Been Nominated

[Grub]

Just found out I've been nominated for this talent quest (freak search?) in the most esteemed Sydney newspaper:

"We're searching for suburban Sydney's most self-sufficient family. My father and his stockpile of Y2K bug canned food need not apply. We're looking for the family that treated The Good Life as a TV instruction manual rather than light entertainment. We're on the hunt for Sydney's most exotic spice gardens. The biggest vegie patches. If you're running a herd of cattle by the garage, we promise not to tell council. Nominate yourself, or someone you know, at ..."

Seems my partner submitted the following. I'll let you know if they lead me away in a white jacket.

"My backyard used to house a couple of folding lounge chairs, an umbrella, and a nice teak table. Now, thanks to my other half's love affair with home produce, I have nowhere to sit outside. But I do have a lot to eat.

It started with some fairly inconspicuous herbs and a lemon tree. Then came two backyard chooks, "just for a little while". They were meant to be on hire. The girls have been with us for about three years now.

Next came salad greens: old-fashioned lettuces, burpless cucumbers and other delights not available commercialy. And enough rocket to sink a ship. Not
to mention chokoes, kohl rabi, silver beet, strawberries, tahitian limes, and so on.

Then came a brand new passion: heirloom tomatoes. Through covert internet sites tomato enthusiasts trade seeds and tips on growing magnificent old-fashioned tomatoes. With the encouragement of hundreds of like-minded tomatoholics from around the world, he has planted at least 50 different heirloom tomatos in our backyard. He has even bred a new tomato that has the big-tomato-wigs talking.

The tomatoes are coming on like crazy and he has a new passion to accompany them. Chillis. Yes, we have at least 10 different chillis and 134 salsa recipes to work our way through.

And that's to say nothing of the herbs.

We have a freezer full of yellow-fin tuna, blue-eye cod and mahi mahi caught on off-shore fishing trips. At the moment, I would say we are pretty self sufficient. And where is all this happening? On about 500 square metres in suburban Sydney.

If only he could work on a couple of nice pinot noir and pinot meunier.

PS I can send a pic or 500 of the garden and the produce - he has a special album!!"

[Raymondo]

Go Grub! I'm sure Grubetta adores the produce and is more than happy to forego the over-rated pleasure of relaxing in one's own backyard!

[Star]

I think Grubetta's write-up is excellent. : )

[cottonpicker]

GO along for the ride, Grub!!! You've got my vote but it probably won't count. So.. Strike up the band, jump on the caravan.... VOTE for Grub!!!! And, BTW.. My congrats!! to "Grubetta", your better half, for her excellent writing abilities... and... she didn't use the word "Goshdarnoodley" even once!

[Mantis]

And whats wrong with goshdarnoodley, gosh darnoodley it.

Well done Grub. Whens the first sustainable living in the burbs, coffee table book coming out

[Rena]

ITS THE YELLOW FIN .....oh my. Med rareeeeeeeee VERY COOL

[bully]

I have read it 3 or 4 times and have yet to find anything out of the ordinary.....for around here

When you win make sure you work in a plug for Tomatoville in your acceptance speech.

[chilhuacle]

Then came a brand new passion: heirloom tomatoes. Through covert internet sites tomato enthusiasts trade seeds and tips on growing magnificent old-fashioned tomatoes. With the encouragement of hundreds of like-minded tomatoholics from around the world, he has planted at least 50 different heirloom tomatos in our backyard.

I love it. Go Grub! Grubetta did a very nice job. I just want to know though, what's wrong with having 500 pictures of your babies?

[jwr6404]

GRUB
Enjoyed your post but I have a question. Perhaps I'm the only one who doesn't know what a "backyard chook" is. Could you let me know?

[Grub]

Good to be among linkeminded folk. Kind of like group therapy

Jwr,
The backyard chooks are two chickens, Isabrowns, that live in the backyard and jointly lay a dozen eggs a week, while producing fertiliser for the compost pile, and delighting in eating bugs.

Their run is quite separate to the tomatoes, though

Cheers, Grub.

[Fusion_power]

Grub,

Make an honest woman of her. She's done enough to give you get a bad case of the big head. I figure you ought to be hitched for life.

Besides, where else are you going to find someone as apt to put up with your peccadillos.

Fusion

[cdntomato]

Are you sure she'll have him? :wink:

Jennifer, single by choice

[Grub]

She's a modern-thinking tomato partner who considers we're as good as hitched. And having a scary strike-rate in the courts, she should know. Thankfullly,I don't think she'll ever lay claim to the seeds viles. But I might have exciting news for you in the not-too-distant future.

Stay tuned in Days of Our Tomato Lives...like seeds germinating in flat, so are the days of our tomato lives.

Grub, who had Golden Monarch for breakfast and will shift to Livingston's Favorites for lunch then conclude with a large ripe Polish in the afternooon for our daily post-work caprese

[cottonpicker]

grub.... Monarch>>> Livingston Favorite>> Polish progression throughout the day... Sensible man!!!

[Grub]

Hi Larry,
I'm glad you appreciate it. The thinking is: Golden Monarch's big, yellow, slightly tangy and deliciously smooth juicy slices are easy to demolish on toast before work. None too acidy. Reflectiive of the first warm hues of morning light. A comfort tomato.

A good honest red about 6-8oz, Livingston's Favorites slice up nicely and fit inside a long white roll fresh from the baker near my office. Leg ham, mustard, or corned beef and pickles may accompany this red. But its flavor still comes through loud and clear, singing the chorus: hoomegrown, homegrown, homegrown.

Then a huge fruity, juicy pink to fiinish the afternoon, like a port or a sauterne, the iciing on the cake, with more complexity (really like these Polish). Some EVOO, basil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. A few bland crackers to let the tomato talk. Polish is singing heirloom tunes.

One can't just thrown those treasures down in any order. It's a science, I tell you :wink: