Flavour plus festival
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MARCH 2016
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“THE THING I love most,” says Annette Reed of Tasmanian Natural Garlic and Tomatoes, “is watching people’s faces as they taste one of our tomatoes for the first time. They can hardly believe they’ve just eaten a tomato that tastes so good.” Top chefs agree. Although they began selling their heirloom tomatoes at Launceston’s Harvest Market and Hobart’s Farm Gate Market, their produce was soon noticed by local chefs and is now sold to top end restaurants and specialty stores throughout Tasmania.
Recently, their yield has begun making its way to Sydney to supply what is reputed to be the leading restaurant in the world, ‘Noma’. Noma set up a pop up restaurant in Sydney for summer and has a list of 27,000 people waiting to eat there.
Grown using organic methods the Reed’s are also experimenting with biological preparations. “As they are being planted we innoculate all our tomato plants with different microorganisms. The theory is that the good bacteria multiply around the roots and make it harder for the bad bacteria to come in and take hold,” explains Nevil. The results speak for themselves. Despite the adverse conditions of this season the 2,000 tomato plants grown this year, some under plastic and some in the paddock, look surprisingly healthy and are laden with fruit. The 50+ tomato varieties, every shape and colour imaginable, are interspersed with vegetable plantings all displaying vibrant health and vitality.
For your chance to experience a taste sensation and look at how top-class organic crops are grown, head along to the Tasmanian Garlic and Tomato Festival to be held on the Reed’s property on the 20th March from 10:00am to 3:30pm.
The idea for the festival was born as part of a project Annette completed during her role as 2014’s Tasmanian Rural Woman of the Year.
The major beneficiary of the festival is Tasmanian charity ‘Rural Help at Hand’ who’s volunteers also help run the festival.
“One of the features of the day is a big tomato and garlic tasting marquee,” says Annette. People can taste test over 60 different types of tomato and vote for their favourite, then a winner is chosen. The fun doesn’t end there with all manner of activities, competitions and eating opportunities being made available on the day.
A small number of food and beverage providers will set up shop. “Our focus is on quality rather than quantity,” explains Annette. There will be farm tours, bush-walks, an art competition, fun runs, kids activities and raffles.
Bring your own tomatoes or garlic along by 11:00am to enter the biggest, ugliest, tastiest or unusual competitions.
Listen to a wealth of knowledge from guest speakers such as Tino Carnevale from ABC’s Gardening Australia program or get some tips on cooking from Sylvia Devlin from Sylvia’s Kitchen. Nevil says last year the garlic eating competition was a lot of fun. “There were people with tears streaming down their faces.”
The festival will be held at the Reed’s property ‘Halfway’, 338 Four Springs Road, Selbourne from 10:00am to 3:30pm on 20th March. Visit the website for more details http://tasmaniangarlicandtomatofestival. weebly.com/
Article sponsored by Corisa and Adam Boscoe, Hagley General Store.
[udesign_icon_font name="fa fa-camera" color="#000000"] Mike Moores
