A Surrey home chef’s blend of bananas, goat cheese, prosciutto, frozen mini tart shells and allspice has earned him a prize in the 2020 Farmers’ Almanac Banana Recipe Contest.
Satwinder Chahal earned third prize and $100 in the latest contest organized by editors of the venerable publication.
His “Maaaa-Nana Mini Tarts” stood out among the 150 recipe submissions, “wowing the foodie judges who taste-tested the final 10 recipes, both sweet and savory,” according to a press release sent by the Maine-based almanac.
Chahal’s recipe, along with the contest-winning “Banana Coconut Tres Leches Cheesecake” and second-place “Bananas Foster Dessert Burritos,” are published in the 2021 edition of the Farmer’s Almanac, and also online at farmersalmanac.com/banana-recipes.
“Each year we choose a new ingredient for the recipe contest,” managing editor Sandi Duncan noted. “I was worried that picking bananas for the contest would result in tons of banana bread recipes. I was so very pleasantly surprised when that was not the case, and that Mr. Chahal used bananas in such a unique and savory dish.”
The annual contest sees The Farmers’ Almanac reveal its new “secret” ingredient in each new edition. Some past contests included recipes highlighting quinoa, garlic, lemon and, in the latest, sweet potato. All home cooks who want to participate have until Feb. 14, 2021, to submit their favourites, which can be entered online at farmersalmanac.com/recipe-contest or by regular mail sent to Farmers’ Almanac Recipe Contest, PO BOX 1609, Lewiston, ME, 04241.
Satwinder Chahal’s Maaaa-Nana Mini Tarts
Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas
1.75 ounces (50 grams) goat cheese
4 slices prosciutto
18 frozen mini tart shells
½ teaspoon allspice
Directions:
Preheat oven 375ºF. Allow mini tarts shells to thaw while oven heats up.
In a microwaveable bowl, place banana, goat cheese, and allspice. Microwave for 25 seconds. Mix all ingredients with fork until a smooth consistency. Set aside.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place prosciutto directly on it. Place mini tart shells on a separate baking sheet. Bake prosciutto and mini tart shells for 10 minutes in the middle of oven. Allow prosciutto to cool while you fill cooked tart shells to the top with banana goat cheese mixture.
Roughly chop the prosciutto into small bits and liberally sprinkle over the top of the filled tarts. Broil the tarts on high for 1 minute. Turn off oven and leave tarts in oven for another minute. Cool and serve. Makes 18 tarts.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram and follow Tom on Twitter