In just a couple weeks (June 15th) the
Kern County Nut Festival takes place. And I'm nervous about it. Oh, not from any real concern about someone questioning my sanity, which the festival is not about, but about the fact that my recipe for pumpkin gnocchi with walnut sauce was selected as a finalist in the nutty foods contest.
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| Pumpkin Gnocchi with Walnut Sauce |
The idea was that you had to use one of the Kern County grown nuts (walnuts, almonds, or pistachios) in a dish. And I used as inspiration some gnocchi I'd bought at Trader Joe's or at least I think I bought them there, and a walnut apple Gorgonzola pizza I had many years ago. Anyway, it turned out
good and I submitted it to the contest. And it was selected as a finalist in the entree category, so I'm going to be getting four tickets to the festival.
But I'm not really too nervous about that. Turning in food to judges isn't that hard. You take it in, hand it over then wander about a bit. No, what has me nervous is on Friday (June 7th) I'm supposed to go to Urner's with the other finalists and be featured on the KBFX morning news program (7-9am). For some reason this has me nervous. Probably since I'm more a sit in the back kind of guy. Oh well, It's almost pumpkin gnocchi making time...
Congrats Mark! I do think turning in the food to the judges would be much easier than appearing on the news show, but you'll do great.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, would this be another dish you could bring to a WOK meeting? I think there's an unspoken rule that if you mention a wonderful food in a blog you have to bring it to a meeting. You do remember that rule, don't you? :)
Hmmm. I think that rule might have been mentioned, or at least thought very loudly. I'm not sure that this gnocchi counts as a snack someone might want after breakfast, but I'll think about bringing some for folks to sample. But probably sometime in the fall.
DeleteLove it, Joan! xoA
DeleteCongrats! What a creative cooking mind you have! I really hope you win. :-)
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteHow excellent, Mark! And, creative. Sounds like your culinary talents will be well known throughout the county. And you will do fine on the show; just think about all those hungry folks lapping up your dish. xoA
ReplyDeleteDidn't know we had a nut festival...yummm! Love nuts! Your dish sounds awesome. As for the tv spot..don't think about it too much. You'll be fine. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think this is the first one. And it doesn't seem to have been well publicized.
DeleteI survived the TV Appearance.
ReplyDelete