> I've lived in South Australia! I spent six years there! *glowers*

Yeah, but it was obviously in the wrong part of South Australia Finbar!

PP, enjoying the fact that she got to tease Finbar, the Great Tease for a change

I had a wonderful time too, I loved the way the picnic just came together....the weather was perfect....and of course the company was excellent. Thanks to all for the yummy goodies.
I am putting all my energy into wishing for a heatwave, so I can ditch work and go to Rutherglen! I will talk to my workmates to see if any are interested in switching days....highly unlikely though, darn creatures of habit won't be able to cope with my 'unplannedness'.
Thanks for bringing the selection of tomatoes Patrina - it was very interesting to compare flavours, textures etc of some different types.....I can see how this tomato thing can spiral out of control - did you know there are around 7000 different varieties...........?.
Spatz, you missed Patrina's attempt to convert a local roadside fruitseller into growing heirlooms, I managed to contain my guffaws! We bypassed her "Mighty Red" tomatoes, in favour of the juicy white fleshed peaches....yum!
Finbar, there are a lot of wrong parts of SA - take it from someone who knows! I have my own love/hate relationship with the place and I live in what I reckon is one of the better spots and regularly visit some of the best bits.....also escapism comes relatively cheaply 'round here - even if only in the form of a bottle of the local dryland grenache - the Pickled Manuels now know what I mean by that, hee hee! (PS: your Pink Gaetano is taking over my garden!!).

Thanks again!
mudlark

PS: Spatz, I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering why that Oregon Spring was absent from our taste test??

Spatz, so many decades of my life have been wrong that it's hard to separate out the Adelaide one.

Auntie P, I was probably within about 5 miles of where you live, given that if I'd been more than 5 miles from where you live, I'd've been either in the ocean or the desert.

mudlark, I'll be interested to see what you think of the Pink Gaetano. I've now grown a number of large pink beefsteaks and I reckon PG holds its own against most of the above-average large pink beefsteaks. Oh, and I did avail myself of the local liquid treasure, believe me. I wore tracks in the roads to McLaren Vale and the Clare Valley. The latter, I think, remains much under-appreciated.

Finbar,
Agreed, I recently had a job interview in the Clare Valley....it was the interview from hell and I was not surprised when I didn't get it....I really would've loved the change of address though. Oh well, I'll just have to visit a little more frequently! (Anyone want to join me? I guesstimate the size of my ute is at least ten dozen bottles, but it would be great to put it to the test.)

I'll let you know how the PG tastes, shouldn't be too long now, it is such a healthy, vigourous looking plant with fruit in abundance, I can't wait to taste it!

cheers, mudlark

Mudlark, the Oregon Spring was picked after we got back. It's actually not ready yet. But I couldn't help myself. It'll be another 2-3 days until we'll eat it, I guess.

The Clare Valley has fantastic wines. I've only been there once. Say the word, we are keen to go there again. *winks*

Old Vine Grenache. That'll be a drop for a special occasion. I can't believe how the little tasting sip went straight to my head!

Ray, the first few Principe Borghese were nice, but early and perhaps not *quite* ready - got a little enthusiastic, LOL. I picked some more and semi-dried a few in the oven last night...dinner tonight will tell on that front however I've just popped a ripe one open with some salt & pepper and a drizzle of EV olive oil - most excellent indeed. I will take some piccies once I've set up somewhere to store them :-)

Sarah, my first ones were quite cherry-like, but the ones almost ripening now are a better size although I'd still class them as small. Very convenient for drying I expect, you only need to halve them...

Ozmantis - you store dried tomatoes either in an airtight container (only if they're truly dry and leathery) or cover in oil... I may try using mostly balsamic and only a little oil and see how that goes too. It works nicely with my roasted tomatoes, but you have to eat them within 4 weeks.

Well here are my first PBs along with some of my most excellent basil, which is growing all around the tomato bed, for perspective.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:2114268}}

Had a pretty good weekend away and these made it even better upon my return. I just counted them and there are about 20 varieties here. Cheers, Grub.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Are they Snow White cherries in the stainless steel bowl Grub?

Hi, Mantis.
They're Dr Carolyn. The best-tasting cherry for me this year by far. Though, if I were a real critic, the fruity/sweet tastes don't blend but remain separate. Kind of like a dodgy wine, if you know what I mean. Having said that they're a big hit. The greener ones are Green Grape. A lot of variation of taste there. Plenty of saved seeds for both so just mail me if they interest you. Cheers, Grub :)

A sunny looking plate of Principe Borghese you have there Mabb! Now that you're on your way with your camera and a location for your pics, we'll look forward to seeing more from your garden.

Isn't this fun? Yeah...

PP

Great foodie pics above, Mudlark. And the mentionof "old vine grenache" makes me want to fast forward to winter. Well, almost.

Thanks for the tomato pics, Spatx and Mabb. Hopefully, there are plenty more to come from all you southerners.

Finbar,
What tomatoes did you share with the lads on the weekend and what was the consensus?

Hey Grub! How are your chookies enjoying their new abode? And what did you decide to plant in the extra space in the end? Did I miss a report on that?

HI Amanda,
Glad to hear you are up and about. The chooks are all the better for you asking. In fact, they are loving their new run especially the wheatgrass. They must be following the latest health fads because the refuse to eat the wheat I toss them until such time as it sprouts.

Actually, one of the two chooks, the old girl which didn't moult properly and had bare patches, has a bare area that's turning a bit red. So I'm not sure what's wrong with her. She's happy and laying and hungry though. They both have very good diets.

Thanks to your excellent fence-making advice the new run is standing tall something like a brick outhouse. Had to laugh with one detail, though. After going to all that hardwork I kicked back the next day only to see a mynah pull its body throughthe chicken wire and promptly eat some chook food and take a drink of water before escaping. I had to clad the whole thing in bird netting after that. Now nothing can get in. Or out.

The extra space was given over to a few pots and some grass. I've now got a few heirloom zucchinis coming up in the area. But the plan is to create a new raised bed over the winter. I might devote that bed to growing things that go with tomatoes during their season, ie, celery, cukes, leeks (ex winter), that kind of thing. At least that's the plan.

I'm thinking of getting some old sleepers delivered to create the raised beds. Problem: Only have a handsaw. Anyway, how are your tommys and the chook house? Best, Grub.

Grub I had a lovely hen that lost all the feathers on her back, for 18 months she looked awful and earnt herself the nickname Scraggy Hen.
Then suddenly they all grew back, she looked lovely!
Then the fox ate her :-((

Hi Sarah,
That makes me feel better. Hopefully, the old boiler comes good. She seems happy enough. Egg a day.

Meantime, I posted this pic Up Over. A quartet of Erika d'Australie. First new specimens. Top weight 440g.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Also posted this one. Regina's Yellow is like eating a peach.

Back Left: Regina's Yellow, a bicolour weighing 450g/16.07oz (ex Carolyn)
Back Right: Big Yellow weighing 490g/17.5oz (ex Craig 1995 seed stock)
Front Left: Golden Oxheart 250g/8.9285714oz (ex Craig 1993 seed stock). Not sure if it is an oxheart in shape.
From Right: Two Indian Moons 120g/4.28oz (from Carolyn)

Here is a link that might be useful:

These are babies no more
{{gwi:2114274}}
Peron
{{gwi:2114275}}
Black Russian
{{gwi:2114276}}
and their companions regular and large-leaf basil getting ready for my pesto!!!

THAT'S basil?! Goodness, gracious me! How large are the leaves of the large-leaf basil? Looks more like spinach or silverbeet to me. Lucky you. My basil leaves are very small.

Great pictures, thanks. :)

Grub the Tomato Model is most impressed with the Erika's & very taken with the Regina's Yellow. Are you saving seed??? I certainly hope so! :-)
Sarah *thinking she could trade some seed for a spot of seed raising*

Now worries at all. Got a seed-saving factory going on down here. The Regina's Yellow is a stunningly beautiful tomato and just like a peach to eat.

So here's what's ripening in the vestibule. Just BBYs and Romas but they're keeping me in edible tomatoes.

I'm worried if I eat the one in the middle I'll grow an extra buttock or something. I think it's three sort of fused together. Is that possible?

Here is a link that might be useful: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

More likely "catfacing". It's a deformity that occurs as a result of cooler temps at the time of fruit set. It has absolutely no impact on the quality of the tomato. Just looks weird.

Don't worry Bron, I've never heard of anyone growing an extra buttock from eating tomatoes!

Thank goodness for that Sarah, imagine how messy things could get.
But on the other hand farting could become an artform.

Mantis *personaly believing that it is allready*

Yet another reason to be sorry you can't make it to Rutherglen!!

I thought he was coming for the day?. bloody pikers.please come. I promise to teach you three new farts.

Today's lunch. Bruschetta with tomatoes, soft goat cheese, EVO, S&P.
Tomatoes at the rim of the plate were lined up for tasting purposes. From left to right: Oregon Spring, Pearly Pink Cherry, (Dwarf?) Green Grape, Red Cloud (2 small pieces).
{{gwi:2114277}}

Mmmmmmm ... and the taste report?

Todays harvest of cherries, from top left going clockwise, Tommy Toes, Snow Whites, Principe Borghese and Resentraubes.
Ray - have you got a ripe Polish yet, if so can you post a pic so I can compare it with mine. I will have a couple more ripe by the weekend.
Spatz, that plate looks absolutely delish. I am off to the supermarket now to see if I can get some suitable cheese from the deli.
Cheers
Mantis

Here is a link that might be useful: cherries

Richard, fantastic plate of cherries!!! My polish is just shy of being ripe (note the singular!). Another couple of days, particularly in this heat. It's got the beginnings of concentric cracking. I hope this one doesn't rot before I get to taste it!!!

I hope so too Ray. Well I got to the deli and picked up some Greek feta and the most expensive bottle of EV olive oil they had. The tomato is a Black Krim, my third but the first I will taste. The other two went straight into seed saving. I will report back after the flavours have got to know each other and I get to munch it.

Mantis

Here is a link that might be useful: Entree

Taste report.
Oregon Spring is nice and meaty. Pearly Pink Cherry was rather bland. Green Grape was very tomatoey. It's early days yet with this one, as this was the first fruit. Red Cloud, same as with GG. First fruit was okay.

Unfortunately, the weather has cooled down significantly. We had rain, hail, wind, occasional sunshine and maybe 15C today. Night temps around 8C! I'm not sure I'll have (m)any tomatoes by mid February.

First Orange Cherry. Not really orange, but that's its name. Tastes like a big tomato. Very nice!
{{gwi:2114278}}

Few more pics.

{{gwi:2114279}}Mixture from the garden

{{gwi:2114280}}
Cherokee Purple

{{gwi:2114281}}
Australian Red

{{gwi:2114282}}
Peron

{{gwi:2114283}}
Jaune Flamme (when will the fruit stop!!)

Lovely pics Spatz and lomatia. I'm sooooo jealous. All those lovely toms. Just you wait, once I settle on my farm there'll be no stopping me!

Ah ... pipe dreams.

They look amazing. Ray and I have 432 Varieties to try, and Spatz put me onto the no dig on large scale thingy on the weekend. Looks like we will need to hire a truck for the tasting next year. Those Peron look beautiful.

I really miss this thread so I shall be out tomorrow to take photos & show you how my tommies have resurrected themselves now the fruit fly & blight have gone away.
Sarah :-)

yeah, this is great. I have lots of tommies aubergines and capsicums. But none seem to be able to ripen. I might get a few. here's hoping. I'll look forward to your photos, m'selle.

Okay, today's harvest:
{{gwi:2114284}}

And another box ready to go to a good home:
{{gwi:2114285}}

"Mine's a good home, mine's a good home!" says PP waving frantically to Spatz.

Sorry, already taken. These boxes don't last long around here. :)

Oh Spatz I am so jealous, that's more fruit than I got from my entire garden. I love the box of mixed varieties, that's what I hoped to sell at the co - op.
Never mind, like the good gardener I am I'm eternally optimistic, there's always next year!
In the mean time here's a shot of my tomato patch. A month ago it was all dead so I've cut back to where there were green shoots & most of the plants are regrowing & have fruit on them. The plant in the middle is a San Marzano which was the least affected by the blight so will definitely be on my grow list for next year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rejuvenated Tommies

Hey Spatz, thats what I'm talkin bout. Great collection.

Sarah, your patch looks good! Let's hope you'll get more fruit before winter hits.

Half of my plants are slowly winding down (the early-maturing ones), the other half is still going mad. I'm surprised we still have friends and family who don't mind us visiting (with boxes of tomatoes) or even coming up to pick up some boxes. Amazing. :)

It's a lot easier to give away tomatoes than zuchinni, believe me!!!
I'm certainly very pleased, although we've had a few cool (8C) nights here we should have a couple of months before we get any real frosts so I'm hoping I may head into winter with more than one jar of home bottled tomatoes!

Heres a Russian Red grown from a cutting

Akers West Virginia still going strong

Pepper Patch booming

I'm envious of your plants still going strong folks! The only few that are still alive of mine are in planter bags or buckets. The garden bed tommies are all dead.

PP

Funny thing about that PP. The only ones I have left are in pots (hey, I only grow them in pots, bottomless but pots all the same) Can you go over to Spatzs' place and tell us how she keeps getting loads of tommies at this time of year. I think she may have just sown them later than us, but those pics of her harvests on the US site has me wanting to know more.
Mantis

Mantis, they got off to a slow start but came home at full steam ahead! Spatz was saying earlier in this thread that she thought she might not have (m)any tommies by mid February because it was already cooling down so much, especially overnight, and here she is overflowing with them at the end of March/early April... plus the pics are outstanding! Even Earl has labelled her Queen Spatz and vowed his allegiance

PP