Setting the table with 4-H
Lyon County youth showed their cooking and decorating skills at food revue event
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MARSHALL -- For the general public, the Lyon County Fair is still a few days away. But members of Lyon County 4-H clubs are already taking part in judged events. On Wednesday afternoon, area youth were sharing culinary, baking and even decorating skills with the judges.
"It was a little bit nerve-wracking at first, and a little bit fun," Emmalee Jones said of competing in the cake decorating event.
Jones had brought in a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting she decorated with a pattern of balloons. She talked with a judge about how she frosted the cake, and what she learned along the way. One of the challenging parts, Jones said, was shaping the frosting balloons.
Cake decorating is a new 4-H event at this year's fair, said Sam Jens, Extension educator for 4-H youth development in Lyon County.
"This is something a few counties had been doing," Jens said. Now, the project category is open for 4-H participants statewide.
Annabel Coudron had also brought in a cake to be judged in the decorating event. Hers was shaped like an Easter bunny, and it was covered in a coat of shredded coconut. Cake pop "eggs" surrounded the bunny, along with edible candy grass.
"It probably took three or four hours of just decorating," Coudron said. "This is the first time I used coconut instead of almond bark."
Coudron said it was fun decorating her cake, and also fun to see the ideas other people had.
Jones said she was interested in the cake decorating event because "My mom does a lot of baking, and I wanted to do some of the stuff she does."
Cakes weren't the only projects being judged Wednesday afternoon. Imogen Moriarty was presenting her food revue project. Moriarty put together a table setting for "a fancy brunch," complete with fruit salad and an egg bake she prepared herself.
"I like making new foods, and learning how to make it," Moriarty said.
Moriarty also incorporated another project into her table setting. The centerpiece featured wooden flowers she made, together with some of her favorite greenery.
Jens said a few different 4-H project categories, like the decorating and food revue events, are judged before the start of the Lyon County Fair next week. But there will still be plenty to see during the fair. Jens said Lyon County 4-H had about a 25% increase in membership after the COVID pandemic. About 181 youth are registered for the county showcase this year, he said.