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The Georgia Egg Commission recognized some of the state’s top cooks during its 24th Annual Egg Recipe Contest held at the Georgia Agricenter in Perry, May 10.
Jennifer McCarty of Lawrenceville won the first place prize of $1,000 for her Blueberry Lemon Strata. Another Lawrenceville resident, Betsy Podriznik, cooked her way to second place and a $500 prize for her Hot & Sweet Cheeseberry Dip. Patricia Geatens of Waleska captured third place and $250 for her dish, Mango Surprise.
“I’ve never entered a cooking contest before, so it was a big surprise to win,” McCarty said. “I’m always changing recipes. I cut the sugar and add ingredients or take them out.”
To be considered for the contest, recipes had to be original, serve at least four people, use at least four eggs, be prepared in 60 minutes or less and use fruit as a major ingredient.
Other contestants competing in the contest were: Rebecca Brooks of Byron; Autumn Woodward of Summerville; Margaret Higdon of Columbus; Rhonda Hitch of Kathleen; Carla Garnto of Warner Robins; Phil Herron of Rome and Christy Jackson of Dalton.
In celebration of the contest’s 25th Anniversary, the theme for the 2008 contest will be “Puttin’ on the Ritz – Eggs & Crackers.” To receive a free copy of the 2007 winning recipes and an entry form for the 2008 contest, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Georgia Egg Commission at P.O. Box 2929 Suwanee, GA 30024. Georgia table egg flocks produced slightly less than 3 billion eggs in 2005, according to the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. Table eggs account for 57% of total egg production in Georgia; hatching eggs account for 43%. In 2006, Georgia’s egg production value was $368.7 million, second to Iowa nationally in value of production.
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| First place winner Jennifer McCarty. |
1st Place
Blueberry Lemon Strata
Serves 8-12
Strata
Vegetable Spray
10 cups day-old Italian bread cubes, cut 1/2 inch thick
8 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 cup dried blueberries
4 eggs
1 1/2cups half and half or 3/4 cup half and half and 3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp.salt
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup water
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F. Place half of the bread cubes in a greased 13x9x2 inch baking pan. In a small mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and lemon zest. Stir in dried blueberries. Spoon mixture in small dollops over bread and top with remaining bread cubes. In same bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add half and half, remaining sugar, salt and remaining vanilla. Beat well and pour egg mixture evenly over bread. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until top is lightly browned. Remove from oven. Prepare sauce while strata is baking. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; stir constantly for 3 minutes or until smooth. Add blueberries and simmer for 5 minutes, or until thoroughly heated and bubbling. Stir in lemon juice; remove from heat and set aside. To prepare whipped cream, beat cream, sugar and vanilla in a chilled bowl until fluffy. To serve, cut warm strata into squares. Top each serving with generous amounts of sauce and whipped cream.
2nd Place
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| Second place winner, Betsy Podriznik |
Hot & Sweet Cheeseberry Dip
Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup dried strawberries, chopped
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
4 eggs, separated
4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 jar reduced sugar strawberry preserves
Fresh strawberries, sliced, garnish
Butter-flavored graham crackers
Preheat oven to 350F. Use a spray oil to coat the bottom and sides of a ceramic 9-inch pie plate. Pre-cut and chop all ingredients, set aside. Place dried strawberries in a snack size ziplock bag with the tablespoon of powdered sugar. Shake thoroughly to prevent the strawberries from sticking together when added to the other ingredients; set aside. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form; set aside. In a separate small bowl, whip the egg yolks until thoroughly mixed. Slowly fold the egg yolks into the egg whites until well mixed. Add dried strawberries, cheese, pecans, onions and vinegar. Gently and slowly fold into the egg mixture. Pour into the ceramic pie plate and bake for 20-25 minutes. At the end of the 20 minutes, test for doneness by inserting a knife into the ingredients. If it comes out clean, the dip is done; if not, bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Top with strawberry preserves, spreading it evenly over the dip. Add a few sliced, fresh strawberries if available. Spoon onto butter-flavored crackers.
3rd Place • Mango Surprise
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| Third place winner, Patricia Geatens |
Filling
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ginger powder
24 oz. cream cheese
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
24 individual, ready-made graham
cracker crusts
Fruit
2 mangos
3 kiwi
1 cup raspberries
Glaze
1 can (11-12 oz.) mango nectar
1 tbsp. corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup water
Preheat oven to 350F. To prepare filling, sift or stir together sugar and ginger into large mixing bowl. Add cream cheese, eggs and vanilla. Blend with mixer and pour into crusts placed on two large baking sheets. Bake 25-30 minutes until firm and slightly browned. Remove from oven and place on cooling racks. While pies are baking, peel and slice mangos and kiwi into 24 slices each. About 10 minutes before pies are done, place mango nectar, corn syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Dilute cornstarch with water and add to saucepan. Cook on medium to high heat. Stir constantly until glaze is thickened. Place one slice of mango, one slice of kiwi and a few berries on each serving. Pour glaze on top. Can be served warm or chilled.
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Here is a feature article from the Fall, 2007 Issue