RALEIGH—Dave Kranyik of Apex took home top honors in the Hidden Valley Dressings “Fresh Taste for the Family” cooking contest at the N.C. State Fair Saturday.

Kranyik’s Margherita Bruschetta with Hidden Valley Herb Garlic Cheese recipe earned him $200, a ribbon and an apron.

Felice Bogus of Raleigh earned $100 and prizes for the second-place Loaded Potato Pizza recipe. Third place and $50 went to Lisa Raschke of Raleigh for a Hidden Valley Ranch Ratatouille.

Recipes were judged on taste, fresh factor, family appeal and ease of preparation. The first-place winner will automatically be entered into the national competition for a chance at the $2,000 grand prize.

Following is the winning recipe:

Margherita Bruschetta with Hidden Valley Herb Garlic Cheese

For the bruschetta base:

French bread, sliced into 36 thin rounds

2 tablespoons of olive oil

For the Hidden Valley Herb Garlic Cheese:

2 tablespoons (1 packet) – Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing Powder Mix

2, 8-ounce packages of cream cheese

1 tablespoon dried parsley leaves

1 tablespoon of dried chives

Topping for the bruschetta:

2 cups (about 2 medium-sized) fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, diced small, de-skinned and seeded (optional) *

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

Cracked pepper – to taste

½ cup fresh basil, chopped

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Combine the topping ingredients except the fresh basil and Parmesan cheese; they will be used later in the recipe. Set the mixture in the refrigerator while preparing the herb cheese and bruschetta base.

To make the herb cheese, combine all the ingredients together and place into a food processor. Process until the cheese is soft enough to spread with a butter knife, being careful not to over mix or it can get too soft to spread. If you don’t have a food processor, simply leave the cream cheese at room temperature for one hour to soften it and then mix the ingredients with a spoon.

To make the bruschetta bases, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place sliced French bread rounds on a cookie sheet, (preferably light-colored; dark-colored sheets can burn the bread easily). Brush the top of the bread bases with olive oil and place in oven for 12-15 minutes, until the bread is lightly toasted. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

Spread about 1 teaspoon of the Hidden Valley herb cheese on top of the bruschetta bases until covered.

Using a teaspoon, place tomato topping on top of the herb cheese.

Top each bruschetta with some grated Parmesan cheese and place into a 375-degree pre-heated oven and bake for 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven and top with fresh basil. Let cool for a couple of minutes before serving. Makes 36.

*Tip for de-skinning and seeding the tomatoes: Heat one quart water over high heat until it boils. Have a mixing bowl with ice and water in it. Cut off the stem portion of the tomato and cut an “X” on the bottom of the tomato, but not too deep. Place the tomato into the boiling water and leave for 20-30 seconds, until the tomato skin begins to peel. Remove the tomato from the water and place in ice water. Wait 2 minutes and peel off the skin. Cut the tomato in half across the middle (not stem to end) and squeeze gently to remove the seeds. Rinse gently with cold water to remove remaining seeds. Using tomatoes with skins and seeds won’t affect the quality of the dish.