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State Fair of Texas®
Just Days Away!


 

The State Fair of Texas brings visitors from all over the world to sample the sights, sounds and unusual fried foods of Texas. This year’s fair runs from Sept. 25 to Oct. 18. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) sets up shop inside the Food and Fiber Pavilion, presented by Southwest Dairy Farmers, each year at the State Fair. Inside the Pavilion, visitors will learn how agriculture impacts their daily lives. Plus, within the 25,000 square foot Pavilion, you’ll find the GO TEXAN Pioneer Brand General Store — it’s the largest collection of Texas products under one roof.
 
Visit TDA at the State Fair to sample a wide variety of GO TEXAN food products, as well as shop for great gift items made right here in the Lone Star State. Hungry fairgoers will enjoy free ice cream cones from Southwest Dairy Farmers all day long. There's also live music, exhibits and demonstrations taking place in the Pavilion daily.

One of the most talked-about features of the State Fair every year is the creative food and beverages available. The finalists for the Big Tex Choice Awards this year sound as interesting as ever. They include: Deep Fried Alligator’s Egg Nest, Fernie’s Holy Moly Carrot Cake Roly, Chicken Fried Lobster with Champagne Gravy, Cowboy Corn Crunch, Fried Beer-Battered Buffalo, Lone Star Pork Handle, Pretzel-Crusted Pollo Queso and Smoky Bacon Margarita.
 
For more information on GO TEXAN and the State Fair, click here. For other fair activities, visit BigTex.com.

 

 

 

 

 

GO TEXAN Members Take Top Spots in H-E-B Quest For Texas Best

 

 

Want to find the best in Texas? Look no further than our GO TEXAN members. For the second year in a row, GO TEXAN members have finished in three of the top spots in H-E-B’s statewide Primo Picks Quest for Texas Best contest. A GO TEXAN member has also taken home the top spot, claiming the title of Grand Champion, both years.

The Quest for Texas Best submissions came from 74 towns across the state. There was a delicious mix of jams, jellies, spices and meats. Entries spanned categories including beer, butter, cookies and milk, muffins, pastries, pickles, sauces and teas. The top 25 finalists were invited to compete in the finale and four winners were selected and named "Texas Best."

The winners were:

 

  • TEO Gelato (Grand Champion winner and GO TEXAN member from Austin),
  • Slaton Bakery (First Place winner and GO TEXAN member from Slaton, Texas, located in the Panhandle),
  • Blackbird Foods (Second Place winner from Houston) and
  • Blackbird Bakery (Third Place winner and GO TEXAN member from Austin).


TEO Gelato joined GO TEXAN last year, while TDA was helping them source Texas pecans for the World Gelato Championship. Owner Matthew Lee was born in Texas and trained in Italy. He has obviously mastered the craft of gelato and is ready to share his obsession. Each creamy creation starts with local, market fresh ingredients and a base from scratch. TEO Gelato's signature flavors include Texas Pecan and Whiskey, Peanut Butter and Nutella, Poteet Strawberry and Texas Hill Country Peach.

Slaton Bakery has been delivering sweet treats to West Texas for more than 90 years, but Chad and Bryce Wilson agreed that it was time to expand by offering all Texans a taste of their most popular and famous homemade vanilla wafers. Bakery customers suggest pairing the sweet vanilla wafers with banana pudding.

Blackbird Foods' pies are as diverse as Texas. Whether you’re looking for small, fried Cajun pies to meal size pies to hand pies, they have it all. Customer favorites include the chicken tikka masala pie and breakfast-friendly pork sausage rolls. Baker Angela Rowley is cooking up pies inspired by local ingredients and the diverse food cultures of Texas. She prides herself on making every pie from scratch.

When life gave her lemons, Blackbird Bakery owner Karen Morgan made gluten-free lemon meringue pie. After mastering the craft of gluten-free baking, Karen decided to share her creation with her fellow Texans. Her flour line currently consists of six blends from donut and fritter to bread and pizza to cookie jar. It is Karen's dream to share her Blackbird Bakery flour blend with anyone who loves to bake and cook.

Be sure to look for these products, as well as those of the other Quest for Texas Best finalists, on
H-E-B store shelves soon.



 

 

 

Texas Vineyards Experience Bumper Crop, Leading up to Texas Wine Month in October

 

 

Texas has much to be proud of when it comes to the state’s growing wine industry.
 
The number of wineries in the Lone Star State has grown from 85 in 2005 to more than 350 in just 10 years. This is big business that brings in more than $1.8 billion to the Texas economy annually. Texas wines are now regular recipients of top awards at international wine competitions throughout the world. According to Orbitz Travel, the Texas Hill Country is the second most visited wine region in the United States, coming in only behind Napa Valley.
 
All of these factors are combining to boost an already growing industry, and that is just the beginning of the good news. With a record rainfall this past spring followed by the typical summer Texas heat, local vineyards are experiencing a bumper crop for this year’s harvests.
 
“Too much rain in the vineyard can cause a lot of problems,” said Jay Knepp, vineyards operations manager at Salt Lick Cellars. “We had a nice wet spring, and the rain turned off at the perfect time.”

This allowed the grapes to ripen at the optimal rate, according to Knepp.
 
“We've increased the size of the winery by about 40,000 gallons this year,” said Paul Bonarrigo, CEO at
Messina Hof Winery and Resort. “The crop that we're going to be bringing in is about three times larger this year than it was last year.”

A July article from the Huffington Post touted Texas as the “new Napa,” and in a recent article in Wine Enthusiast magazine, the Texas Hill Country was listed as one of the top ten wine tourist destinations in the world. While these accolades are impressive, Bonarrigo notes Texas has even more to offer.

“Even in those really prestigious wine areas,” Bonarrigo said, “a lot of times you don't really run into a lot of hospitality. In Texas, we're all about hospitality, so whenever people come to the winery to visit, they get a whole other type of experience.”
 
“Texas wineries are a special part of the Lone Star State, and they are the perfect blend of agriculture and tourism,” said Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. “More 1.5 million tourists flock to the more than 350 wineries across the state each year. Head over to
gotexan.org to find a wine trail near you and get ready to taste your way across Texas.”

 

 

 

 

 

The State Fish of Texas: Guadalupe Bass

 

 

The Guadalupe Bass (Micropterus treculi) was named the official State Fish of Texas in 1989. This small and powerful fish is found only in Texas. It is native to fast moving streams in the Texas Hill Country, including the headwaters of the San Antonio, Guadalupe and Colorado Rivers, and some tributaries of the Brazos River.

The typical adult is around 12 inches long and one pound in weight. , though the state record (shown here, caught by Dr. Bryan Townsend caught the state record holder — a Guadalupe bass weighing 3 pounds, 11 ounces. These fish utilize the fast water to their advantage, and they really know how to put up a fight when hooked. It is a popular sport fish for anglers who enjoy pursuing and reeling in a lively fish in one of the most beautiful parts of Texas.

The Guadalupe bass is one of Texas’ native species of black bass, a close relative of the largemouth and spotted basses. They’re quite beautiful and can be distinguished by the distinctive black, diamond-shaped pattern along its sides and the rows of spots that form stripes on its belly.

This species was originally described in the 1870s as a type of largemouth bass. Much later, it was reclassified as a form of spotted bass. In the early 1950s, Dr. Clark Hubbs of the University of Texas found Guadalupe and spotted bass living together in several streams. His work led to the recognition of Guadalupe bass as a distinct species.

As a protected game fish, the Guadalupe bass can be caught only with a pole and line. Many anglers practice catch-and-release, but limited harvest is allowed. The daily bag limit for Guadalupe bass is the same as for the other black basses at five fish per day, but there is no minimum length limit for Guadalupe bass.

For information on where to catch the State Fish of Texas, visit Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife’s website, which is also full of resources for planning your next fishing expedition.


 

 

 

 

Texas Shrimp Shines at Seafood Cook-off

 

 

On Saturday, Aug. 8, executive chef Brian West from GO TEXAN restaurant Smoke: The Restaurant took on the challenge of competing in the 12th Annual Great American Seafood Cook-off in New Orleans.

We decided to ask West a few questions about the Texas Gulf shrimp industry.

Give me one example of how you feature Texas Gulf shrimp in your establishment?
We have a pickled Moonshine Shrimp we make in-house with a creamy cocktail sauce. It’s one huge leap forward on the classic shrimp cocktail.
 
Why is it important for Texas consumers to know about Texas Gulf shrimp?
“Buy local” has many advantages. You should always know what you and your family are eating. But it's also our shrimp. It’s also some of the best shrimp on the market.  
 
In your opinion, what is the biggest difference between Texas shrimp and imported shrimp?
Texas shrimp have a nice briny-flavored shell and skin, which is a standout to me. Its meat is very clean and the combination is pretty much perfect.
 
As the Texas chef representative at this year’s Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans, what was your best memory?
I had a blast. I love New Orleans. It’s probably one of the best food cities in the United States. One of my best memories was when I was asked about my dish and I called the Gulf of Mexico “the Gulf of Texas” by pure instinct, as that’s what we call it here. It made a lot of noise in the event. My fellow Texans loved it.

 

 

 

 

 

Jalapeño Shrimp Mac and Cheese

 

 

Enjoy the delicious taste of Texas Gulf shrimp and the spicy hot and decidedly Texas Jalapeño pepper in this easy-to-make recipe.
 
Serves 4.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

4 cups Macaroni, cooked
¼ lb. Butter
¼ lb. All-purpose flour
1 cup Milk, whole
1 cup Cheddar cheese
20 ea.
 
Texas Gulf shrimp 26/30 (larger size with 26-30 per pound), peeled and deveined
4 ea. Jalapeño, roasted, seeded and chopped
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup Bread crumbs, toasted
¼ cup Parsley
To taste Salt and pepper

 

Preparation:
1. To make cheese sauce: In a pot, melt butter. Add flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Add milk and continue to whisk constantly until mixture boils. Add the cheese and whisk until fully incorporated.
2. Add the macaroni to the cheese sauce, and mix well.
3. Place jalapeños directly onto the flame of the stove to char. Cook for 2 minutes, turn once and cook until the skins are black. Remove jalapenos from the fire and wrap in a wet paper towel for 5 minutes. Remove paper towel and the skins. Then remove the seeds and chop coarsely. Set aside.
4. Heat sauté pan over medium heat, and add oil. When it starts to lightly smoke, add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes or until done. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Set 8 shrimp aside for garnish. Add the remaining shrimp and jalapeño to the mac and cheese. Garnish with shrimp, Parmesan, breadcrumbs and parsley. Serve hot.

 

 

 

 

 

Hungry for a Burger? Call on the Doctor at Padre Island Burger Company


 

Padre Island Burger Company is the vision of chef/owner Jason Johnson. Born and raised in Corpus Christi and classically French trained at the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Johnson is a proud Padre Island resident. He had long wanted to open a restaurant of his own right on the beach, where he can serve classic American fare with gourmet sensibilities. Featuring a funky, bustling gourmet burger bar, drinks and a laid back atmosphere, patrons come for the burgers and stay for the live music, darts and outdoor patio.

Padre Island Burger Company is the perfect place to kick back and enjoy the island life. As the only burger joint out on the island, they have a menu full of specialty burgers. The restaurant has been open for almost seven years now and has become famous for its “Dr Padre Burger,” which is dressed with a scratch-made barbecue sauce based on Texas native Dr Pepper soda syrup and Texas-made Shiner Bock beer.

"Two strips of smoked bacon, our Dr Pepper sauce and cheddar cheese ... that’s the burger that sells the most here,” said kitchen manager Bryan Valdez. “Being GO TEXAN members for five years now reinforces our commitment to buying local, supporting our friends and neighbors by stocking many Texas beers and menu ingredients. That includes all of our fresh, never frozen hamburger meat, our hamburger buns and all of the ingredients for the barbecue sauce.”

Get a burger and a beer at Padre Island Burger Company and watch the seagulls fly over as you listen to live music. Now that’s living the Padre Island life! 

 

 

 



Lampasas: The Saratoga of the South

 

If you ask anyone who has ever driven through Lampasas how they remember it, they will most likely say, “Oh, that's the pretty little place with the beautiful creek and park that winds its way through town.” While this is certainly true, Lampasas is so much more than that.

 

A GO TEXAN Certified Retirement Community, Lampasas offers the best of country living with quick access to metropolitan amenities. It is home to one of the five oldest courthouses in Texas, along with seven natural sulphur springs, which earned it the slogan “Saratoga of the South.”

Lampasas has a fine 18-hole golf course, located on Sulphur Creek, and is home to the Rollins Brook Community Hospital, a full service facility with a 24/7 fully staffed emergency room. Lampasas is the birthplace of the Grange and the Texas Banker's Association. It boasts a new community college, one of only a few freely-flowing swimming pools in Texas and is the hub of three state highways (Highways 190, 281 and 183).
 
Lampasas will soon be the home of a 19-acre walking trail and nature park, and a 137-acre sports park complete with a nature preserve and observation decks. In Lampasas, you’ll find some of the friendliest, helpful people around. The town is home to a very progressive City Council and Lampasas Economic Development Corporation Board. Year-round events, including the Spring Ho, Herb and Art Fest, Art in the Park and the Carol of Lights at Christmas, bring the community together and provide a wealth of volunteer opportunities.

There's so much more to see and hear about Lampasas, so come on. Click here to learn more about Lampasas.



 

 

 

 

Upcoming Texas Events

 

 

Sept. 17: Cheese and Wine Sojourn, Pittsburg
Sept. 17-20: GrapeFest, Grapevine

Sept. 26-27: Texas Reds Steak & Grape Festival, Bryan
Oct. 17: Bacon Bash, Cranfills Gap
Oct. 24: Texas Mushroom Festival, Madisonville


See a list of other Texas events here.


 

 


Spot the GO TEXAN Mark Challenge

 

 

 


 

Want a fun way to share the best things in Texas with the world? It’s easy!

GO TEXAN uses social media tools like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to post GO TEXAN events, share member news and increase awareness of the wide-variety of products grown and made right here in the Lone Star State.

Challenge: If you spot the GO TEXAN mark, let us know. Send us a picture of the mark on a product, sign or printed materials, and tell us where you saw it. Send us your photos using the GO TEXAN Twitter hashtag (#GOTEXAN), so we can easily retweet your message, or send us an email.


 

 


About GO TEXAN

 

 

Launched in 1999 by the Texas Department of Agriculture, GO TEXAN, with its signature mark in the shape of Texas, celebrates, promotes and supports the business savvy and plainspoken grit Texas agriculture is known for throughout the world. Whether it’s grown, sewn or served up on a plate, nearly 27 million Texans shop, travel and dine out in support of Texas businesses, agriculture and communities looking for the GO TEXAN mark to light the way. To learn more about the GO TEXAN program, call (877) 99-GOTEX or visit the GO TEXAN website.

 

 

 

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Visit the GO TEXAN online store for great gift ideas to show off your Lone Star pride.