Winners of Michigan Sustainable "Stoup" Competition Announced
Nov 23, 2009
Contact: Jennifer Holton
Phone: 517-241-2485
Email: holtonj@michigan.gov
Grand Ledge -- Today, the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) proudly announced the winners of the inaugural "Michigan Sustainable Stoup Competition," with top honors going to the Walldorff Brew Pub and Bistro of Hastings for its Veggie Mulligatawny.
The statewide cooking competition fundraiser was held in late October at the Red Salamander in Grand Ledge and featured 11 entries. More than 100 people attended the competition to sample the homemade soups and stews as well as a variety of Michigan wines, hard ciders and beers that complemented the food entries.
Proceeds from the competition support the Michigan Envirothon Program, a non profit statewide environmental competition giving high school students outdoor, hands-on experience with nature, agriculture and the ecology surrounding it.
"We are extremely proud of our first effort for this fundraiser," said Ginger Bardenhagen, Michigan Envirothon Board fundraising chair and resource analyst for MDA's Environmental Stewardship Division. "All the stoups were fabulous. The beers, wines and hard ciders added to the festive atmosphere, and the crowd was great. We fully expect an even greater turn-out next year."
Sustainable stoup is a soup or a stew created by individuals or restaurants in which 75 percent of the ingredients' volume is from Michigan. Competition categories included 100 percent local, allergen friendly, organic, youth and vegetarian. The statewide cooking competition was open to individuals and restaurants in Michigan, with a focus on local, sustainably raised foods.
Winners were selected by a panel of guest judges, including: Pam Aughe, RD, recipe editor for edible WOW magazine in Southeast Michigan; Linda Hundt, owner, Sweetie-licious Bakery Café, DeWitt; Martha Ryan, owner, Martha's Leelanau Table, Suttons Bay; and Chef Eric Villegas, cookbook author and host of the Emmy-award winning series, Fork in the Road. Competition attendees selected the People's Choice award winner. The winners in each category were:
Overall winner: Walldorff Brew Pub and Bistro, Hastings, "Veggie Mulligatawny"
100 percent local: Summer Foster, Lansing, "Hold the Cheese Please Potato Soup"
Vegetarian: Walldorff Brew Pub and Bistro, Hastings, "Veggie Mulligatawny"
Organic: Mind, Body and Spirits, Rochester, "Winter White Bean Cassoulet"
Allergen Friendly: Mind, Body and Spirits, Rochester, "Winter White Bean Cassoulet"
Youth: Starr Commonwealth Montcalm School, Albion, "Vegetable Sensation"
People's Choice: DeYoung's Fore Seasons, Hartland, "Sporktacular Chili"
Best Individual: Summer Foster, Lansing, "Hold the Cheese Please Potato Soup"
Best Restaurant: Walldorff Brew Pub and Bistro, Hastings, "Veggie Mulligatawny"
Best Stoup Name: Summer Foster, Hastings, "Hold the Cheese Please Potato Soup"
The Michigan Sustainable Stoup Competition was hosted by Michigan Envirothon and the Select Michigan Program. The C.S. Mott Chair of Sustainable Agriculture at Michigan State University was a Gold Sponsor for the event. Silver Sponsors included Sustainable Michigan Endowed Project, Consumers Energy and The Nowlin Chair of Consumer-Responsive Agriculture at Michigan State University. Bronze Sponsors included the Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council, Michigan Farm Bureau, and Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program.
For more information on the Michigan Envirothon Program and to learn how you can get involved locally, visit: www.michiganenvirothon.org or contact Ginger Bardenhagen at michiganenvirothon@gmail.com.
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