‘Corny Casserole,’ ‘Custardy French Toast’ among Produced in NY creations by local 4-Hers

Photos courtesy of Kristina Gabalski, Orleans County 4-H Program Coordinator: (Left) Jackson McGrath, 13, of Medina prepares his “One Pot Chili Mac” recipe.  Jackson said the skills he learns through participating in the event are helpful both for cooking and for presenting in front of an audience. (Right) 12-year-old Robin Botsford of Lyndonville works on her “Fresh Custardy French Toast” recipe.  She made fresh whipped cream to top her creation and said the event went well for her, even though she had to work through some early equipment issues.

Press Release, Orleans County 4-H Program

KNOWLESVILLE – What do Fresh Custardy French Toast, Cherry Crumble and Double Layer Crunch Tacos have in common?  They are all recipes that feature items grown or produced in New York and were among prepared recipes at this year’s Orleans County 4-H Produced in New York Contest held Nov. 4 at the 4-H Fairgrounds.

“Produced in New York is a silent cooking competition that celebrates NY State agriculture and promotes nutritious locally grown foods,” said Kristina Gabalski, Orleans County 4-H Program coordinator.  “We hold our event the first Saturday in November each year, which is a great time to get inspiration for holiday cooking.”

The contest is open to all 4-Hers, including Cloverbuds, who are 5-7 years old. Volunteers evaluate each participant on their demonstration (cooking skills) as well as the taste and nutritional value of the finished product. Participants can move on to demonstrate their recipe in the 4-H Youth Building at the New York State Fair in August, Gabalski said. Twelve youth participated in this year’s event.

Thirteen-year-old Jackson McGrath of Medina says the event gives him an opportunity to show-off his cooking skills.

“I’m really competitive,” he said. Jackson made “One Pot Chili Mac” which featured produced in New York ingredients beef, tomatoes, peppers, and cheese. He said he learned about cooking noodles this year.

“It can take forever,” he observed. “I’ve used meat before, but not noodles.”

McKenna Richardson, 8, of Barre is already an experienced Produced in New York participant.  She created “Your Corny Casserole” for this year’s event, which featured sweet corn, sour cream, cheese and butter.

Robin Botsford of Lyndonville is 12.  She created Fresh Custardy French Toast which featured produced in New York ingredients, eggs, milk, cream, honey, and maple syrup for topping.  Robin said she gained many new skills with this year’s recipe including using a skillet and the proper way to crack eggs, “I had to crack seven eggs for the French toast and separate them,” she said.

Evaluators applauded participants for the variety of techniques utilized and the many different flavors featured in the recipes.

Ginny Hughes of Lyndonville commended 4-Hers for the nutritional and menu planning information they provided with their entries, especially how they made each recipe their own, “and the beautiful presentation of the dishes,” she said.