Three top winners in the Harvest Fair competition share their secrets to success

Like other big winners at the 2021 Sonoma County Harvest Fair Professional Food Competition, chef/owner Jeannette Barbieri of Society Bakery and Cafe in Sebastopol said the contest connects her with the county’s vibrant food community.

“There are so many talented bakers and chefs, and so it’s humbling when you go through this competition,” said Barbieri, who grew up in Sebastopol. “And then you’re like, ‘Holy smokes! I did really well.’”

Barbieri won Best of Show for her Ginger Molasses cookies and took home two Sweepstakes Awards — given to entrants who win the most points overall — in the Desserts category and the Deli/Charcuterie & Pantry category.

Despite her business ramping up this fall, Bethany Barsman of OTL Fine Catering in Petaluma created six appetizers for the competition and took home six major awards, including a Best of Show appetizer for her Smoked Potato with Berbere spices and Romesco Sauce.

“I left the judging feeling great,“ Barsman said. “It is really satisfying, and it feels good to be in the food community with the farmers and the food vendors and the winemakers and wine industry.”

Jennifer Carson of Sonoma Sauces in Santa Rosa took home the Best of Show Deli/Charcuterie & Pantry for her Pineapple-Riesling Sauce, which she makes from the Kendall-Jackson Riesling. She credits the Harvest Fair with giving her the confidence to create her own sauce company.

A few years ago, she entered a Zinfandel Cherry Sauce she developed for a local winery. The following year, she entered that sauce again, along with a new flavor. Both won gold medals. That inspired her to launch a separate sauce company alongside her longtime dessert company, Sonoma Cake Creations.

“The Harvest Fair was what made me realize I could do a truly unique product,” Carson said. “With the sauces, you can make cocktails, put it on yogurt and ice cream or put it in the Crock-Pot with a seared pork tenderloin and let it go.”

Carson now sells her wine-based, whole-fruit sauces in shops all over the North Bay. She also sells them through the trendy online retailer Uncommon Goods in New York.

These three women food entrepreneurs are emblematic of the creative forces driving chefs and product developers across Sonoma County. Here is a closer look at some of their mouthwatering appetizers, condiments and desserts that won top awards at this year’s competition.

Society Bakery and Cafe

Many of Barbieri’s winning dessert and pastry entries this year were gluten-free, including a Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Muffin and a Lemon Buttermilk Loaf, which both won double gold medals.

“Once again, gluten-free made a statement this year,” said Judging Coordinator Anne Vercelli. “The gluten-free products were better than any other previous year, and they got high awards.”

Barbieri entered a total of 26 items in the competition, including pastries, cakes, preserves, jams, sauces and cookies. Most of these are available on a regular basis at her cafe, which she opened in front of Sebastopol’s Antique Society store in 2018.

“This location is really tiny, but it speaks to me because I can do all the stuff I love to do,” she said. “I grew up doing the jamming and the preserves. Instead of pretentious pastries, I make a ton of mixed berry braids, apple turnovers and butterhorns.”

Having previously owned a custom cake business in Santa Rosa, Barbieri thought she would continue baking high-end cakes, but within a few weeks of opening the cafe, she realized people wanted comfort and sustenance, so she pivoted to a light brunch menu and a hearty lunch menu of soup and sandwiches along with classic pastries and muffins.

Barbieri added a line of gluten-free baked goods after she experienced thyroid issues and her doctor recommended switching to a gluten-free diet.

“We spent months perfecting our recipes, and I found a way not to use additives and you can’t really tell (they’re gluten-free),” she said.

It took her almost three years to convince her mother-in-law to share her recipe for her carrot cake. After she did, Barbieri experimented with it and made it gluten-free. The judges this year gave it a double gold medal.

“It’s just delicious, and I think it’s moister than the regular carrot cake,” she said. “It’s very simple. It reminds me of what people would bring for dessert in the South.”

Barbieri is also proud of her line of jams and preserves, including her bestseller, the Mixed Berry Jam, made from five local berry types. She also makes savory preserves that pair well with cheese and charcuterie.

“We make them versatile,” she said. “I did a Tomato Chutney that won double gold, and the Bacon Jam is knock-you-socks-off. The Pomegranate Pepper Sauce is good with vanilla ice cream or as a glaze on chicken.”

But one of her favorites is the Habañero Peach Jam, with a one-two punch of sweet and spicy that elevates the cafe’s Porky Peach Panini, constructed with artisan bread, Brie, apples, bacon and arugula.

For her Best of Show award, Barbieri said she developed her recipe for the Ginger Molasses Cookie after customers asked for gingersnaps. Since she is not a fan of that particular cookie, she dug up a favorite ginger cookie recipe, threw in some black pepper and came up with a winner.

“It’s a thick cookie, a little crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle,” she said. “We use fresh grated ginger.”

Her grandmother used to make a traditional Italian biscotti with almond and anise, so that family favorite also was entered in the competition, along with other classic bites: Cowboy Cookies, Chocolate Chunk and Thumbprint cookies. Then she threw in a pretty little Margarita cookie, with a lime wedge on top.

While her preserves and dressings helped her win the Sweepstakes in the Pantry category, Barbieri’s delectable cookies and pastries gave her the momentum to take home the Sweepstakes in Desserts.

But Barbieri has no time to rest on her laurels. She is busy working on a cookbook that reflects the sweet and savory fare at the cafe.

“We’re going to call it ‘A Dollop, A Dash and a Pinch,’” said the baker who hardly ever measures anything. “The hard part for me is actually writing the recipes down.”

OTL Fine Catering

Barsman, who has worked in a commercial kitchen off American Alley in Petaluma since 1993, swept the coveted Appetizer category this year, getting a double gold on four of the six appetizers she entered, plus five “Best Use Of” awards in addition to the Best of Show Appetizer.

“I feel like we’re just hitting our stride in the last couple of years,” she said of her close-knit team of chefs, servers and staff.

The Best of Show appetizer, built around the small creamer potatoes grown by Green String Farm in Petaluma, also snagged Best Use of Sonoma County products.

The OTL Fine Catering appetizers got the attention of the judges because of their winning blend of creativity and simplicity.

“The potato that won was smoked, then smashed and had a nice spice and a Romesco sauce,” said Appetizer Judge Jeff Young of Twist Catering. “The key is to take three or four ingredients and make them shine.”

OTL Fine Catering won Best of Show Vegetable appetizer for another simple yet creative bite: a room-temperature Eggplant Rotini Stuffed with Homemade Ricotta and topped with a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette.

Barsman sliced, seasoned and grilled the eggplant; put a tablespoon of the ricotta filling inside and rolled them up, then splashed a flavorful vinaigrette over the bite. Her secret weapon? The homemade ricotta.

“I put in a lot of lemon zest and chile flakes, to season the cheese as much as possible,” she said. “And a tiny bit of cream and some cracked pepper.”

Best Use of Lamb went to another of her rolled appetizers: Lamb Lollipops with a mint and basil chimichurri. These lamb tenderloins came boneless, which allowed her to season them lightly, roll them into little cigars and freeze them.

“The trick is that you cook them frozen,” she said. “By the time you brown them, it’s the perfect medium-rare in the center.”

Best Use of Seafood went to an Asian-style bite: Poached Rock Shrimp with Minced Mango, Red Pepper, Avocado and Cilantro, served on ceramic soup spoons.

“We poach them in a court-bouillon (celery, cloves, onion, etc.) for three minutes, then chill them down,” she said. “It’s a bright, lively dish.”

Appetizer Judge Toni Young was impressed by the variety of entries this year, especially Barsman’s Thai Chicken Slider with Tamarind and Cilantro, which won Best Use of Poultry.

“The chicken slider with tamarind was moist and delicious,” she said.

“The tamarind paste gives it a nice flavor,” Barsman said. “What makes them so good is the slaw on top, because we put green and purple cabbage, cilantro, grated lime zest, sesame, soy and honey. And we use the little brioche buns.”

Barsman, who learned her craft while working with well-known chef Lisa Hemenway in the 1980s, also won a double gold in the dessert category for her Vanilla Panna Cotta with Almond Lace Cookie and Fresh Berries.

“It’s a lot this time of year. ... But it’s really satisfying,” Barsman said of the competition. “It’s sort of like exercise. You’re not looking forward to it, and then you do it, and then you feel amazing afterward.”

Sonoma Sauce

Jennifer Carson of Sonoma Sauces, who won Best of Show Deli/Charcuterie & Pantry for her Pineapple-Riesling Sauce, was not surprised the judges gave her the top prize in one of the largest categories, which includes salsa, sauces, preserves, pickles, seasoning spices, salad dressings and all kinds of salads.

“It has this absolutely beautiful, bright taste to it,” she said of the sauce. “Pineapple has a beautiful color, and the riesling makes you feel like you are eating the freshness of the fruit.”

Like many Wine Country cooks and chefs, Carson believes less is more, so she adds no preservatives or extraneous ingredients.

“All my sauces have very little added ingredients, so you get the true flavors,” she said. “They are shelf-stable naturally.”

Carson, who grew up in Forestville, said three of the Sonoma Sauces are sold at Roost General Store in Windsor, The Store Next Door in Santa Rosa and Housley Napa Valley, a store-tasting room in downtown Napa.

She’s working on putting the award-winning Pineapple-Riesling Sauce on the shelves next and then will push out the Peach-Moscato sauce, which won a double gold.

At home, Carson likes to bake with the fruit sauces and put them in frostings for her cakes.

“It’s fun and easy and for any age,” she said. “It’s good on pancakes and waffles, too.”

The following two recipes are from Jeannette Barbieri of Society Bakery and Cafe. This cookie won Best of Show and a double gold.

Ginger Molasses Cookie

Makes about 24 cookies

4 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger

1 tablespoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cloves

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 ½ cups unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup firm packed brown sugar

½ cup molasses

2 eggs

Turbinado or sanding sugar, to garnish

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, spices, baking soda, pepper and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Then beat in the molasses and eggs.

With the mixer on low speed, carefully add the flour mixture about ½ cup at a time. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line three cookie sheets with parchment paper. Use a small ice cream scoop to make dough balls. Sprinkle with turbinado or sanding sugar.

Place the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet, and bake for about 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

This is a casual recipe for a panini using the Society Bakery and Cafe’s Habañero Peach Jam, which won a double gold in the 2021 food competition. Barbieri uses bread from Goguette bakery in Santa Rosa.

Porky Peach Panini

Makes 1 panini

Two slices good quality bread

Olive oil

2 thick slices Brie-style cheese

½ apple, sliced thin

2 slices bacon, cooked

Habañero Peach Jam, for bread

Handful of arugula

Lightly oil two slices of bread

Place the bread oil side down on a cast-iron grill pan. Add two thick slices of Brie to one slice of bread.

Place apple slices on top of Brie. Add two slices of bacon and grill for 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove both pieces of bread from grill and spread Habañero Peach jam on top slice of bread. Add arugula, close and enjoy!

The following recipe is from Bethany Barsman of OTL Fine Catering. It won Best Use of Poultry in the Appetizer category. Tamarind paste is available in the Asian section of regular grocery stores or at Asian markets. She recommends tasting the paste, because some are more sour than sweet, and adjusting according to your preference.

Thai Chicken Sliders

Makes 6 sliders

For patty:

1 pound ground chicken

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

4 green onions, finely chopped

¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 tablespoon sweet chile sauce, preferably Mae Ploy

1 tablespoon fish sauce

Vegetable oil, enough to coat pan

For Sesame Soy Aioli:

2 cups mayonnaise (Best Foods or homemade)

¼ cup sesame oil

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup honey

For slaw:

2 cups Asian coleslaw mix

1 tablespoon lime zest

Salt and pepper, to taste

For bun:

6 miniature brioche slider buns, cut in half

For patty: Mix all ingredients together gently, being careful not to overmix. Heat a saute pan on the stove coated with your choice of oil and bring up to medium heat.

Take a 3-ounce ice cream scoop and scoop chicken mixture into the hot pan, then flatten. Sear for about 3 minutes, until browned. Flip over and brown the other side, about 2 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from pan and let rest.

For Sesame Soy Aioli: Mix together all ingredients and adjust to taste.

For slaw: Mix the Asian coleslaw mix with the lime zest. Add ½ cup of the Sesame Soy Aioli and mix well. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

To assemble: Spread the buns with aioli. Add the chicken patty to the bottom bun and put slaw on top. Secure the top bun with a bamboo pick.

Note: You will have extra aioli. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to a week. It’s great on fish and other seafood!

Staff Writer Diane Peterson can be reached at 707-521-5287 or diane.peterson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @dianepete56