Salsa Contest at Stoneham Farmers Market

The Farm Hill Farmers Market is hosting a contest to locate Stoneham’s Best Salsa. In celebration of Farmers Market Week (August 22-28), the contest will be held at the Farmers Market on Tuesday, August 24. A panel of local judges, including me, will sample the salsa and grade each on taste, freshness, texture, and consistency. Prizes will be awarded for Stoneham’s Best Salsa, Stoneham’s Second Best Salsa, and Stoneham’s Third Best Salsa.

“The Farmers Market has undergone some positive changes this year,” said Dennis O’Hara, Market Manager. “We’ve moved to the Stoneham Common, we’ve doubled the number of vendors participating, we’ve added entertainment to further engage the community, and we’ve received outstanding community support. For Farmers Market week, we invite the community to come out, show off their salsa-making skills, and celebrate this wonderful community asset.”

Here are the rules for the Salsa Contest.

1) Entries will be accepted from Stoneham residents, business owners, or business employees.
2) This is an amateur contest. No entries will be accepted from restaurants, employees of restaurants whose main job duty involves preparing food, professional chefs, etc.
3) Salsa must be brought to the Common fresh and in a clean, clear, sealed glass jar. Jars will not be returned.
4) Salsa must be of mild flavoring.
5) Salsa will be rated by a panel of judges selected by Farm Hill Farmers Market. Salsa will be judged on taste, consistency, freshness, appearance, and “tongue appeal.” (I will be one of those judges.)
6) Farm Hill Farmers Market will provide the chips to be used for judging. Three Amigos Mexican Restaurant is providing those chips to the market.
7) The decision of the judges is final. The Farm Hill Farmers Market manager will tabulate the judges’ scores and announce the results. Prizes will be given for Stoneham’s Best Salsa, Stoneham’s 2nd Best Salsa, and Stoneham’s 3rd Best Salsa.
8) While family participation in the contest is encouraged, the entrant must be 18 years of age or older, and that entrant must actively participate in and supervise the making of the salsa.
9) Entries must be brought to the Stoneham Senior Center tent at the Market on the Stoneham Common between 4:30 and 5:00pm on contest day Tuesday, August 24.
10) Each entry must include a printed text recipe of the salsa submitted.
11) Entries must be brought by the entrant him/herself. Entrant must remain at the Market until the announcement of the winners is completed no earlier than 6pm.
12) Entrant agrees that his/her name, likeness, recipe, and Stoneham affiliation can be used by Farm Hill Farmers Market for the purpose of publicizing the contest and the Market.
13) The Market plans to announce the entrants and the winners, as well as the winning recipe(s) on our web site and to local media.

To enter: Send an email to info@farmhillfarmersmarket.org with the following information:
•Your name and age
•Your street name (house number not required) and town of residence
•If not a Stoneham resident, explain your Stoneham eligibility (Stoneham business owner, employee, program participant, etc.)
•Your employer and position

Entry information must be received at info@farmhillfarmersmarket.org by Noon on Monday, August 23.

I hope to see lots of entries for this contest and will see you on August 24!