Steve had 90 minutes to prepare three dishes; in the end, he was done with all three in 60 minutes. (This is one of the things we'll have to look at for next year as we learn from this first-ever event.) The Finger Food category featured canapés of marinated venison backstrap on Townhouse crackers, topped with a variety of cheeses (Cheddar, Pepperjack, Muenster). The venison came from the Cottingham's freezer, of course. The Meat category was blue catfish and snapper grilled over some smoky mesquite. The fish were caught and cleaned by Steve and his dad. The third category was an open category with Mystery Ingredients, which were bacon, cantaloupe, and Greek yogurt. Steve's offering was a vegetable medley of things picked yesterday from his garden.
I made a mess of potato salad and a summer trifle to round out the food, so nobody went hungry. We had three Venturers on hand (Kaila, Cheyanne, and T.C.) to help with arrangements. We took up an offering for the Crew's High Adventure Fund and got $54. Our UMW President, Chris Fisher, was a judge, as was our Boy Scout District Executive, Kevin Trojan.
Kevin thinks he'd like to compete next year. Steve was disappointed that I wasn't competing (I'll have to have somebody else choose the mystery ingredients if I'm to compete). I don't think we'll lack for contestants or diners after word gets around from this year.