Friday 14 August 2009

ALLOTMENT SHOWOFF 1: PLATE OF SIX TOMATOES

ha ha ha (evil laugh) 
this is one category I actually consider myself to be in with a chance on this year. 
Watch out.... 















I've only got five! I've only got five! I'm changing the rules!!









Mr Alexander-Sinclair's tomatoes, from Blackpitts. Oh, he always has to be so arty. 






























From Lottie, this lovely vine of seven is a good one because she says"Whispers..... Saved seed from a very yummy tomato bought from Asda of all places!". Top Class!  

















Jane of the Guardian and Horticultural sends in these, yummmmmm.

 She says, "First up in the tomatoes on a plate category is my effort, entitled "I did get a B in maths GCSE honestly" owing to the fact that there are seven, not six tomatoes here. In my defence, two of them are so tiny as to count as one, and I was also a little tired and emtional after England's Ashes win and may not have been thinking straight when I plated my offering. Tomato wonks (if there is such a thing) may be interested to know that the biggest specimen is Peremoga, the stripey ones are Spike, the plum tomatoes are Maglia Rosa, the small tomato on the left is Sub Arctic Plenty and the other is unidentified (my daughter had some fun with the labels, ho hum ...)" 



Update, 29th August 




Aaahhh, look at this entry from Dawn at Little Green Fingers, it really makes me smile! She writes, "I have an entry for the plate of 6 tomatoes - I checked the small print and
could see no hard and fast rules on colour, so I have exploited the loophole (red tomatoes are as rare as a decent night's sleep round here)." For those with similar green-only problems, Dawn has a good green tomato chutney recipe on her blog at the moment. 




6th Sept final update


Helen the Patient Gardener with a wonderful late entry: "I think I have missed the deadline but just got back from my hols and discovered 6 ripe tomatos - at last. So here is my contribution. They are Tigerella, Czech's Excellent Yellow, Gartenperle, San Marzano." Oooh I like those yellow ones.




And this platter from Frugilegus. I love the caption, "6 tomatoes on a plate. Can't remember what type they are right now, but I like them because they have thin skins you can see their fleshy innards through, and pointy bottoms."
I can honestly say that these could win the prize for the most like they came from Tescos - look at the uniformity!!!!





Easygardener from Greenforks sent these, apologising for the calligraphy, but I LOVE labelled tomatoes, what a treat to know what you're looking at. 



And Ms B sent these, yum yum yum. I'm loving all the yellow ones. 





These from Mr Cleve West, which I had admired on his blog. Rarely have blighted tomatoes looked quite so eerily beautiful.... 





And then Esther sent these. "This is my entry for an un-defined number of tomatoes on a plate. (I got Lucy Corrander to take the photo for me.) As you may notice, the tomatoes are not yet on a plate. This is because they aren't ripe. I can send you a photo of the plate I may put them on when they are ready to pick, if you would like. They are Tomato il Pantano Romansco - which accounts for their strange shape. The shape makes one reluctant to take the first bite but it's worth it. The flavour is wonderful. So is the texture. (Will be if ever the sun comes out to move them beyond dark green!)." Esther I think we all know the feeling at the moment.

12 comments:

  1. and what a five...costoluto fiorentino perhaps?
    *licks finger and draws it across eyebrow*

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  2. I only wish they were, sniff. They are the much more tasteless Marmande, which I will never grow again, but they do look lovely.....

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  3. Fpsssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhh
    (which is the sound of Mark D deflating as his best chat up line falls on stony ground)

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  4. I am slightly choking on apple laughing at this

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  5. er, yah, when I said costoluto I was wondering if they might be the less corrugated Marmande. Monty was *just telling me the other day how he loves em. We share initials doncha-know.




    * Not necessarily factually accurate

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  6. I notice nobody bothers to ask if I survived the apple choking, well, no thanks, but I did

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  7. Just in case anyone thinks that Emma and I can't count there were originally 7 tomatoes on that vine, I took one off as the category was '6 on a plate' only to discover that the rools had been changed as certain person only had 5! I have complained to the committee! ;o)

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  8. Yeah and now Jane's doing it as well

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  9. Emmat asked how they all tasted - well Spike was meaty but bland, Maglia Rosa and S.A.P sweet and lovely, and Peremoga good for roast tomato sauce. Still haven't topped Gardener's Delight, though.

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  10. really, are we all consigned to growing gardeners delight, there's really no better tomato? Tom Hart Dyke let me taste some Tigerella at his house and those were verrrrrry tasty

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  11. black krim, picked at their top are fab, but peacevine cherry (Heritage Seed Library) is completely amazing - well better than GD for me!

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  12. Oh no, not T*$co tomatoes! I'm so sorry they're all the same shape, but I'm sure tesco wouldn't sell toms with pointy bottoms. Plump round cheeks all the way for them.

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