Quote:
Originally Posted by Hilde
The 2011 party turned out great! Remy and Gary Orlowski were again gracious hosts on Grand Island! Weather was very good (just a little warm for a Norwegian) and a lot of people came. You who couldn't come were greatly missed!
I was packed and ready to go...if I could...but could barely stand up yesterday, let alone drive or walk. Was thinking about you crazy materheads all day! Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhh
There were a total of 74 varieties of tomatoes this year, and lots of good food to eat after having tasted tomatoes. Oh man...now I'm drooling...sighhhhhhhhh.
The award winners were:
Best tasting tomato: Goose Creek grown by Rob Kavanaugh.
Prettiest tomato: Don Juan grown by Julianna Griffin.
Ugliest tomato: Orange Minsk grown by Hilde Reineck.
Biggest tomato: Arkansas Marvel grown by Marcia Ritchie.
Smallest tomato: Gold Rush grown by Richard Price.
Tangiest tomato: Yummy Lebanese grown by Elizabeth d'Anjou
Sweetest tomato: Sungold grown by Tara Kolinsky
The Norm Brown award for the craziest tomato lover (usually the one who has travelled the furthest to be at the party) went to Rosalinda.
Glad to see some new additions to the "usual suspects"! LOL From where did you travel, Rosalinda? Hilde, that is one seriously butt ugly tomato!
The copyright watermark is irritating in the picture, and I started with that after someone stole tomato pictures to put on their commercial website. I still don't like it though. This year I used flash for the first time, and of some reason some images are out of focus. I have to work with that! Great pics of the maters, Hilde, as usual. I see you haven't slowed down with your guerrilla camera pics of unsuspecting people...LOL 
Zana, we missed you and your Armenian baklava so much! Hope you are recovering fast from the migraine!!! Thanks, Hilde. I was so bummed yesterday not going. First one I've missed....sighhhh...   Guess what I had for breakfast? One piece. Sighhhhh....going to have to give allot of it away, since you really can't freeze it after it has been baked - it loses the flakiness.....and it was a huge pan. Figured I would have enough to send some home with those that wanted it....so made about twice what I did last year. But since its not gluten free, I can't indulge without paying for it. So now I have to make up care packages....  The migraine is a bit better this morning...seems to come in waves with the change in barometric pressure. I've managed to stay upright longer already this morning than all day yesterday - and got productive posting recipes on TV. Hilde, next time I'm in your neck of the woods, I'll try to have enough time to teach you how to make the Baklava...okay?
Hilde |
Wish I had been there....as usual, looks like it was a wonderful experience for the usual suspects and all the new comers. And also looked like you had quite a few new varieties to sample.
Hope you didn't get lost on the way there...or with any detours to go shopping or going home, Julianna, Duane and Zabby. And I hope you make your train on time, Zabby.
Nicky, maybe we can get together here...will send a pm.
And finally, Remy....the hostess with the mostest! You and your extended family are incredibly generous to allow all of us materheads to descend upon your family's cottage in Grand Island every year. I know you spend countless hours in advance prepping for the party. And have also extended accommodations to many of us over the years. Brava, my friend. You are the best. There should be an award for spreading the joy of growing tomatoes....and your name should be on it. I have a feeling there are allot of people we could nominate for that kind of award, but you've got my vote.
Zana
~ who sadly had to bail out on attending the party of the year