(L to R): Pam Bishop, Overall Recipe Contest winner; Denise Parson, volunteer; Sabrina Toole, Contest Coordinator; and Connie Toole, volunteer
A first-time entrant into the Vidalia Onion Recipe Contest Saturday earned the top prize overall for her dish she submitted in the miscellaneous category.
Pam Bishop says why she decided to enter this year’s event that was held in The Dahlia Event Center to a record-breaking number of folks who wanted to sample dishes all made with those sweet Vidalias.
“I just love to cook, and I enjoyed doing this contest,” she said, “so I decided to enter this year.”
Bishop says nothing compares to a Vidalia onion in cooking.
“Vidalia onions are sweet; they don’t burn you when you eat them; and they are just good to use,” Bishop said. “As a matter of fact, when they come into season I usually just go ahead and buy a 50-pound bag of them.”
And she vows to be back again!
“Yes I am!” she declared. “I’ll be back with more original dishes using Vidalia onions!”
Other winners from Saturday’s Vidalia Onion Recipe Contest were 3rd place winners Pam Bishop, Appetizer category, Vidalia Onion & Artichoke Dip; Kate Denmark, Side Dish category, Vidalia Onion Cornbread Salad; and Elaine Allen, 1st place, Miscellaneous category, Vidalia Onion Spread with Raspberry Topping.
Second place winners were Cindy Reddish, Appetizers, Vidalia Onion Bombs; Janice Graham, Onion Squares, Side Dish; and Amber Botelho, Miscellaneous, Vidalia Sweet Onion Jelly.
First place winners were Elaine Allen, Appetizer category, Smoked Vidalia Onion Dip; JaLayne Coleman, Stuffed Vidalia Onions; and Pam Bishop, Miscellaneous, Sweet Vidalia Onion Chicken Salad.”
The Vidalia Onion Recipe Contest was coordinated by Sabrina Toole with a multitude of volunteers, statisticians, and judges. A total of 28 cooks entered this year’s event.