Chopped Junior and the Mountain Mandarin Orange Festival

Chopped recipess from a junior champion

Chopped Junior recipes – If it grows together it goes together.

It’s a saying I heard on the MasterChef Junior television show. I love those little kids and how creative they are.

Auburn, CA has its own little creative cook. His name is Mason Partak. Twelve-year-old Mason has a business, Mason Made and he will be appearing on Chopped Jr December 15, 2015.

Mason and many other entrepreneurs were at the 22nd annual Mountain Mandarin Orange Festival at the Auburn, CA fairgrounds. Evan and I saw everything from mandarins, Wood Fire Mandarin Pizza, Mandarin cocktails, mandarin candy, mandarin trees, jams, syrups, dressings, and lots and lots of peels from eaten mandarins.

The sunny autumnal Saturday brought a diverse crowd of people. The festival is only three days, ending the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Nothing like a bowlful of mandarin oranges, or persimmon mandarin butter to share at Thanksgiving.

Mason Made was selling his new sauces. If you didn’t get a jar of his sauce you can still order it, or watch him on Chopped Junior on December 15, 2105. Mason was kind enough to give us his recipe for Mason-Made Mandarin Chicken Salad.