Page 20 - Simply Veg 4 2022

Pint Sized Pea Competition
GRAEME LE MARQUAND FNVS
This was the competition for children aged up to, 16 years which was organised in conjunction with the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society and the Jersey Association of the National Vegetable Society. The event was held at the summer fair at the Royal Jersey show ground in Trinity and the peas were sponsored by Plants of Distinction who we would like to thank and also a thank you also to Bonny’s Country Garden for sponsoring the compost .
The prize money was sponsored by
the Jersey Association of the National Vegetable Society, with a first prize of £15 second £10 and third £5, with first place awarded to Ashleigh Eder and second went to her Brother Dylan congratulations to them both. The third prize remained unclaimed.
It is always an honour to judge the produce that children have grown, like these pint-sized peas that were sown in 4 inch [10cm] pots and nurtured from the time that they were sown through to maturity. Judging is normally done by two people, so I was lucky to have Nora
Treanor to accompany me. Nora was an entomologist who is always on the ball and is good at pointing out any deficiencies in a vegetable, as well as any insect damage if any.
Tomato Tasting
I had mentioned in one of my weekly articles in the Jersey Evening Post that it was my intention to organise a tasting session at my abode to see which one of the twelve varieties of tomatoes that I was growing had the best
flavour. So on the 22nd of
July I invited Graeme Follain
and Colin and Wendy
Binet all established and knowledgeable growers to
taste the twelve different
varieties. These Guys knew
their stuff and knew what a
good tomato should taste
like, although it’s true to say
that everybody has their
own tastes.
On this occasion I had to be absolutely sure that the tasting session was totally fool proof with no names of tomatoes
The judges cut up the larger tomatoes into segments and devoured them slowly
appearing on any containers which were labelled 1 to 12.
I of course held the variety names on the back of my clipboard.
The judges cut up
the larger tomatoes into segments and devoured them slowly so that their taste buds would give them the full benefits of the
flavour. This was repeated several times until they were satisfied that they had reached their goal.
The bite size varieties were more manageable as most of them were popped directly into their mouths and crushed immediately to savour the flavour- although there was the odd few that were sampled several times over and even cut in half.
There is no doubt in my mind that the tasting was as perfect as it could be. Later on in the afternoon another judgement on my tomatoes took place this time in my poly tunnel by an uninvited guest.
A blackbird had managed to get through the netting in the door way, made its way in and devoured several tomatoes which were growing side by side amongst other varieties.
The bird happened to choose Sunrise and Devon Potato Leaf. That was the judge’s decision too!
The results:
• EqualfirstSunriseandDevonPotato
Leaf.
20 Simply Vegetables