Thanks to Julie Chatterbox for inviting my mother Betty Scrivano of Niagara Falls, Steve Giroux of Middleport along with me, the Cooking and Cookbook fan to put our taste buds to the test. We all attended the Village of Barker’s Centennial Event “Summer Splendor” last Saturday .
We were the Top Chef Judges and we made it our business to try all the tasty pickles, jams, jellies, pies and quick breads for the Barker Centennial Food Judging Contest this weekend in Barker. It wasn’t easy, there were so many items and you could tell the cooks and bakers put their hearts into their foods.
All the items were good, I had never had summer squash marmalade before. It was a bright yellow, with little pieces of the rind in it, so pretty to look at. It was sweet and had texture like jam but it was squash, it was one of our winners.
We tasted pies, quick breads, pickles and pickled items. From traditional to unusual, it was a fun day and the three of us worked well together.
There was a green tomato pie and zucchini relish in the mix. So I’m seeing zucchini and summer squash in a whole new light. Yes, there are many things to do with the items in your garden.
I don’t can my veggies, but, my neighbor gave me some tomatoes yesterday. So instead of the usual tomato salad, I need a little variety now that I have seen all the great things that come out of the garden. I can make a pretty good cold tomato soup ….
