Sally Sibthorpe knocked herself out for our first We're Cookin' in Michigan Recipe Contest. She created not just one, but two truly unique recipes, chalk full of Michigan ingredients, that captured the interest of our preliminary round judge, Chef Peter Julian of Hiller's Markets. Both recipes qualified her for the finals held during the festival in Northville. The two creations were incredibly diverse, one being her Michigan Smoked Whitefish Pizza, and the other a decadent, grand prize winning dessert: Brown Sugar Buttermilk Pie with Romeo Peach and Raspberry Compote.
Joining Sally for the final presentation on Saturday August 7th, were runners up, Felicia Gull with her Spicy Watermelon Salad and Joy Pendley preparing her Mitten Cherry Paninis. Our host site, Epiphany Kitchens was humming as each of the ladies chopped, mixed, plated, and discussed their various dishes and the stories behind them. As emcee, I was delighted to discover that all were inspired to put new twists on old favorites or create something refreshingly new in order to use more Michigan grown or produced ingredients. That is exactly what we hoped would happen, with these and all the other entries we received.
Michigan is the second most agriculturally diverse state in the nation, as well as a boasting an incredibly robust food product industry. When you browse the winning recipes below, I suspect that you may not just find a new dish to try, but some new products to discover as well.
Our generous judges, chef Matt Prentice of the amazing Matt Prentice Restaurant Group, cookbook author and culinary instructor Dawn Bause, and Hiller's Markets' own chef Peter Julian watched all the action, and then got their chance to taste each creation.
In private deliberations outside, the chefs commented that they were impressed by the creativity, use of Michigan flavors, and beautiful presentations. Runners up, Felicia and Joy each walked away with a $100 gift card to Hiller's and our Grand Prize Winner, Sally Sibthorpe earned $300 total in Hiller's gift cards for her combined 1st and 4th place finishes.
Sally's winning dish, the Brown Sugar Buttermilk Pie, is also slated to be featured as part of their Good Deeds in the Making Program some time in November or December. Through that program, Hiller's donates 100% of the proceeds of sales of designated, prepared items in their stores to benefit local charities. Sally selected Leader Dogs for the Blind as the charity to benefit from sales of her pie. Here are the prize-winning recipes:
GRAND PRIZE: Sally’s Brown Sugar Buttermilk Pie with Romeo Peach and Raspberry Compote
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups Star of the West Pastry Flour
2 tablespoons Pioneer Light Brown Sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold Zingerman’s or Calder’s Dairy butter, cubed
3-4 tablespoons cold water
6 tablespoons melted Zingerman’s or Calder’s Dairy butter
1 1/4 cup Pioneer Light Brown Sugar
3 large room temperature Michigan eggs
3 tablespoons Star of the West pastry flour
2 cups Guernsey Farms Buttermilk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Compote
4 ripe Romeo (or other Michigan) peaches, peeled and sliced
1 pint Michigan-grown raspberries
1/2 cup American Spoon Foods Red Raspberry Preserves
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Crust – Mix together flour, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle with water, and fluff with a fork. Let sit a few minutes for water to absorb. Gather into a ball, and roll out on a floured cloth to a 12 inch circle. Fit into a 9 or 10 inch pie pan. Cover crust with parchment paper and line with pie weights or dried beans. Place on bottom rack of the preheated oven, and bake for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and reserve until needed. Turn down oven temperature to 325 degrees. Filling - In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, egg and flour, then beat in the buttermilk and lemon juice. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake in the center of the oven for 45-55 minutes, until the custard is light golden, or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled. Compote – Pour peaches and raspberries in a medium sized bowl. Place preserves into a microwave safe measuring cup, and process on high until it bubbles, about 1 minute. Pour over the peach mixture, and gently stir. Let sit until ready to serve. Spoon compote over slices of Brown Sugar Buttermilk Pie.
Sally’s Michigan Smoked Whitefish Pizza
Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
1 package Jiffy Pizza Crust Mix
3 tablespoons Elena’s Bread Dipping Olive Oil - Roasted Garlic & Herbs
3 tablespoons Zingerman’s or Calder’s Dairy Butter
1 cup sliced Michigan morel mushrooms
3 stalks Michigan grown fresh asparagus, cut in 1 inch lengths
2 1/2 cups Elk Creek Alpine Swiss Goat Cheese, shredded
1 cup flaked Fresh Lake Whitefish Company smoked whitefish
1/3 cup thinly sliced Michigan grown scallions
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine the Jiffy mix and water in a large bowl, and mix well. Pat dough into a 12 or 14 inch pizza pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Brush crust all over with dipping oil. Place in preheated oven, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool until needed. Leave oven on. In a medium sized skillet, heat oil over medium setting. Add morels, and sauté until they begin to turn golden on the edges, about 4 minutes. Add asparagus and sauté for 2 minutes more. Let cool until needed. Distribute 2 cups of the cheese evenly on top of the crust. Top with whitefish flakes, scallions, and morel mixture. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Place back in oven, and bake for 10-12 more minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and pizza is hot. Serves 4-6.
Joy’s Mitten Cherry Panini
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons, divided Zingerman's Creamery or Calder Dairy Butter
1 small locally grown Onion
1 teaspoon Pioneer or Big Chief Sugar
1 cup pitted and chopped Traverse City Sweet Cherries
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped, fresh locally grown rosemary
8 oz. Zingerman's Creamery or Serra Smoked Mozzarella, sliced
8 slices Avalon Bakery- Farmsworth Family Farm Bread
Instructions:
In a medium skillet, melt 1 Tablespoon butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Stir in sugar, turn heat up to medium, and fry for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove onions from heat. Place cherries, vinegar, rosemary, salt and the onions in a small bowl, stirring until well combined. Put 2 heaping Tablespoons of the cherry mixture onto four of the bread slices, spreading evenly. Divide the mozzarella slices evenly between the four slices, placing it on top of the cherry mixture. Top with the remaining four slices of bread. Butter outsides of bread, on both sides, with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Heat a grill pan or large skillet over medium heat. Place sandwiches in pan, cooking 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.
Felicia’s Spicy Watermelon Salad
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
6 cups seedless watermelon chunks
1/2 medium red onion-diced
1 small jalapeno pepper-seeded and finely minced
3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro-chopped
CHEF'S NOTE: Michigan grown watermelons, onions, peppers and spices can easily be found at farmers markets, roadside stands and stores throughout Michigan.
Instructions:
In small bowl stir together chili powder, salt and red pepper flakes. Set aside. In large bowl combine watermelon, red onion, jalapeno, lime juice and cilantro. Toss lightly with spice mixture. Serve well chilled. Serves 4-6.
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