In cooking competition, 4-Hers use locally grown ingredients

Photos by Kristina Gabalski: Shania Ireland makes Blueberry Crumble, Cloverbud Adele Mathes makes Bunny Salad and Tereza Vinca makes Double Layer Pumpkin Pie during Saturday's Produced in New York silent cooking competition at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.

By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 5 November 2017 at 10:12 am

KNOWLESVILLE – Orleans County 4-Hers on Saturday morning participated in the annual Produced in New York silent cooking competition. Thirteen 4-Hers and one 4-H Cloverbud prepared recipes featuring items grown or produced in New York State.

Participants are judged on their demonstration skills as well as the taste and nutritional value of the finished product.

Deb Roberts of Medina, a former Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Director, volunteered as one of the food judges. She commended participants for their skills and creativity. She noted that several participants raised or produced their own products for their recipes. The 4-Hers are helping to promote agriculture and keep agriculture going in Orleans County, she told them.

Orleans County 4-H Cooking Club member Ella Dahlhaus participated in the Junior Division. She said this is the second year she has participated in the Produced in New York Contest. “I was nervous at first,” she said of the competition. Ella prepared Nana’s Spaghetti Sauce, which has been, “passed down for generations in my family,” Ella said. “My grandma taught it to my mom and we tweaked it, adding mushrooms and using sausage patties.” Ella took first place in her division. She is a student at Clifford Wise Intermediate School in Medina.

Matthew Mathes makes Easy Pumpkin Cake, Izzabella McCoy makes Old Fashioned Apple Crisp and Sarah Mathes makes Chocolate Zucchini Cake during the Junior Division of the cooking contest.