Empire Asparagus Festival 2023 Poetry and Recipe Contest winners
Poetry contest, Audience choice
Sky Vanderberg, age 11
Asparagus on the Bus
Asparagus, Asparagus
Come and eat one of us!
Asparagus, Asparagus
We are good on the bus!
Asparagus, Asparagus
We are even liked by Gus!
Asparagus, Asparagus
Come check out all the fuss!
Poetry contest, Honorable mention
Anne Cibulskis
On Empire Asparagus Fest Day Remembering Heidi
Heidi Skinner, who passed away in December, donned the asparagus stalk for each festival.
How to hold a festival for a vegetable—
Plant crowns,
steam stalks,
have a parade,
and dance.
She wore an asparagus hat.
Hold this vegetable festival every year:
Plant more crowns,
steam more stalks,
run,
parade,
and dance.
She wore an asparagus hat.
Festival … when?
Plant … something,
Eat … something,
Parade,
and dance.
Memories fade,
words fail,
life whirls, slows, ends.
I’ll wear an asparagus hat.
Recipe contest, Public choice winner
Carol Cunningham
Up Your Asparagus Wontons
Filling: 1 lb Asparagus — finely chopped, blanched 2-3 minutes, chilled
8 oz Ricotta cheese
4 oz Parmesan cheese or triple cheese
1 roasted red pepper finely chopped
1 tsp sea salt to taste
Use tiny muffin tins, sprayed with oil
Layer wonton on bottom of pan
Put a dab of filling on
Offset another wonton
Add more filling
Cook at 350 degrees
Recipe Public choice runner-up
Linda Payment
Asparagus Casserole with French Fried Onions
Click here to view the recipe online.
