Winners announced in the Mountain State Fair’s opening weekend special cooking contests

Over $1,600 was awarded and bragging rights settled in the first four special cooking contests at the N.C. Mountain State Fair. 

Carole Carter of Mountain Home took first-place honors and earned $100 for her Fresh Tomato Pasta with Italian Sausage recipe in the N.C. Tomato Growers Association’s North Carolina’s Fresh Tomatoes Contest. Her recipe used fresh tomatoes from Johnson Farm. 
 

Second place and $75 went to Jennifer Currie of Clyde for her Stewed Maters & Gravy recipe. Sharon Gates of Leicester won third-place honors and $50 for her Tiny Tomato Tarts Two Ways. 
    

In the N.C. Aquaculture Association’s N.C Mountain Trout Cook-Off, Currie won $200 and first place for her Trout Patties recipe.  Martin Gates of Leicester earned second-place honors for his Tasty Trout & Tater Stew recipe.
    

Sharon Gates took home $100 and a third-place ribbon for her Ritzy Baked Trout recipe. Connie Pegg of Asheville earned $50 and an honorable mention for her Better for You Trout Pasta Salad.
    

In the N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council Classic Comfort Food contest Bronwyn Blenn of Leicester won the blue ribbon and $200 for her Sandy Mush Beef Cottage Pie. Sharon Gates won second-place honors and $150 for her Game Day Cheeeseburger Braid. Justin Pegg of Asheville won $100 and third place for his Stuffed Meatloaf Cupcakes.
    

Currie picked up a blue ribbon and $200 for her Korean Crockpot Pork BBQ recipe in the N.C. Pork Council’s Passpork to Flavor Contest. Sharon Gates again took second-place honors and $150 for her Mediterranean Pork Chops. Carter took third place and $100 for her Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps. 
    

So, if you are counting ribbons, here are repeat winner totals:
-- Jennifer Currie: one blue ribbon and two red ribbons
-- Sharon Gates: two red ribbons and two white ribbons
-- Carole Carter: one blue ribbon and one white ribbon
    Following are the first-place recipes in each contest.

Fresh Tomato Pasta with Italian Sausage
Ingredients

• 8 oz. Italian style pork sausage 
• 3 cups fresh Roma tomatoes (6-8 tomatoes)
• ½ cup chopped onion 
• 8 oz. Mozzarella cheese   
• 2 cups small shell pasta   
• 4 oz. Parmesan cheese
• 24 oz. jar marinara sauce    
• Cooking spray        
   

Directions    

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cook sausage with chopped onion in skillet on medium high heat until sausage is no longer pink and onions are translucent, crumbling the meat as it cooks.
Drain. Meanwhile, cook pasta in water according to package directions, drain. Combine cooked sausage, shell pasta and marinara sauce. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and pour mixture in. Cut Roma tomatoes longways into four quarters, then cut in half to create 8 triangle shapes, bite-sized pieces. Set tomatoes cut sides up on pasta-sausage mix. Top with cheeses. Bake 30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Yields 6-8 servings. *Any shaped pasta would work – rotini, bow-tie or macaroni.   

Trout Patties
Ingredients
 

• 1 pound trout meat – skinless & boneless        
• 3 Tbsp. mayo
• 1 cup minced onion                   
•  3 tsp. fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic                    
• ¼ cup each fresh parsley, chives & dill
• 3 Tbsp. butter                        
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup breadcrumbs                   
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 eggs – beaten                   
•  1/3 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 1 Tbsp. mustard
  
   

Directions
In a 12” skillet, cook the onions and garlic with the butter until onions are opaque. Remove from pan. Chop the trout into small pieces. Mix remaining ingredients with fish (except oil) in a large bowl. Form patties with your hands – about the size of your palm. Spritz hands with spray oil patties don’t stick. Refrigerate patties for 15-20 minutes. Heat the oil in the 12” skillet over medium heat. Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes each side. Best served hot.
 

Sandy Mush Beef Cottage Pie
Ingredients

• 4 pounds beef shoulder arm            
• 6 medium Russett potatoes
• 1 package au jus               
•  ¼ cup evaporated milk
• 1 package Ranch dressing           
•  ¾ package cream cheese
• 5 medium carrots, sliced           
•  ½ cup sour cream
• 2 small onions, chopped           
•  ¼ cup flour
• ½ cup baby peas                
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Garlic salt, salt, pepper to taste        
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup water
   

Directions
Combine beef, au jus and Ranch packets, add water and put in a crock pot. Cook until the roast is falling apart. Remove contents from pot, except gravy. Add broth, flour and water to thicken. Set aside.
Saute carrots and onions with butter in saucepan until soft and caramelized. Add baby peas. Set aside.
For potato topping, dice potatoes, put in water and boil under done. Drain. Add cream cheese, sour cream, butter, evaporated milk, salt and pepper. Whip with blender.
Beef should be in bite-sized pieces. Combine beef, veggies and gravy-mix and peas into baking dish.
Top with whipped potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until bubbling hot. Serves 8-10.

Korean Crockpot Pork BBQ with Cucumber Kimchi
 

Ingredients

• Pork
• 1 onion sliced thin                        
• ¼ cup hoisin sauce
• 1 small piece of ginger root                  
•   ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 Gala apple and Asian pear – cored & chopped        
• 4 pounds boneless pork butt
• 2 Tbsp. chili sauce                        
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ¼ cup gochujang (red pepper paste)

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil                    
• 8 cloves garlic           
• ½ cup gochujang (red pepper paste)            
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 2/3 cup rice vinegar                    
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup ketchup                        
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. honey                       
•  ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp. onion powder

Pickled Cucumber Kimchi
Ingredients

• 1 pound small or English cucumbers            
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
• ¼ tsp. salt and 1 tsp salt                
• ¼ cup sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. gochutgaru – red pepper powder        
• 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 2 tsp. minced ginger                    
• 4 oz. carrot matchsticks
• 3 cloves garlic – thinly sliced               
•  2 green onions – thinly sliced

Directions (Pickled Cucumber Kimchi)
Slice cucumbers ¼ inch thick (discard ends.) Place in colander and sprinkle with ¼ tsp. salt. Toss and let sit for 15 minutes to draw out moisture. While waiting, combine 1 tsp. salt with next six ingredients in a large bowl. Stir thoroughly. Add carrots, onions and cucumbers. Stir again. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes. Serve with Korean BBQ.

Directions (Pork)
In a small bowl, mix together chili sauce, gochujang, hoisin and brown sugar. Rub pork butt with this mixture. Place in crockpot. Add apple, pear, onion, gingerroot and chicken broth. Cook on low for 8 hours. While pork butt is cooking, make the sauce. In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes or until thick When pork is done, shred with fork. Drain remaining liquid and discard apples, pears, onion and ginger. Return shredded pork to crockpot. Pour half sauce over pork and combine. Serve on hamburger bun with cucumber kimchi.

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