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 […]
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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, OTL Fine Catering
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.”
Patricia Rohrer, Mangia Catering
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.
