Inaugural Apple Pie Bake-off at Mt. Kisco Farmers Seeking More Entrants
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If you think you can bake a delicious apple pie you may want to consider registering for this Sunday’s inaugural Apple Pie Bake-off at the Mount Kisco Farmers Market.
The market is inviting members of the public to enter its first-ever apple pie contest during the regularly scheduled market at the South Moger Avenue municipal lot. Judging is scheduled to begin sharply at noon.
For those who are fans of The Food Network, acclaimed pastry chef Luke Deardurff will be hosting the event on behalf of the market, said Nicole Sturomksi, executive director and founder of WMN Unite, which helped establish the current incarnation of the farmers market in 2021.
In May, Deardurff won the most recent season of the Food Network’s “Spring Baking Championships.” With his professional history of loving to create special and delicious desserts, it seemed to be a natural fit.
“We have a good connection with Luke and he was a big supporter of the Bedford-Mount Kisco area,” Sturomsi said. “So he wanted to bring these two things together and host a bake-off at the Mount Kisco Farmers Market.
As of the end of last week there were eight contestant slots still open for the bake-off. Sturomski said anyone interested should e-mail the market at info@mkfarmersmarket.com to register for the competition.
Then, once registered, contestants can come with their apple pie to the market a little bit before noon this Sunday, Sept. 17.
Sturomski said specific criteria has been established for the competitors. Deardurff’s bringing a special guest panel of judges that will evaluate the pies on flavor, filling and overall appearance and impressions. The filling will be judged on texture and mouth-feel while texture and flavor will help the judges grade the crust, Sturomski said.
Appearance will also be important both before and after each pie is cut, she said.
Then there is a category that Sturomski called the Wow Factor, where the judges will be looking for difficulty, creativity and uniqueness on the part of the contestants.
Registrants can come from any town and can be of any age.
Getting Deardurff to oversee the contest is a real coup for the three-year-old market.
“It’s an honor to have him,” Sturomski said.
Deardurff moved to New York in 2005, and over the past decade has been leading the pastry initiatives at Aretsky’s Patroon in Manhattan and The Barn at The Bedford Post Inn. His creativity has landed him in the Michelin Guide and he’s been features in Forbes Magazine before he won Season 9 of the “Spring Baking Championship.”
Sturomski said she is hopeful that the Apple Pie Bake-off will be an annual event.
The Mount Kisco Farmers Market, which opened for the season in May, operates every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Oct. 29. The South Moger parking lot is located near the Mount Kisco Metro-North station.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
