Another 4-H Favorite Food Show

After the last post of Greenwood County's 4-H Favorite Food Show, I was visiting with my Wilson County relatives who shared this recipe and photo which was a winner there.
Pizza is a popular summer food and this recipe makes a quick supper, especially if you've prepared and refrigerated the crust ahead of time. Of course, our favorite topping is ground beef, but it could be varied to choose your favorites.

This entry is planned for a summer birthday party. Doesn't she look patriotic?

Brown ‘n Serve Pizza

1 cup warm water (105-115°F)

1 pkg dry yeast

1 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsps. Vegetable oil

1 ½ tsp salt

2 tbsp. water

2 ¾ – 3 ¼ c. all-purpose flour (to increase fiber half the flour can be replaced with whole wheat flour)

Measure warm water into a large warm bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Stir in sugar, oil, salt, and 1 ½ c. of flour; beat until smooth. Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place, free from draft, until double in bulk, about 45 minutes. Punch dough down, divide in half. Roll and stretch each half into a 13-inch round. Place in a 2 ungreased pizza pans, pressing around edge to form a standing rim of dough. Bake at 350°F oven for 10 minutes. When cool, wrap tightly and store in refrigerator up to 6 days. To serve, unwrap and place on ungreased pizza pan. Top with your favorite toppings. Bake at 425°F oven 15-20 minutes.

Sauce

1 (16 oz ) can tomato sauce

½ tsp. oregano

½ tsp. rosemary leaves

¼ tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients and let simmer until the flavors are blended.

Hamburger Pizza

  Brown 1 pound hamburger and add to the sauce. To top the pizza, cover with grated mozzarella cheese, then add sauce.

4-H Favorite Food Show

Each year 4-Her members enrolled in the Foods project in Kansas counties have the opportunity to do more than take an exhibit to the county fair to showcase their skills. The Favorite Food Show has been one of my favorite 4-H events for years. When I worked as County Extension Agent and later as Multi-county foods specialist, I enjoyed seeing what the 4-Hers would bring and how they would decorate their tables. We still have several tablecloths and pieces of centerpieces that my own kids used when they were 4-Hers.
This year, as usual, I judged a contest in another county, then made sure I had time to stop by the Greenwood County Extension office on the day of that contest. It was fun to see the many entries, everything from picnics to formal dinners.
Exhibits are scored on how the exhibitor presents him/herself and the table as well as what they know about preparing the food, nutrition, and food safety. They also plan a menu around the favorite food with ideas of how it would be served. The table is set correctly for that meal with service and dinnerware as well as a centerpiece. The menu and recipe are printed for display also. 4-Hers learn much more than how to set a table and they demonstrate what they've learned as they visit with the judge in consultation judging.

Here's a recipe I can't wait to try from Kinsey, a Greenwood County 4-Her:

Red, White & Blue Three Cheese Whole Wheat Ravioli   

Dough:

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2 cups whole-wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

6 eggs

Red and blue food coloring

Filling:

2 cups part skim ricotta cheese

½ cup parmesan cheese

 ½ cup part skim mozzarella cheese

2 eggs

salt & pepper

Sprinkle of dried basil

Alfredo Sauce:

2 cups heavy cream

 ½ cup unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons Neufchatel cheese

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

salt & pepper

Directions:

Prepare dough in 3 separate batches: measure ⅔ cup whole wheat flour and ⅔ cup all purpose flour, 1 egg and pulse in a food processor, add 1 more egg and pulse again. Once the dough forms a ball, place it on a lightly floured surface. Repeat this procedure twice more, but add blue food coloring to the 2^nd batch when the 2^nd egg is added, and red food coloring to the 3^rd batch when the 2^nd egg is added. Knead each ball 1-2 minutes. Place in a bowl under a damp cloth for 15 minutes. While the dough is resting, prepare the cheese filling. Combine the ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, egg, salt and pepper, and basil. Set aside. Divide the dough in half and rollout each half until paper thin. Use a 3” cutting press to cut out circles. Place a dollop of filling in the center of half of the circles. Place the other half of the circles over the top, stamping out the ravioli and pressing down to seal. Place the ravioli onto a parchment-lined sheet in the freeze for 30 minutes. Once frozen, place ravioli into a ziploc bag and put back in the freezer. Ravioli can be cooked straight from the freezer. Just add ravioli to a pot of boiling water and cook for 3 mintues. Drain and place in serving bowl. For Alfredo sauce, combine heavy cream, butter, and Neufchatel cheese in a saucepan. Simmer this until all is melted and mixed well. Add the parmesan and garlic powder. Simmer this for 15-20 minutes on medium-low heat, just until it thickens enough to coat a spoon. Serve over the ravioli. 

A winning entry!

The best part - eating your entry!