An Afrikaner Butternut Tart and Mahi-mahi Laulau with Shiitake Risotto are among the gastronomic tours de force that will battle it out during the Great Garlic Cook-Off at the 35th Gilroy Garlic Festival July 27.
Two countries – Canadian Stacey Clayton is making it a truly international affair – and six states will be represented during the Cook-Off, according to the Garlic Festival’s Recipe Committee co-chair Renee Harrigan.
The Cook-Off will begin at 10 a.m. and competitors will have two hours to prepare, plate and serve his or her creation to the judges. One chef, Bryan Moiles, won’t have very far to travel to the competition from his home in Morgan Hill. He’s the only male competing this year in the Cook-Off, and he’s ready to represent.
“There’s a little bit of pride involved,” he laughed.
A self-confessed “grill guy,” Moiles has been working on perfecting his leg of lamb-based ensemble for “about a year.”
For one of the flourishes on his signature dish, Moiles only had to look across the dining table at home.
“The quinoa tabouli is one of my wife’s favorites,” he said.
The eight amateur chefs and their dishes vying for the top prize of $5,000 are:
•Afrikaner Butternut Tart with Pan Roasted Chickpeas and Sweet Chili Drizzle
-Robin Kessler, Sarasota, FL
•Scampi Style Seafood Bisque with Garlic and Herb Breadsticks
-Mary Edwards, Long Beach, CA
•Roasted Garlic Berry Gazpacho with Feta Cheese and Green Peppercorns
-Renata Stanko, Lebanon, OR
•Carnival Style Fish Sticks with Lemony Jalapeno Mayonnaise and Spicy Apple Kohlrabi Slaw
-Karen Harris, Castle Rock, CO
•Mahi-mahi Laulau with Shiitake Risotto, Candied Garlic & Garlic Cream
-Kristine Snyder, Kihei, HI
•West Coast Glazed Wild Salmon, Dungeness Dilled Crab Cakes on top of Wasabi Garlic Mashed Potatoes finished with a Lemon Beurre Blanc Sauce
-Stacey Clayton, Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada
•Chardonnay, Dijon, Garlic and Herb Basted Rotisserie Leg of Lamb served with Roasted Garlic Tapenade and Quinoa Tabouli
-Bryan Moiles, Morgan Hill, CA
•Monviso & Espresso Rubbed Steaks with Maitre d’hotel Butter and Smoky Tarragon & Garlic-Braised Pearl Onions
-Mary Shivers, Ada, OK
The 2013 Gilroy Garlic Festival – presented by Raley’s, Bel Air and Nob Hill Foods – will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 26-28 at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy. Admission is $17 for adults, $8 for seniors ages 60 or older and children ages 6-12. Children under the age of six will be admitted free. Parking is free.
For more information on the Gilroy Garlic Festival call the Festival office at (408) 842-1625.
