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FLETCHER – The 2022 N.C. Mountain State Fair cooking competitions are off to a great start for Jennifer Currie of Clyde, after she won first place this weekend in both the tomato and trout cooking contests.
Three women took top honors in the N.C. Tomato Growers Association’s “North Carolina’s Fresh Tomatoes” contest on Friday, Sept. 9. Currie took top prize with her Tomato BBT Pie and earned $100. Second place and $75 went to Stephanie Barringer of Buncombe County for her Cheesy Herb Tomato Bread. Patricia Barringer of Buncombe County placed third with her BLT Pasta Salad and took home $50. Susie Zuerner of Buncombe County earned honorable mention and $25 with her Pork and Tomato Frittata. Each recipe required chefs to prepare dishes with at least a cup of locally grown tomatoes.
The N.C. Aquaculture Association held the “NC Mountain Trout Cook-Off” Saturday, Sept. 10. Currie again placed first and earned $200 for her “Foiled Ya” Rainbow Trout. Zuerner placed second and earned $150 for her Garlic Butter Steelhead Trout. Justin Pegg of Buncombe County placed third and earned $100 for his Teriyaki Trout Fried Rice. Sharon Gates of Buncombe County earned honorable mention and $50 for her Taco Tuesday Pan-Fried Trout.
Following are the winning tomato and trout recipes:
Tomato BBT Pie
(Tomatoes from Mills Garden – Mills River)
- 1, 9-inch pie crust
- 4 large tomatoes peeled and sliced
- ½ cup fresh basil
- 3 green onions – sliced
- ½ pound bacon – cooked and chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese – shredded
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Fill pie crust with tomatoes, basil, onions, bacon, garlic powder, oregano and red pepper. In a small bowl, mix cheese and mayonnaise. Spread mixture on top of pie. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold.
“Foiled Ya” Rainbow Trout
- 1-pound NC rainbow trout – fillets and fillet bites
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter – melted
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 teaspoon dill – chopped fine
- Lemon juice from ½ lemon
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place 11x14-inch piece of aluminum foil on baking sheet and put trout fillet in center. Season trout with salt and pepper. Drizzle with melted butter. Top with garlic and dill. Fold foil until it forms a pocket and the trout is covered completely. Bake for 13 minutes. Open foil and broil on high for 3 minutes.
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