The potato industry gathered in Las Vegas, NV for their biggest event of the year: Potato Expo 2016. The show featured world class experts in potato production, research and marketing to discover new ideas and share business solutions with growers from across the globe. One of the events at the show was the SPUD NATION THROWDOWN COOK-OFF. A live competition featured the top three finalists of a nationwide recipe contest for food truck chefs.
Spud Nation Throwdown Finalists:
- Heather Banter from Circle City Spuds – Indianapolis, IN
- Daniel McCarthy from Tato Heads – Columbus, OH
- Bridgett Blough from The Organic Gypsy – Kalamazoo, MI
The three finalists competed in an on-stage contest, and were judged on garnish, presentation and complexity of flavor. They made 2,000 samples of each recipe to share with the audience.
The winner and Top Spud that walked away with $5,000 was Bridgett Blough from The Organic Gypsy of Kalamazoo, MI.
She won with her recipe for the green tahini potato soup. I was inspired by a cooking demonstration she did last fall at the Texas Corners Farmers Market, in which she served roasted potatoes with a tahini sauce. She later adapted that recipe into a soup.
Congratulations Bridgett on winning the first Spud Nation Throwdown.
