Plans are underway for the National Hard Crab Derby cooking contest. This popular contest will be held on Friday, August 29th, 2008 in Crisfield, Maryland, starting at 9:00 a.m. It will be held at the First Baptist Church on Somerset Avenue, in Crisfield. The contest is part of the National Hard Crab Derby & Fair and is sponsored in part by the Maryland Department of Agriculture's Seafood Marketing Program.

Contestants will compete for cash and prizes in four divisions; appetizer, soup, crab cake, and main dish. All recipes submitted must use Maryland blue crab meat as the featured ingredient. The crab meat will be supplied by the National Hard Crab Derby. Contestants space is limited so call for an application and contest rules. Entry fee is $16 and the deadline is August 8, 2008. The public is invited to come and maybe even taste the recipes!

Winning recipes from over twenty years of contests are available in binder form for $15. For more information, an application and contest rules, please call the Crisfield Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-782-3913 or 410-968-2500.