In a well-attended kickoff event for Greenville’s 150th anniversary, home cooks put their best recipes to the test in a taste-test community supper March 12.
Some residents just brought a dish to share, but some selected their best savory or dessert to submit for competition against their neighbors. Caitlyn Watson, Darcy Coleman and Penny Rassier were selected as the winners of the best dishes of the night.
Coleman was recognized for best dessert for her banana split cake. Coleman, who currently lives in Ashby, lived in Greenville for 10 years before moving away in 2015, but came back to celebrate the community dinner. Her submitted dish is a recipe she received 27 years ago, while acting as a home care provider for an elderly woman in Dracut, Mass. The woman, Lillian LePine, was once an avid cook, and often asked Coleman to make her favorites. Two of Coleman’s family favorites, potato candy and the banana split cake, came from her kitchen.
“This one is special because it’s something I made often when my kids were small. It was a very well-requested recipe. The first time I tried to do it, it was a hit,” Coleman said.
Watson and Rassier were both recognized for their savory dishes. Watson’s contribution was a taco salad, from a recipe that originated with her grandmother and was taught to her by her mother. She said the salad is a family staple at barbecues and parties. Rassier’s chowder dish was also recognized, but she declined to share the recipe, saying it is a closely guarded family secret.
In a medium bowl, mix together one stick of butter, melted; and two cups graham cracker crumbs. Press the mixture into a 13- by 9-inch banking pan and cover with Saran wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Meanwhile, drain one large can of crushed pineapples. Reserve the juice for later use. In a large bowl, combine two sticks butter, softened; two cups confectioners’ sugar; two eggs; and one teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until creamy and firm and spread over the graham cracker mixture.
Layer the following ingredients in the pan: three large bananas, dipped in reserved pineapple juice; one large can drained pineapples; one 16 ounce container of Cool Whip, spread evenly over the fruit.
Gently use dental floss to create lines, and use one small package of blueberries to create a blue square in the top left corner. Use one large jar of drained maraschino cherries to make red stripes to create an American flag, or cover Cool Whip layer with cherries and top with chopped nuts. Cover and refrigerate for at least eight hours.
Ingredients: one pack cherry tomatoes, two heads of lettuce, one red onion, two cucumbers, one can sliced black olives, 2 pounds scrambled hamburger, two packs taco seasoning, two tablespoons Adobo seasoning, two 8-ounce blocks of white sharp cheddar, one bag tortilla chips, one tablespoon olive oil and two 16-fluid ounce bottles of Catalina salad dressing.
Heat olive oil in pan on stove on medium/high heat. Add the hamburger, taco seasoning and Adobo to the pan. Cook until done. Drain excess oil from the pan. Put hamburger in separate bowl. Add crushed tortilla chips and mix. Let sit while chopping vegetables. Rinse all produce. Cut cucumbers, halve cherry tomatoes, cube cheese, chop red onion and lettuce. Open black olives and drain. Add chopped ingredients, sliced olives and Catalina salad dressing to the bowl of hamburger and chips. Toss and enjoy.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertran script.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.