Jeannette Barbieri admits she doesn’t love beets. But that didn’t stop her from winning a Double Gold for her Beet Relish with Horseradish at the 2022 Sonoma County Harvest Fair’s Professional Food Competition late last month.

“They’re not terrible,” Barbieri, owner of Society Bakery & Cafe in Sebastopol, said about the root vegetable. “But they can taste like dirt if you don’t prepare them the right way!”

For her winning Beet Relish, which also garnered the Best in Show Pantry award, she combined shredded beets, apple cider vinegar, fresh horseradish and pepper flakes, then let the flavors meld.

“I came up with the idea when I was looking for an alternative to pickle relish,” she said. “The beet relish is savory with a touch of heat, so it’s delicious on Polish sausages or hot dogs.”

Remarkably, the Beet Relish is just one of Barbieri’s 40 award-winning entries in this year’s competition. She also won ribbons for her baked goods, preserves, sauces and sandwiches, like Pumpkin Maple Cake, Spicy Habanero Peach Jam, Buttermilk Lemon Loaf and Triple Berry Shortcake.

This is Barbieri’s third year entering the competition, and she said it can take up to eight months to develop the right recipes. Last year, she won Best of Show for her Ginger Molasses cookies.

“The other cooks in this competition are so talented and nice,” she said. “There is also a real sense of camaraderie among everyone, which is really cool.”

Bethany Barsman, who won six Best of Show awards in this year’s Professional Cooking Competition, has amassed hundreds of ribbons since she began participating in the event more than 20 years ago.

This year, her Roasted Bodega Bay King Salmon with Forbidden Rice won Best of Show in four categories, including Best of Show Appetizer, Best Use of Seafood, Best Use of Sonoma County Wine and Best Use of Sonoma County Produce.

“We have such beautiful salmon here, and the judges really look favorably at entries made with local ingredients,” said Barsman, who runs OTL Fine Catering in Petaluma. “You also have to be super-creative and make something simple but delicious.”

For the award-winning dish, Barsman marinated the fresh salmon in olive oil before pan-searing it. She then adorned it with a fermented rice sauce and garnished it with finely chopped radish and cucumber. Forbidden rice served as the accompaniment.

“The salmon was absolutely beautiful to look at, and the taste supported the presentation,” said Anne Vercelli, a judge and coordinator of the Harvest Fair’s Professional Food Competition. “Bethany is a consistent award winner. One of the fair’s goals is the support local growers, and she does that every time.”

Barsman also won a Double Gold and Best Use of Pork for her Shredded Asian Pork on a Crispy Wonton with Pickled Watermelon Rind and Soy Ginger Aioli. The Best Use of Beef award went to her Grilled Filet Mignon Skewers with Black Garlic Aioli.

“Sometimes, I have to do some research to see what’s currently popular before deciding what to enter in the competition,” Barsman said. “Trends constantly change, so I’m always trying different things.”

To complement her Asian Pork on a Crispy Wonton, Barsman chose pickled watermelon, which she said is a simple, delicious accompaniment for tacos, grilled cheese and salads. To prepare it, she removes the green outer skin of the watermelon rind, slices it thinly, then lets it marinate in a pickling liquid.

“It’s just great for these hot evenings,” she added.

As for the Professional Food Competition, Barsman said it gives her the opportunity to part of the Sonoma County community and showcase her skills. The biggest challenge comes from remembering to bring the right equipment, cooking utensils and ingredients — even salt and pepper.

“The Harvest Fair also tends to be a very busy time of year with harvest, weddings and catering jobs,” she said. “You’re really pushed for time. But it’s such a great experience, so it’s worth it.”

A self-proclaimed perfectionist, Patricia Rohrer said the most challenging aspect of a cooking competition sometimes comes down to logistics.

“One time, I drove to a competition wearing a snow parka with the AC blasting so my frosting wouldn’t melt,” said Rohrer, owner of Mangia Catering in Santa Rosa.

A seasoned competitor, Rohrer won Best of Show in the Best Use of Fruits or Vegetables category for her Avocado Jicama Salad. To make the Double Gold-winning dish, she combined diced jicama with tomatoes, serrano chile peppers, cilantro, lime juice and cumin before gently folding in ripe Hass avocados.

“This salad is so light, crisp and refreshing,” said Rohrer, who also won Double Gold awards for her Apple Cranberry Pie and Ginger Pecan Scones.

While this is Rohrer’s fourth year competing at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair, she has been a competitive baker for about 20 years. Currently, she’s working on a book about the trials and tribulations of baking competitions, which she expects to finish within the next year.

One of the more creative entries at this year’s competition came from Poncho Vásquez at Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery in Valley Ford.

Awarded Best of Show for Use of Cheese, his Deviled Eggs with Red Kuri Squash, Prosciutto and Estero Gold Cheese was a big winner among the judges.

“The deviled eggs were stunningly beautiful,” judge Vercelli said. “They provided the comfort of a traditional deviled egg but elevated them to a whole new level.”

At Valley Ford Cheese, deviled eggs are a mainstay in the grab-and-go food section, with Vásquez changing the recipe according to the season. In the spring, he’ll highlight pickled spring vegetables, while the summer version might showcase heirloom tomatoes.

But it was his fall recipe that won Double Gold and Best of Show awards. For inspiration, Vásquez headed over to Worker Bee Farm, a local farmstand on Bodega Bay Highway, to see what was in season.

“The farmstand always makes my job easier,” Vásquez said. “They had just picked their first winter squash of the season — a red kuri squash, which is like a cross between kabocha and butternut.”

For the deviled eggs, Vásquez added a layer of roasted kuri squash inside the cavity of the hard-boiled egg white. A whipped combination of the cooked yolks, Valley Ford farmer’s cheese and Estero Gold cheese rested on that. The crown jewel was a red kuri squash relish, with sweet Jimmy Nardello peppers, diced prosciutto, jalapeño peppers and sweet smoked paprika, plus a dusting of fennel pollen.

“My general philosophy is to incorporate cheese into a recipe whenever it makes sense,” Vásquez said. “My aim is to make the cheese the star of the show.”

The Harvest Fair Grand Tasting, which will showcase the winning dishes and winning wines from the separate Professional Wine Competition, will be held 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 15. Tickets are $65 per person, or $105 for a VIP ticket. Get tickets at harvestfair.org/buy-tickets.

The following recipes are from a few of the Best of Show winners in the 2022 Sonoma County Harvest Fair Professional Food Competition.

Patricia Rohrer, a seasoned food competitor and owner of Mangia Catering, won the Best of Show award in the Best Use of Fruits or Vegetables category for this salad.

Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl except avocados. Gently fold in the avocados.

Jeannette Barbieri of Society Bakery & Cafe won Best of Show Pantry for this relish, which she said is great on hot dogs, Polish sausage or chicken.

Scrub beets and trim ends. Place beets in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover the beets. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain the beets, cool, peel and dice.

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If you plan to use the relish immediately, let it cool slightly at room temperature, then place in the refrigerator until chilled.

To preserve the relish, spoon the hot beet mixture into 8 one-pint, hot, sterilized jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles by running a small rubber spatula around the inside of the rim, and wipe off the rims. Place lids on the jars, finger-tighten and place into a canner or a pot with boiling water. Process jars 15 to 20 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

Enjoy this relish with a salty Polish sausage, hot dog or chicken.

At Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery, Poncho Vásquez adapts his deviled eggs recipe to the changing seasons. This version won the Best of Show for Best Use of Cheese at the Harvest Fair.

10 hard boiled eggs, as fresh as possible, halved, yolks removed

¼ cup Valley Ford farmers cheese, plain

¼ cup Valley Ford Estero Gold cheese, shredded

For the red kuri squash relish

½ medium red kuri squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and seeded, trimmings reserved

½ young leek, diced into brunoise, excess trim and green tips reserved

2 Jimmy Nardello peppers, seeded and diced into brunoise

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced into brunoise

1 ½ tablespoons sweet smoked paprika, ground

¾ cup prosciutto, sliced thick and diced into brunoise

Reserved leek and squash trimmings

Green onion, sliced into threads

Fresh fennel fronds and pollen

To prepare the egg filling: Place the yolks, mayonnaise, farmers cheese and Estero Gold into a blender.

Blend on high for roughly 2 minutes, mixing with a 2-ounce ladle until smooth. Scrape down the sides and ladle of the mixer with a rubber spatula and mix again for about 15 seconds. Cool the mixture in a bowl over an ice bath. Season with sherry vinegar and salt and put into a piping bag.

For the red kuri relish: Dice the red kuri squash, reserving the trimmings for the puree. In a saucepan set over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once it shimmers, add the diced red kuri squash, leeks and peppers and saute until the leeks are translucent and the squash is tender. Add the paprika and continue to cook until the paprika is fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Fold in the prosciutto and season with sherry vinegar and salt. Cool in the refrigerator.

For the puree: Place the butter in the saute pan you used for the relish and allow it to melt. Add the reserved leek and squash trimmings and saute on medium heat for 2 minutes. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking until the vegetables are tender. Place in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Cool in a bowl over an ice bath and season with sherry vinegar and salt. Place the cooled puree into a piping bag.

To assemble: Place the halves of the egg whites, open side facing up, on a work surface and pipe a small dollop of the squash puree at the base of the hollow area. Fill the rest of the way with the egg puree and repeat for the rest of the eggs. Put a bit of relish on the broadest surface of the egg and garnish with green onion, fennel fronds and pollen. Place over a bed of breadcrumbs and serve.

For this recipe, which won the Best of Show award for Best Use of Pork, Bethany Barsman of OTL Fine Catering chose pickled watermelon to complement the flavor of the meat. The watermelon is also a refreshing accompaniment to tacos and grilled cheese.

1 pound pork shoulder, cut into 3-inch cubes

12 grams ginger, grated with a microplane or ginger grater

Salt and pepper, to taste

Pickled Watermelon Rind, recipe follows

Black sesame seeds, for topping

Toss the cubed pork shoulder with ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and the granulated garlic. In a pan on the stove, sear until browned on all sides.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, scallions and salt and pepper to make the braising liquid. Put the pork, braising liquid and carrots in a cooking dish with a tight lid or cover with parchment paper and foil. Put in oven, and after 1½ hours, check the liquid level. The meat should be plenty moist but not swimming in the liquid. If it’s too dry, add a little water.

After 2½ hours (from the time you put the pork in the oven), check for doneness by inserting a fork. The meat should no longer be pink and should fall apart. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the liquid. Once it’s cooled, remove the pork and discard carrots. Shred the pork using two forks.

Add some of the braising liquid (and don’t omit the fat) back into the shredded pork to get juicy shredded pork.

To prepare the wontons, cut the prepared wrappers diagonally in half for a triangle shape. Fill a pan 1 inch deep with oil and heat to 325 degrees. Fry the wonton triangles, keeping them from folding together. Don’t put in too many in at a time, to keep them from crowding.

Transfer the fried wontons to a parchment-lined sheet pan and sprinkle with salt. Top each wonton triangle with 1½ tablespoons pork, 2 teaspoons Asian Aioli, 1 tablespoon Pickled Watermelon Rinds and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds.

Mix together all ingredients and heat together in a pan. Allow to cool, then add mayonaise.

2 cups shredded watermelon rinds (from about ½ a large watermelon)

Cut open the watermelon and remove the red fruit, reserving it for another use. With a paring knife or peeler, peel the green skin off the white rind.

Use a mandolin, grater or knife to slice the rind into long, slender strips.

Mix together the water, rice vinegar, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Add the sliced rind and cover. Turn off heat and let cool.

You can reach Staff Writer Sarah Doyle at 707-521-5478 or sarah.doyle@pressdemocrat.com.

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