Let's Get Fresh: Take Me Home, Country Roads Cook Off
By Bob Workman on August 02, 2015 from Let’s Get Fresh via Connect-Bridgeport.com
This week, in celebration of National Farmers Market Week, the Market will host the 5th annual Country Roads Cook-Off. National Farmers Market Week has been proclaimed for the week of August 2-8 by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. Please, even if you can’t make it to the BFM today, get out and support your local farmers market this week. You’ll be glad you did.
Before delving into this year’s contestants and judges I want to remind everyone that there is still a Farmers Market going on today as well. With the extra traffic created by the Cook-Off and the continued expansion of the Market’s vendors it looks like we’ll be experiencing record crowds again today. So, like I said here last week, please use extra caution when entering and exiting the Market area.
This year’s contestants are a mix of Country Roads Cook-Off (CRCO) veterans and newbies. Three of the teams are husband and wife combos and the fourth will be bringing a unique ethnic cuisine to the Cook-Off. Cooking starts promptly at the opening bell of the Market which is at 10am so get here early and root on your favorite to victory.
Here are this year’s contestants and a brief synopsis of their dishes. You can also pick up copies of all the recipes at the People’s Choice voting table. Speaking of the People’s Choice, don’t forget to stick around for the People’s Choice sampling and then vote for your favorite dish.
Returning this year for her third crack at the title is Bridgeport’s own Cara Ewald. Cara, who owns Blooms Florist in Bridgeport, will once again have her husband Eric as a trusty sidekick. This time around Cara will be offering up her take on the Mexican classic, Carne Asada. One of the main points of the Cook-Off is for the recipe to include as much product as possible from the Market’s vendors. Looking over Cara’s recipe it looks like she has this requirement pretty well covered. Except for some herbs and peppers that she grew herself. We love that, too!
Joining the competition for their second year will be the husband and wife team of Jon and Toni McCullough from Bridgeport. This year they will be using Jon’s mother’s recipe for Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms. Last year Jon and Toni competed under the moniker the “Red Hot Chili Cookers” but this year they’ve changed their name to “Simple & Sophisticated” which is a perfect description of the recipe. I also think it describes Jon and Toni to a tee; Jon is simple and Toni is sophisticated! Just kidding, Jon!
Our first newbie this year is Brenda Liston of Bridgeport. Brenda has her husband, Terry Hotsinpiller, for a Sous chef. Now, Terry’s been one of my best friends for 35 years and I can honestly say that…Brenda must be out of her mind letting him hold a knife! Seriously, Brenda’s recipe for Cajun Chicken Dijon sounds delicious. And, knowing Brenda, there will be plenty of laughter coming from that tent. This should be fun.
Our second newbie is a long-time Market customer and good friend of BFM board member Dave High. Saleem Qureshi works as a database guru for an FBI contractor but, on the side, he is quite the culinary artist. He owes his love of cooking to both his mother back in Karachi, Pakistan, and the fact that he has lived as a single man for many years. Saleem emigrated from Pakistan in 1980 and settled in America. I quote Saleem here on this decision, “(America) is the greatest country that offers anything and everything that your heart desires.” Today he will be making his mother’s Chicken Karahi with Basmati rice and green peas. A Karahi is a classic Pakistani dish and refers to the pot it is cooked in which is similar to a Chinese wok.
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 Jay Mahoney of Pierpont Culinary Academy and Bridgeport’s own Mayor Bob Greer. I have it on good authority that even though our mayor is not much of a cook he is a big fan of Bravo TV’s Top Chef. For me I’m just interested to see whether he ends up being either the Tom Colicchio or the Padma Lakshmi of this year’s panel. Personally, I’m hoping for the latter.
And as for this year’s victory spoils? The Grand Prize winner receives a weekend for two at the inaugural Appalachian Food & Wine Festival (AF&WF) sponsored by the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau and the AF&WF. This new festival will be held in .jpg)
Charleston, WV, July 13-16, 2016. The prize includes two nights lodging and two tickets to the Festival’s Friday and Saturday night events. Stay tuned here for more information on this exciting new festival as the details become available. If you love local foods, which if you’re reading this I assume you do, you should mark your calendars for next July now.
Charleston, WV, July 13-16, 2016. The prize includes two nights lodging and two tickets to the Festival’s Friday and Saturday night events. Stay tuned here for more information on this exciting new festival as the details become available. If you love local foods, which if you’re reading this I assume you do, you should mark your calendars for next July now.
We will also be presenting The People’s Choice Award which is a cash prize provided by the BFM. This one is decided by you, the public, after sampling each competitor’s dish.
In addition to the Charleston CVB, The Market would also like to thank the Greater Bridgeport CVB for being the marketing sponsor of the Country Roads Cook-Off for the third year in a row. As you loyal readers know the Bridgeport CVB has been a long-time benefactor of the Market and for that we are eternally grateful.
So now that you know the contestants get out to the Market early today and stick around to vote for your favorite in the People’s Choice category!
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.comor, better yet, LIKE us on Facebook and follow us on both Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out the Market’s own YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/BridgeportFarmersMktor for more BFM video content you can now go to http://vimeo.com/bridgeportfarmersmarket/videos
Go here to see all of the entries in the Let’s Get Fresh blog: http://tinyurl.com/kdv4mhl
