Christmas event at R and B's. We'd like to have a tomato tasting.

[Roger Clark]

Brenda and I would like to prove once and for all that WE grow the best, tastiest tomatoes in Greater Brisbane. So we are proposing to run a blindfold test at the Christmas event at Park Ridge.

Pretenders to the throne will need to bring along their best 1 or 2 varieties, and we will also buy some commercially produced types for testing as well. Those wanting to take part in the tasting, will need to have a friend to assist them. We will sit people down blindfolded at a table and the friend will feed them one type at a time which they will score on a one to 10 scale, writing comments if necessary (the helper).

The winning tomatoes will obviously have the biggest score. Please bring your own handkerchiefs for when we are pronounced winners. We will be presenting both Black Krim and Green Zebra. You can bring whichever variety you like. if you want to you could bring along your own Krims or Zebras,( not recommended, you may end up wearing the title of a very poor reality show! The Biggest Losers). 

We give you as much warning as possible so that you can get tomato growing. Remember it is the TASTIEST one that wins. We were going to have a Largest Pumpkin Comp, but our Huge Kent Pumpkins pictured with a leek recently would have been too hard to beat!

Any suggestions for this format? We will have to come up with a suitable prize for this most prestigious competition.

  

[Roger Clark]

Well, well Susan, should your unnamed tomatoes come out on top (fat chance), then you could become famous as the owner of another new tomato variety. Dream on!! You would have to think up some sexy new name for your tomatoes. Heirloom 1 and 2 don't quite fire the imagination. 

Sophie, yes the competitors will be blindfolded, but they will have to have neutral (is there such a thing) non blindfolded assistants to control the tasting and recording of competitors assessments. Brenda and I will not be competitors, someone has to control the rabble taking part!! No leakage of info allowed.

[Andrew Cumberland]

They'd be called Susan's Heirloom 1 and Susan's Heirloom 2.  Where's your imagination Susan?

[Susan]

Do they have to be named varieties? I’ve saved random seed over the year and regrow certain types but no name that I know. Loving the friendly competition going on.

[Andrew Cumberland]

GOLDEN  IDEA  you pair!!!!  

[Sophie]

I thought people were blind folded Roger - hence colours shouldn't matter!

[Roger Clark]

Yes Sophie, this could be a problem, I'm sure that the competition will be fierce. I plan to cut up the tomatoes into the same sized pieces, so that just by looking at them may not give too much of a clue, but obviously Cherry tomatoes and Green tomatoes would be a giveaway. Hopefully there will be lots of cherry tomatoes entries at least.

[Valerie]

I Love it. Though most of my tomatoes are volunteers so I won't be able to name the variety. They will the surprise tomato variety. 

[Sophie]

Hilarious! My suggestion, to reduce bias - swap friends so that your own friend can't give you secret signals that it's your tomato!