Blue-ribbon flair

Are you looking for a fun way to spread your culinary wings this fall? Enter a state or county fair cooking contest and impress friends, family and judges with an original recipe. To fuel your creativity, we give you guidelines from some national contests coming to a county fair near you (see sidebar for schedule), as well as some winning recipes from contests past.

Hidden Valley salutes homemade
In 2005, 48 state and county fairs in America are hosting the Hidden Valley Family Friendly Food Contest, which celebrates everyday cooks and blue ribbon-worthy homemade cuisine. While the accolades from friends and family are great, prize money for your winning recipe is always a nice perk. First-, second- and third-place prizes will be awarded at each state or county fair. First place for the Hidden Valley contest is worth $200. Second and third place merit $100 and $50 respectively. One $1,000 grand national prize also will be awarded. The recipe for Cheering Cheesecake, included here, is the savory appetizer that captured the 2004 national honors from recipes entered at last year’s state fairs.
This year, the contest is open to cooks 18 years or older, one entry per person. Recipes must be homemade and “from scratch.” Entries span all categories, from appetizer to casserole to stir-fry or other creations that include the Original Ranch flavor of Hidden Valley Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix.

‘We Want Wow Now’ Pork Recipe Rally
The search is on for the most flavorful, fuss-free pork recipes in America. Combine fresh pork with up to five other ingredients for a convenient and memorable main dish. Entries are judged on three “wow now” factors: flavor, convenience and presentation.
If your recipe is deemed one of the top three entries, you can earn gifts and cash prizes: $250 for first place, $100 for second and $50 for third.
As a test run, cook the pistachio-crusted pork tenderloin bruschetta (recipe on page 27). Bursting with a lemon-nut flavor, this terrific tapas won judges’ attention at last year’s recipe rally.
For the competition at this year’s fair, any brand or cut of fresh pork counts, but make sure pork is the only meat in your recipe. Bacon, ham and sausage do not qualify. Total ingredients in your recipe, including the pork, should not exceed six items.

Dynamic Duo Baking Contest
There is cash to claim in the new Fleischmann’s Yeast Dynamic Duo Baking Contest at more than 50 state and county fairs in 2005. Enter any of your original recipes for baked goods, from breads and buns to cinnamon rolls and doughnuts.
The contest has a “double duo” theme. Contestants can win bonus prize money and a shot at national grand prizes for entering and winning as adult-child teams or as duos. In keeping with the theme, the contest requires that each recipe uses at least two special ingredients – Fleischmann’s Yeast and one of the following brands: Argo Corn Starch, Karo Dark or Light Syrup, Tone’s Spices or any of the spices from Spice Islands.
Get your ideas rolling by trying the recipe for caramel apple cinnamon rolls (included on page 27). This winning recipe from the Los Angeles County Fair recently earned national honors. Tap your family and friends to taste test.

Cheering Cheesecake
4 Tbsp. butter or margarine
3 to 4 cups tortilla chips, finely crushed
2 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 eggs
2 cups shredded cheddar or Colby cheese
1 (16-oz.) container sour cream
1 (1-oz.) package Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup seeded diced tomato
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place butter in 13-by-9-inch pan. Place in oven 5 minutes or until melted. Stir crushed chips into butter; pat into thin layer in bottom of pan. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. (Crust will be crumbly.)
In large bowl, beat cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until blended. Stir in shredded cheese. Drop onto crust by small spoonfuls, carefully spreading the cheese over the crust. Bake 25-30 minutes or until puffy and set. Cool 30 minutes.
In small bowl, combine sour cream and Hidden Valley seasoning mix. Spread over cheesecake. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, or refrigerate until serving time. (For best flavor, bring to room temperature before serving.) Just before serving, top with fresh vegetables of your choice. Cut in squares and serve with assorted crackers or tortilla chips.

Pistachio-crusted pork tenderloin bruschetta
1 lb. pork tenderloin
zest from two lemons
3/4 cup lightly packed fresh parsley leaves
3/4 cup shelled pistachio nuts
1/4 tsp. salt
4 oz. soft, mild goat cheese or spinach-artichoke cheese spread or olive tapenade
1 (12-inch) baguette, diagonally sliced and lightly toasted
Place parsley and nuts in blender or food processor. Cover and blend or process with on/off pulses just until mixture is crumbly but not pastelike. Transfer mixture to an 18-inch piece of waxed paper. Add lemon zest and salt; lightly mix to combine.
Squeeze juice from lemons; place juice in pie plate. Dip pork tenderloin in juice; coat pork in nut mixture, using waxed paper to help firmly press mixture onto pork.
Place pork on rack in shallow roasting pan. Roast in a preheated, 425-degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Cool pork on rack for 20 minutes. Loosely cover with foil and chill for several hours or overnight.
To serve, carve pork into slices a half-inch thick. Lightly spread baguette slices with cheese or tapenade. Place pork on top. Garnish as desired. Recipe makes 18 appetizers.
Recipe compliments of the National Pork Board

Cherri’s caramel apple cinnamon roll
For the caramel topping:
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

For the apple-cinnamon topping:
6 medium cooking apples (Macintosh or Granny Smith work well), cored, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

For the dough:
5 to 5-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 envelopes Fleischmann’s RapidRise Yeast
2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 egg

For cinnamon-sugar filling:
1-1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine

For the apple-cinnamon topping combine the sliced apples, sugar and cinnamon. Stir to blend. Reserve. To make the cinnamon-sugar filling combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium-size mixing bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve.
In a medium saucepan, combine all of the caramel topping ingredients except the pecans. Cook the mix, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into greased 13-by-9-inch pan; sprinkle with pecans. Arrange half of apple-cinnamon topping over the caramel and pecans. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast and salt. Heat milk, water and butter until warm (about 120 degrees). Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add egg and 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into an 18-by-12-inch rectangle. Sprinkle each evenly with remaining apple-cinnamon topping and cinnamon-sugar filling. Beginning at long end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll; pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, cut each roll into nine 2-inch slices. Place, cut side up, in prepared pan. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about an hour.
Bake in a preheated, 375-degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until done. Cool slightly in pan on wire rack. Invert onto serving dish. Recipe makes 18 rolls.