I believe I am a blue ribbon winning pie baker

I believe I am a Blue Ribbon Winner
June 24, 2015


  Five years ago, our small town fair had it first "Cooking Challenge".  The first prize was $25, it was more about the prestige in our town and getting your picture in next years fair book and local newspaper, than actually winning the prize.  The subject was "Rhubarb".  If any of you have ever cooked with rhubarb, you know it is a very temper mental vegetable or some like to call it a fruit.  I decided to make a Strawberry-Rhubarb pie.  I went to an elderly lady across town's house to pick the fresh Rhubarb.  I tried to get the best pieces available.  It had been a really raining spring, much like we've had here in Missouri this year, which makes Rhubarb not want to ripen well.  I went home and carefully cleaned it, diced it, and blanched it adding my "secret" ingredient Strawberry Jell-O.  I made my crust from scratch, rolling with very much attention to detail.  I put the first shell in, then put my filling in. Then I carefully cut out a lattice top.  Baked it golden brown.  It looked like something that should have been on the cover of Rachel Ray's magazine.  Then I decided it needed just a little more "special touch" so I made some homemade vanilla icing and drizzled it over the top making a flowering pattern, it was absolutely beautiful and what I thought a work of art.  I took it down to the fair, registered it in, and got a number I was No. 3.  I waited for the contest to start, anxiously awaiting for the judge to go to my pie.  She felt the crust all around the edges for texture, then cut a slice and put on a small white paper plate.  She took 2 bites, smiled at me, and moved on.  Then after a few more tastings of my competition, she came back to my pie again.  This time she finished the piece.  There was 11 of us waiting patiently to see would win the prize.  She announced second and third place, neither was me.  I had a flutter in my stomach, thinking well either I won or didn't even place.  Finally she said, the winner is the maker of the pie which is titled "Summer Rhubarb Drizzle Pie".  I was so excited, they gave me my check, took my picture for the paper, and pinned it win the First place blue ribbon.  I went on for the next three years, to win first place each year in the Cooking Challenge.  I think some of the fair women was happy to see me move out here.