Summer Cookoff 2012

Aunt Maddie's visits to the farm in the summer are some of Jake and Sarah's favorite things.  And in recent years, her visits also mean that it is time for the summertime cookoff challenge between Jake and Sarah.  (Okay, we all love to watch Food Network challenges...can you tell?!)

This year, Sarah was paired with Kamie as assitant and she had the first night to offer her meal.  Each kid-chef is judged on creativity, presentation and taste. 

Sarah chose to go with a tropical theme for her meal.  After pouring through Grandma's stack of Food Network magazines, she found a recipe for Pork al pastor tacos (pork carnitas meat served with grilled pineapple chunks and scallions) and a carrot-coconut salad with toasted cumin seeds.  She made a mango juice/sprite punch to drink and decorated the table with a huge hibiscus blossom from one of Grandma's bushes in the yard. 

For dessert, she made Almond Joy cupcakes with a coconut filling and chocolate glaze - delicious!! Her meal was a hit all around!

Jake is our serious cook and he spent lots of time planning his meal, with Aunt Maddie as his assistant.   Next year, we may include a category for effort, since Jake put so much effort into his - even coming up with several of his own recipes. 

Jake went with a summery, fresh theme.  He made roasted chicken with mango/pineapple/peach chutney, roasted lemon potatoes and chilled cucumber soup.  (There was lemon in every dish.)

For dessert, he found a recipe for a berry pudding - more in the tradition of an English bread pudding, then what we would normally think of as pudding.  He prepared this the night before using sandwich bread as a liner in the pan and then layering four kinds of berries with the bread, weighting it in the refrigerator overnight and letting the berries soak into the bread layers.  He made a homemade whipped cream to go with it.

And this year's winner was......SARAH! 

Jake was only a few points behind...mostly because the dessert was not gluten free for me and Georgie and I didn't get to taste it....but his effort was more than commendable.  Both kids were rewarded in different ways for their hard work.  Jake got to go to a movie with Dad alone and Sarah got to go shopping and pick out two dresses to wear!!!  All agree, this is one fun summer tradition!