Connie Murphy, R&D Technician for Freshway Foods, was a special guest judge for the 2015 Harvest Holiday Cookbook competition, sponsored by the Sidney Daily News. Connie judged the four semi-finalists in the main dish category:
- Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce – submitted by Linda Hickman of Sidney, OH
- Country Kitchen Cheese Soup – submitted by Rita Manger of Anna, OH
- Savory Herb and Garlic Chicken – submitted by Rose Schlater of Versailles, OH
- Tater Tot Sloppy Joe Casserole – submitted by Jan Sprunger of Fort Loramie, OH
Connie Murphy presents Rose Schlater with the prize for top main dish recipe. Photo courtesy the Sidney Daily News and photographer Luke Gronneberg.
Connie enjoyed meeting the people that developed the recipes. “It was interesting to find out how they came up with the recipes,” Connie says. “Most of the recipes were family recipes, developed by grandmothers and great-grandmothers, that the cooks changed to make the recipe their own,” she adds.
The winner of the main dish category was Rose Schlater, for her Savory Herb and Garlic Chicken. The judges in each category spent three minutes talking with each semi-finalist about their dish, and tasted each dish.
“The hardest part was choosing one winner.” Connie says, “They were all pretty good.”
For more information about the Harvest Holiday Cookbook, including instructions for ordering your own copy, click here.
All photographs courtesy of the Sidney Daily News and Photographer Luke Gronneberg.