Savannah Ranson of Raleigh placed first in the Carnitas Street Taco Challenge presented by Smithfield Foods. Her Blue Corn Carnitas Street Tacos won her the blue ribbon and a prize of $500.Chelsie Rose Troxel of Angier won the second-place price and $300 with her Sweet Carnita Tacos. Aisha Barnes of Wake Forest won third place with her Carnitas Recipe, and was also the winner of $200.The winning recipe follows:Blue Corn Carnitas Street TacosIngredients:Carnitas:
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Registered Dietitian Sarah Hester of Knightdale took home the blue ribbon and a $500 prize in the MREs in ’23: Make-Ahead Lunch Challenge presented by Wegmans with a recipe for sweet potato beef taco skillet.Amy Zimmerman of Raleigh took second place and won $300 for her chicken and rice bowl.Aaminah Hasan of Durham took third place and won $200 for her Mason jar miso soup.The winning recipe follows:Sweet potato beef taco skillet Makes 2-4 servings Ingredients:
Taylor Weber of Raleigh placed first in the Cast Iron Chicken Pot Pie Challenge with her Spicy Green Chili and Sweet Corn Skillet Chicken Pot Pie. This was her first win at the Home Chef Challenge, and she took home $500 as a reward.Bob Brescia of Cary won the second-place price and $300 with South of the Border ChickenSkillet Pie. Third place and $200 went to Julie Truelove of Raleigh with her ThanksgivingChicken Potpie.The winning recipe follows:FillingIngredients:
Habeebah Hasan of Durham placed first and won $500 in the N.C. State Fair LusciousLayer Cake Home Chef Challenge with her strawberry lemonade-inspired triple layer cake. This was Hasan’s first time competing in the cooking challenges at the fair. She is also a preschool teacher for Bright Horizons.Second place and a $300 prize went to Somie Baxley of Raleigh for her Midnight Hazelnut Dream Cake. Third place and $200 went to Heidi Lin of New Hill for her Dark Chocolate Bourbon SaltedCaramel Espresso Layer Cake.
Shenita Arvia Pelham of Raleigh earned the top spot and $500 in prize money in the State Fair’s “Down Home Dessert: Banana Pudding Challenge” presented by Ambetter Health of North Carolina. Pelham, a native of Biscoe, served up her “Boozie Banana Pudding Cheesecake” for the win.Julia Truelove of Raleigh placed second, earning $300 for her “Taste of New Orleans Banana Pudding.” Third place and $200 went to Aasiyah Maryam of Durham for her “Classic Banana Pudding with Banana Infused Praline Ice Cream.”The winning recipe follows:
Domino Ireland of Raleigh placed first in Boozy Bites: Appetizers with SPIRIT! Challenge with his Spicy Sabrosa Shrimp Ceviche with Tequila Blanco by Weldon Mills. He took home $500 for his creation.Savannah Ranson of Raleigh won the second-place price and $300 with her DrunkenLemongrass Chicken Wings with Thai Tea-ni Sauce. Third place went to Haylley Johnson from Chapel Hill with her Bourbon Brie Bananza.The winning recipe follows:Ingredients:
Karen Allen of Holly Springs placed first and took home the $500 prize with her Bella’s Bark Boardcharcuterie board in today’s Bella’s Birthday Bash Challenge at the N.C. State Fair.Second place and a $300 prize went to Gail Fuller of Raleigh for her Mini Dog Birthday Cake. Third place and $200 went to Julie Cook of Raleigh for her Howling Harvest Cake.The winning recipe follows:Contents of Bark Board
John Tyler Moore of Durham placed first and took home the $500 prize with his Carolina Catfish Sliders in Primetime with the Pack Slam Dunk Sliders Home Chef Challenge at the N.C. State Fair. Moore is a nurse at the Campus Health Center at N.C. State University.Second place and a $300 prize went to Domino Ireland of Raleigh for his Pimento Sloppy Slams Don’t Slip Sliders with three dunks. Third place and $200 went to Savannah Ranson of Raleigh for her Chicken Banh Mi Sliders.The winning recipe follows:IngredientsCatfish
A North Carolina State Fair record was set and the largest watermelon grown anywhere in the world this year were crowned champions in the specially sanctioned giant pumpkin and watermelon contests on Tuesday. This contest, hosted by The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, is open to competitors from other states. There is a separate contest for the largest North Carolina pumpkins and watermelons, and growers from North Carolina can enter both contests. Fairgoers can see and photograph these giant beauties in the Agri Supply Expo Center at the N.C. State Fair, Oct. 12-22.
County governments and conservation nonprofit groups may apply for grant funding from the N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund for farmland preservation projects. Applicants have until Dec. 18 to apply.“Investments in farmland preservation are more important than ever,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “In the face of population growth and development pressure, these grants are critical in preserving North Carolina’s agricultural economy and ensuring food security for future generations.”