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Dutch oven cook, Chris Gibbons slices a pork roast creation that he prepared in a Dutch oven for
Saturday's Johnny Chester Memorial Cooking Contest.

Tasty Delights Served Up at
Annual Dutch Oven Cooking Contest, Saturday

by: Bobby McDonald

Young Colton Price learned the art of chopping his own wood for
making his Dutch oven dishes, on Saturday.

It was a cloudy and very cool autumn morning, Saturday, as Dutch oven cooks arrived at Heritage Park to begin their tasty delights for this year's annual Johnny Chester Memorial Dutch Oven Cooking Contest. "The fires certainly felt good this morning!" advised a number of the cooks as they warmed hands and prepared cast-iron ovens, as they savored the smell of wood smoke permeating the air!

Cooks mixed and prepared a melee of ingredients as they began favorite recipes to enter in a number of categories in the contest. It seemed that pork was possibly the "meat" of choice, as a number blended special ingredients to make seasoned and stuffed pork loin. And, of course, beans were a favorite side dish, as they seasoned them with plenty of bacon. From Banana Pudding, to Coconut and Pineapple cakes, and some heavenly chocolate creations, the dessert category didn't lack for entries. Special mixtures of "loaded" mashed potatoes, with plenty of toppings, cheeses, and an ample "pat" of butter, were also seen throughout the Heritage Park grounds. And, plenty of sweet potatoes, pecans, and traditional autumn fare made for "mouth-watering" creations.

Enjoy these photos of some of the activities and dishes prepared for the contest, Saturday: