Gravette team wins fourth annual Dutch oven cookoff

GRAVETTE -- A local team (Corey and Donna Taylor, Jammie Welkley and John Welkley of Gravette) was the first place overall winner and won $150 in the fourth annual Gravette Day Dutch-oven cook off. The team, which took the name Easy Pickins, also won second place in breads with its cheesy, pull-apart garlic bread, second place in showmanship, third place in main dish with Corey's Dutch-oven lasagna and third place in desserts with its caramel apple cinnamon buns. The team members even brought along their dog, Dax, who circulated among the booth's visitors and thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Barnyard Cooks (Reba Moore and Dyanna Moyer of Lincoln) were second place overall winners in the competition and won $100. The team also won the people's choice award and won first place in the breads division with its monkey bread, second place in the main dish division with its country style sweet n' sour chicken and second place in desserts with its old fashioned peach cobbler.

Backwoods Bakers (Barbara Lewis, Randall Lewis and Nancy Kirkner of Fayetteville) took third place overall and was awarded $75. The team also won first place in the main dish division with its mango chipotle pig in a blanket, first place in the dessert division with its smoky bourbon butter pecan cake and third place in the breads division with its Dutch-oven cinnamon rolls.

Swifty Creek Cookers (Scott McKay and Curtis Feather from Sarcoxie, Mo.) won first place in the showmanship division and A Team Divided (a Gravette team composed of Jim Bob Britton, Fred Overstreet and Mary Snook) won third place in the showmanship division.

A total of seven teams were entered in the competition this year. The other two entries were the teams of Pot Rasslers, a brother and sister team composed of Jane and Jesse Beeks of Farmington, and Steele Dutchin, Bob and Suzy Steele, also of Farmington.

Many Gravette Day visitors bought tasting bowls and sampled each team's entries and most teams ran out of food very quickly. Drawings were held for several nice prizes donated by cook-off sponsors, including cast-iron cookware, coolers, camping equipment, a fishing rod and BB gun, candles, T-shirts and gift certificates.

The museum was open all day and many visitors toured the Kindley home and annex. Asa Hutchinson, governor of Arkansas, was one of the "kids from Gravette" returning to town for the day and he was spotted touring the museum. Popcorn and drinks were sold on the museum grounds, and cookies baked at the Billy V. Hall Senior Activity Center were sold on the front porch. The Old Town String Band provided musical entertainment during the afternoon.