Our member in Catalonia, Brain Constable sent me an email today inviting me to his Tomato tasting. With his permission I am posting it here but I do suggest that you contact him if you would like to go along just in case there are too many requests. He already has quite a few people going!
Here's his email.
Did you think tomatoes were always red and round and even though there maybe different sizes they were usually pretty tasteless? Especially the supermarket´s so called "fresh and/or grappa"
Well, take a look at the attachment which, though you cannot taste, at least you can see there is more than one colour, more than one shape, and believe it or not, more than one great taste…….mmmmm
I learnt a new Castillian word today — "Catar" which according to the "dictionario española" says "probar alguna cosa para examinar su sabor"
So if you would like "TO CATAR" some different tomatoes come along to Brian´s "Tomato Evening" on Friday 19 Aug from about 19.00hrs.
I cannot guarantee that the tomatoes you see in the attachment will be around next week but I can guarantee there will be between 10 and 15 different ones to try. I have at least 30 different varieties growing at the moment but of course there are some which have finished and others which are not yet ripe and one or two which are not too happy.
Hopefully I will have all the tomatoes to taste labelled with their names.
There should be enough "cherries" for each of you to take home if you want the seeds. If you want the larger ones you will probably have to share with somebody. Of course they may all get "tasted" and there won´t be any left to take away. They should grow "True to seed" as there are no hybrids.
These plants ( I am too lazy to grow from seeds) were all bought from Plants Potager (
www.plantspotagers.com) in April at Serignan Plant Fair, France. I do not know anybody in Spain who can supply the large variety he has. There will be a trip there in April next year hopefully combined with a visit to "Pépinière Filippi" (www. jardins-sec.com) organised by the MGS and anybody interested in going should contact me nearer the time. It will involve at least one night away.
The growing conditions are quite normal but the cherries seem to have gone on a rampage this year. Generally speaking the "normal" tomatoes had their side shoots pinched out ( some escaped me ) but the cherries did not. They are all watered for 3 minutes nightly with a drip feed system. The soil was brought in and mixed with manure on a ratio of 5 to 1. No other feeding has been given.
NO PESTICIDES. NO INSECTICIDES. Just a bit of TLC.
If you don´t like tomatoes there will be a few others things to pick at and some vino. However if you are really hungry, bring your own sandwiches!!!
Please let me know if you need instructions on how to find my place.
Looking forward to seeing you next week
The Tomato Man
So if you want to go please contact Brian. His email is brian.constable@gmail.com