Courtesy photo.
OXNARD — Twelve food judges sampled 23 amateur salsa recipes and selected their favorites in the Oxnard Salsa Festival’s Amateur Salsa Recipe Contest. Judging took place at the festival on July 28.
Here are the winners:
- Toni Becerra, Red Bluff – Best Hot
- Michael Rodriguez, Oxnard – Best Medium
- Maggie Livingston, Houston, Texas – Best Mild
- Michael Rodriguez, Oxnard – Best Red
- Sandra Haig, San Jacintro – Best Green
- Karen Silver, Chatsworth – Best Specialty Fruit
The Judge’s Choice Award (best of all entries) went to first time contestant Sandra Haig for her green salsa. “Everything is all about flavor for me,” says Haig. “The recipe has gotten better over time.”
Haig used four different kinds of chili peppers from her garden as well as her homegrown tomatillos and tomatoes in her recipe. Her son Cody, who lives in Ventura County, encouraged her to enter. She earned $100 and yearlong bragging rights for making the best Oxnard Salsa Festival amateur salsa.
To learn about entering recipes for future festivals, go to https://oxnardsalsafestival.com/salsa-recipe-contest