CHOPTAG Tomato Taste Fest

[Gary]

CHOPTAG Tomato Taste Fest Date Set
Cincinnatti Heirloom Open Pollinated Tomato Associate Growers

This year it will once again be held at Paxton Ramsey Park.
http://www.miamitwp.org/recreation/parks/paxton/paxton.htm

Everyone attending last years Taste Fest agreed we needed more time. I think this was because everyone pigged out on Earl's Pulled Pork (pun intended) and didn't have room to taste tomatoes.

We'll have our Tomato TASTE FEST on Saturday, August 19th from noon until 6pm. This should give everyone plenty of time to taste tomatoes and to sample all the fine cuisine that will be available.

So make your calendars and plan to attend the best tomato event in Southwest Ohio. If you would like to see pictures of past events head on over to the CHOPTAG web site.

http://www.ih.k12.oh.us/estech/mark/garden/choptag.htm

[Gary]

This is to remind those in the Kentucy, Indinana and Ohio areas that the CHOPTAG will be holding their 2006 Tomato Taste Fest gathering tomorrow, August 19th. Tomato growers and others interested in tomatoes are invited. Looks like several gardening friends from another site will be joining us! There will be folks from Michigan, Ohio, IN, Kentucky, North Carolina, and other places. Tomato Growers and others interested in tomatoes are invited. We expect to have about 200 different varieties of tomatoes to taste and of course there will be plenty of other tasty eats available. Direction are listed above.
Gary/Louisville

[bluelacedredhead]

Have a Great Day Gary!

[mrtomatoexpres]

gary have a great time tasting those yummy tomatoes :)

[Gary]

Good Morning! A Great Day for Tomatoes!

I was up at 5:00 am; was awake long before that though. I guess I am just juiced up for all the tomatoes I can taste and to meet my tomato growing friends!

I have several duties yet to perform before showering and getting ready. I thought I would label the Food items I am taking so folks would know what they are eating.
I have a few cherry type tomatoes I am to use as garnish with the food. There will be more tomatoes (about 200 varieties for tasting) than I could ever eat.
I wish some of you folks were close enough to experience this! This is a great group and it is growing. May master tomato growers and many young "just learning" folks as well, but they are all enthusiastic about tomatoes!

Will report bavck sometime over the weekend!
Gary/Louisville

[bluelacedredhead]

Hey Gary, I think it's wonderful that you have something left to take after the summer you've had.
Can't wait to read all about it!

[Gary]

Just checking in this early morning. My friend picked me up at 9:30 am yesterday morning for the little more than two hour drive to Cincinnati. We were the second group to arrive and began setting up.
There were lots and lots of wonderful tasting tomatoes and some good eats to share in between. I will comment on varieties and taste later when I have had time to relax.
Although the event was to continue until 6:00 we prepared to leave sometime past 3:30. Two guys who had said they were coming arrived from Murfeesboro, TN having driven eight hours are better. They didn't realize it was so far!
As always, We stoped to visit our dear friends at Hazelwood Farm; the old farm homeplace is like going back 100 years. Our friends grow for the Farmer's Markets in Lecington, Frankfort, and Cincinnati and sometimes Louisville. I have known them for years and they are like family. They grow so many things, all kinds of vegetables and fresh cut flowers for market and to dry for boquets. Many of their dried flowers are made into Briadal boquets for fall/winter season. Three or four acres of every color and variety of flowers are a pleasant sight.
Of course they loaded us down with surplus goods to bring home --- carrots(four varieties), squash/zucchni, big tasty tomatoes, garlic, peppers sweet/hot, and fresh brown free range eggs!
We arrived back home at 8:00 ,a very full day for me, indeed, tired and elated that we had experienced so much with folks who love to garden and who love tomatoes!
Gary/Louisville

[bluelacedredhead]

Sounds like you had a great time. When you've had time to recover from the excitement, please do share some of the details of the varieties from this years tasting. I'd love to hear about it.
Hazelwood sounds marvelous. I love to see field after field of flowers growing. Not a sight that is common around here so I really enjoy it when I pass someplace like that on the road.

[Gary]

There were lots and lots of wonderful tasting tomatoes and some good eats to share in between at the CHOPTAG Tomato Fest.
I haven't found my notes from the Tasting yet, so am going to wing it a bit.
There were some wonderful tasting tomatoes. Many were ones which have been around a good while and grown by many; it's interesting how much growth and taste difference you can get with tomatoes grown in differnt locations and under similar or somewhat similar conditions depending on the weather.
Earl's Faux always makes it in taste. Kentucky Heirloom, a huge red Beefsteak and solid flesh with few seed caught my attention with taste that was wonderful. I was not familiar with this variety. Mountain Mystery, from WV, was outstanding in taste and I nominated it for best in taste but Lavino, a medium size Family Heirloom variety from Ohio received that honor. The largest tomato was from a seedling I shared at the Spring Plant Exchange called Tennesse Britches, a pink one pound plus tomato with good flavor --- I don't remember how much it weighed. The Prettiest was a stablized cross from Ohio called Chocolate Stripe and grown by a Al from Troy, OH, new grower to the group.
Lisa from IN had the Most Beautiful Table. She grows for the Farmer's Market near Indy. and had each of her varieties filling individual Baskets with a huge container of freshly cut Sweet Basil. She had a bottle of olive oil, sliced tomatoes, and Homemade Mozzarela? Cheese in platters for tasting. I had more than my share -- what flavor!
We had the Ugliest and several other categories which makes it a fun time for all.

Brian treated us to a wonderrful Watermelon -- Cream of Saskatchwan -- sweet yellow, firm, and tasty. Al bought along some Peach Sorbet and we all had a taste.All the others had some tasty eats as well. NO BBQ folks!

Although the event was to continue until 6:00 we prepared to leave sometime past 3:30. As always, We stoped to visit our dear friends at Hazelwood Farm; the old farm homeplace is like going back 150 years. Our friends grow for the Farmer's Markets in Lecington, Frankfort, and Cincinnati and sometimes Louisville. I have known them for years and they are like family. They grow so many things, all kinds of vegetables and fresh cut flowers for market and to dry for boquets. I always share new tomato varieties with them. Saturday Southern Living Magazine visited the Lexington Market. Although there are many set up there with tomatoes the photographer selected their baskets of Mix Cherry Types to photograph; the picture(s) will be featured in a 2007 magazine. Many of their dried flowers are made into Bridal boquets for fall/winter season. Three or four acres of every color and variety of flowers are a pleasant sight.
Of course they loaded us down with surplus goods to bring home --- carrots(four varieties), squash/zucchni, big tasty tomatoes, garlic, peppers sweet/hot, and fresh brown free range eggs!
We arrived back home having experienced a very full day for me, indeed, tired and elated that we had experienced so much with folks who love to garden and who love tomatoes!

There is nothing like a "high" on Tomato Tasting and sharing time with such great folks at the same time!!!!!!!!!!!! lol I had a real sense of euphoria on my way back home; good thing I wasn't driving! lol I might have been pulled over by the man in blue.

My son, Kirk, came and had lunch with us Sunday and afterwards took me to the Kentucky State Fair the 150th year to see the Agricultural Crop Exhibits. I have tried to go each summer to see what folks are growing in Kentucky. I only saw one Cherokee Purple on exhibit. There were a few other Black Types but no one is required to list the name of the variety; I am trying to get that changed. I think it is important for folks to have a reference for them. There were lots of the small varieties such as Cherry and Paste types in a separate grouping. I was mainly interested in the Tomatoes etc. Several of my friends had tomatoes in a variety of catagories on display. Friend Don Bunch was winner of the Largest; he grows Hybrids and for Size. Met several folks who had displays and one a 1st and 2nd place winner. He grows for the Farmer's Market as a hobby and I am going next Saturday and get two varieties of hiis tomatoes. He didn't offer me any seed but saves his own. He had difficulty responding to my many questions about the plants.

I saw the largest grown watermelon. I thought the Atlantic Watermelon at 155 pounds was big. My friend Al in Troy Ohio said there was one grown in Miami County which weighed 880 pounds. Can you imagine a watermelon seed spitting contest to the end using all those seed?

It has taken me several days to rest up and get back to my normal routine. Already looking forward to next year.
Gary

[bluelacedredhead]

You really did have a fun filled weekend, Wow!
And as always, you bring attention to tomatoes that I've never even heard of.. :)
I feel an email coming on, LOL