Selbourne festival of flavour
Annette Reid harvests tomatoes in preparation for last years festival
MARCH 2017 | Lorraine Clarke
WHEN MOSES led his people to the Promised Land in about 1500BC, they were fed on manna dropped from heaven for 40 years, but the ungrateful lot only hankered after the garlic they had left behind in Egypt.
People have been hankering for garlic ever since.
As we all know, tomatoes and garlic are a flavour marriage made in heaven, about which even the ancient Egyptians knew nothing.
Discerning afficionados can sample the best of both at the 3rd annual Tasmanian Garlic & Tomato Festival at 338 Four Springs Road, Selbourne on Sunday 19th March.
Gates open at 9.00am for this great family day out in Tassie’s incomparable countryside.
Skip breakfast and treat your tastebuds to a day-long feast of locally grown gourmet foods!
Who could resist Vegie Sliders, pancakes with fruit and cream, Rare Breed pork sausages, authentic Paella, artisan flavour-infused salts, seeds roasted in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, garlic chocolate (!!), golden honey, ice creams, fruit preserves, cheese and truffle oil fondue, seafoods, baked delights, and to wash it down, local beers, wines and kombucha.
Here’s your chance to get advice from featured speaker Angus Stewart of ABC’s Gardening Australia!
Head Chef Sam Pinkard will lead a forage for garden ingredients, then prepare dishes from them.
Well-known organic gardener and author Steve Solomon will dispense vegetable growing wisdom at the “Stop & Chat” Marquee.
Acoustic guitarist Matthew Dames will provide live music. A Children’s Play Area and Treasure Hunt will cater for those less absorbed by the produce stalls.
Pit your growing and cooking skills against others by entering your Biggest or Ugliest Tomato, your choicest Hardneck Garlic, your lushest Tomato Relish or Salsa, zingiest Garlic Pesto, slurpiest soup, your neatest Garlic Plait!
Under-tens can enter their Best Vegetable Character (including garlic &/ or tomato). Enter your favourite project in the Garlic & Tomato Art section.
WOW the judges with your 3 best samples of the same named variety of either garlic or tomatoes! For the stout of heart, there is the 60-second “Garlic Eating” contest How many cloves can you do?
Take a bushwalk, or a guided Farm Tour with Annette Reed, to taste-test the 50 varieties of Heritage Tomatoes grown there.
Local stalls will offer potted plants, Biochar, handmade soaps, seeds, handicrafts and more.
For lots more information about the event, competition rules and directions to the Festival, you can visit http://tasmaniangarlicandtomatofestival.weebly.com/.
Photo | Mike Moores
