeport, has as her trusty assistant her husband Eric. If you are familiar with the beauty of Cara’s floral arrangements then believe me when I tell you that her skills transfer perfectly to the food realm. These will be some of the prettiest dishes you will ever witness. Oh, and they taste good, too!

 

Joining us for the second year is Buck Edwards of Buckhannon. Buck is a veteran of cooking competitions and is the coordinator of the Buckhannon edition of the Country Roads Cook-Off. Last year Buck knocked everyone’s taste buds into frenzy with a historically accurate version of WV creamed peas and new potatoes.

 

Joining the competition for the first time will be the “Red Hot Chili Cookers” made up of the husband and wife team of Jon and Toni McCullough from Bridgeport. I don’t think I need to tell you what their specialty is. Y’all will have to get in line behind me when the People’s Choice samplings start!

 

Also new to the Bridgeport competition this year is Sherry McDaniels of Buckhannon. However, Sherry is not a newbie when it comes to the Country Roads Cook-Off. Back in June she won the Buckhannon CRCO which is held at Buckhannon’s weekly Festival Fridays event. Look out, Bridgeport teams!

 

Returning as our chief judge this year is long-time champion of the BFM, Mary Hunt of the Benedum Foundation. Joining her will be Chef Kevin Pinti of the Mountaineer Grille and Charles Pointe developer and long-time BFF of the BFM, Jamie Corton. I do hope you guys bring your appetites today!

 

And as for this year’s victory spoils? The Grand Prize, provided by the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau, is two nights lodging at the Charleston Marriott for the Cast Iron Cook-Off weekend to be held January 30th and 31st, 2015, as well as a Friday night dinner for two at one of Charleston’s finest restaurants, Bluegrass Kitchen. In addition the sponsors of the Cast Iron Cook-Off, the Farm2U Collaborative, will provide the winner with two tickets to the Saturday night CICO Awards Ceremony and Dine Around event. The People’s Choice Award, decided by the public after sampling each competitor’s dish, is a $100 cash prize provided by the BFM.

 

So now that you know the contestants come out to the Market today and vote for your favorite in the People’s Choice category!

 

In case of inclement weather the Cook-Off will be held inside the Bridgeport Conference Center. This applies to the Cook-Off only, not the Farmers Market. As always, the Market takes place outdoors, rain or shine, unless there is a threat of severe weather (high winds, thunderstorms, tornadoes, etc). Until next week, Stay Fresh!

 

The Bridgeport Farmers Market Association is the seven member all volunteer board of directors that governs the Bridgeport Farmers Market. It is supported by a wonderful group of community volunteers who help in the setup and maintenance of the market. For more information on the Farmers Market or to see how you can help please e-mail us at bridgeportfarmersmarket@yahoo.com or, better yet, LIKE us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. You can also check out the Market’s own YouTube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/BridgeportFarmersMkt or for more BFM video content you