Area chefs share winning recipes to help the medically underserved
More soup for you
Bluffton's Tanger Outlets General Manager Beth Hilton presents the best soup award Executive Chef Jon Cowan, right, and Executive Sous Chef Doug Miller of the Plantation Club at the Landings, Skidaway Island, Ga., for their Shrimp and Oyster Bisque. Cowan's Lobster Pumpkin & Corn Bisque won first place honors in last year's competition.
Photo by Sue Ade/Morris News Ser
The annual Low Country Soup Challenge is one of several events that raise funds for the clinic.
Top chefs in the area compete for first, second and third place honors in the Soup Challenge. In addition, a people's choice award is awarded for the crowd favorite.
On Sunday, I had the privilege of once again serving as one of the judges for the fundraiser this year, along with wine consultant Celia Strong and Ron Andrews, American Culinary Federation-certified executive chef at Brays Island Plantation in Sheldon, S.C.
As the tasting and judging progressed through 13 soup entries, we were reminded, spoonful by spoonful, that soups sometimes don't taste as good as they look, and great-tasting soups don't possess enough flavor to overcome a dull and uninteresting presentation.
In a blind taste test, the soups earned points based on presentation, composition, correct preparation and serving. As the points began to stack up one way or the other, the winning soups rose, like cream, to the top.
Through the help of the Volunteers in Medicine Institute, 29 Volunteers in Medicine clinics operate in the United States and many more are in the planning stages.
Before attempting to prepare any of these recipes, be sure to read it in its entirety. In some cases, the recipe may need to be adjusted or scaled down for application in the home kitchen.