Contact: Patrick Moore, 320-269-7106

9/30/03
MONTEVIDEO, Minn.--The competition will be as hot as the chili during the 4th Annual Western Minnesota Chili Cook-Off, Saturday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the Main Street of Montevideo. There will be great music, delicious chili and a Harvest Market during the event.

Chili recipes with names like Red Hot Mama, Ahooha Chili and Jack's Past (made with Kentucky's most popular export) are already entered in this regional event, but there's still time to get in the running for a $50 cash prize and the coveted Chili Necklace. Entries must be received by Tuesday, Oct. 7. The enter, stop by the Java River Café on Montevideo's Main Street, or log onto www.javarivercafe.com. There is no registration fee, but contestants must agree to bring 11 quarts of chili to serve at the event

The Western Minnesota Chili Cook-Off has become one of the most popular events of its kind in recent years, attracting contestants and chili tasters from throughout the region. People even drive out from the Twin Cities for this event, said Patrick Moore, owner of Java River.

This year's event will be particularly exciting for music lovers, with J Crew and Matthew Fox putting on live shows, said Moore. The J Crew, a worship Team from Calvary Church in Montevideo, will share a Christian message through upbeat music starting at noon. At 1 p.m., professional bluegrass guitar and mandolin player Matthew Fox will take the stage. Fox, a native Texan who now lives in the Twin Cities, has played with the likes of Johnny Winter, Kentucky Headhunters, Georgia Satellites and Peter Ostroushko.

Besides music and exciting chili, locally produced food will be showcased at this year's event. Farmers from the area will have products available for sale. For more information on obtaining local food (including ingredients for your chili), contact the Montevideo office of the Land Stewardship Project for a free copy of There's No Taste Like Home: A Local Foods Resource Directory. To get the booklet, stop by the LSP office at 103 West Nichols, call 320-269-2105, or e-mail lspwest@landstewardshipproject.org. More information is also available at www.prideoftheprairie.org.

There's No Taste Like Home lists 94 farms in the region that produce food for direct marketing to consumers. It in indexed by farm as well as by product. The booklet also lists retailers--restaurants, grocery stores and caterers--that handle local food. In addition, there is a sustainable food vocabulary guide, a seasonal food guide, a listing of farmers' markets and information on serving local foods at an event.

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