Granville Island Pie Contest!

Today was the first annual Granville Island Pie contest, and if you have seen my post for Cranberry Pear Apple Pie with Parmesan Crust you will probably be all caught up on how I made a test pie a few days before, ran around everywhere looking for fresh cranberries, and discovered and tweaked a recipe for Vodka Pie Dough. Well? All my hard work paid off! I won 1st place at the Farmer’s market today, and it was quite the race!

First off, I didn’t think I would make it there on time (oh everyone in architecture runs everything to the last second) because I put the pie in the oven at 9:20am and I had to catch the 10:30 bus! (I might have pressed the snooze button a couple times) I live in the northern suburbs of Vancouver and it takes a good hour to get to the market. Thankfully, luck and the convection oven was on my side because I was able to pull the pie out of the oven at 10:15 and with 5 minutes to spare, snapped a few pictures, put it in a basket and tote bag and off I went. I briskly walked to the bus stop, managed to catch the bus and there I sat, with a steaming hot pie right out of the oven as my fellow passengers wondered where the smell was coming from.

   

After waiting for the bus, sitting with it beside me for safety, I made it to my connection point where I had to catch another bus. I had just missed the bus and got on a different one, when lo and behold, my best friend’s parents were on the bus with me! It’s been quite a while since I saw them so it was a very pleasant surprise! I made it to the farmer’s market with 5 minutes to spare to 12 noon and I successfully submitted the pie on time!

There were 10 pies entered into the contest in total, and it was tough. There was a pumpkin chiffon pie, a caramel apple pie, lemon and buttermilk, apple rhubarb, and a few other really creative ones. How was I to compete?

Oh the suspense! The judges went from one end of the table to the other (mine was last) and they tasted the pies one at a time, carried around a clipboard to record scores and oh man was it nerve racking. I strained to hear their conversation and questioned myself when I heard them exclaim, “mmmm”s or “ooo that one’s good” at so many of the different pies!

I was happy there were so many participants and a lot of people that came down to witness it. It was a beautiful, crisp, sunny day at Granville Island, a perfect day to host the first ever pie contest at Granville Island.

The trophies and goodie bags to be won.

Chef Ann’s tasting my pie! I faintly hear, oh this one is verrrrrry good from her and oh I get excited! She has a stand at the farmer’s market called Cranberry & Onion, and I guess I picked the right ingredient to put in my pie as she likes cranberries!

My mom came out from work for moral support.

Counting up the scores!

People are all milling about waiting to hear the results!

My pie tied for 1st place with the Pumpkin Chiffon Pie!!!

The coordinators were nice enough to save me some. I hadn’t even tasted my final pie yet! So all this effort and what did I get in my loot bag??? Oh man, I think I’ll do this again next year! I got so much stuff!

I got 2 cookbooks, a set of hand painted cards, an locally grown artichoke, local celery from the farmer’s market, a pot of Nicola Valley Gourmet Honey in a beautiful handmade clay pot, balsamic jelly, A potted Winter Pansy, A Terra Breads gift certificate for 25 dollars, Terra Bread’s Pecan Fruit Crisps, and 2 tote bags! Not to mention my lovely trophy and ribbon.

  

 

How fitting! A cranberry inspired tote bag! Thank you Granville Island for putting on a great pie contest! Now, what will I bake next year?