Sunday 6 September 2009

Z overeats - or, the proof of the pudding...

It's an interesting thing - Victoria sponges or Bakewell tarts (or puddings, if you're from Derbyshire) each taste different, but a cherry cake is a cherry cake and one tastes much like another. That was the hardest - the first two tasted almost exactly alike, the third tasted the same but was slightly drier. All - there were 7 or 8 entries - tasted similar but in all but 2, all the fruit had sunk to the bottom. One was beautifully distributed and one was reasonably so. Sadly, the best looking wasn't the best tasting. This was the hardest decision of all. Marie and I deliberated, and finally gave it to the perfect looking one - it was still a good cake to eat and was, visibly, by far the best.

Anne had rather wanted us to share the items between us - one to do baking and one to do preserves, but neither of us fancied that, and we promised to hurry up and be decisive. Even so, we were diligent and examined jellies (preserves, that is, not gelatine desserts) for clarity and cakes for density and lightness of crumb before our careful tasting. Usually, we were able to decide swiftly on the top three or four, although we usually had to taste again before deciding on the final order. Marie would have overlooked the less than ideal looking entries, but I insisted on tasting everything, and indeed the best looking often wasn't the best to eat. After it was over and, having tasted 10 or 12 pickles and chutneys, faintly churny of stomach, we had a final swig of water and went for lunch - I left the ham and cheese and ate home-made onion quiche and salad, including a particularly good, fleshy yellow tomato I'm not familiar with - I'll have to ask around and see if I can find out the variety.

When all the names had been put out, I looked to see who we'd given prizes to. I was interested to see that De had won first prize for her drink for the third year. She's helped me judge for the last two years and stepped back, leaving it to me, for the class she'd entered in. She gave me no hint and I had no idea, but she won. This year, there was an elderflower cordial, two elderflower and lemon and one lemon and raspberry. The lemon and raspberry was deliciously tart, an elderflower and lemon was slightly sparkling and delicious and we tasted them a couple of times, before deciding that the lemon overpowered the raspberry and it was slightly too sour with raw lemon juice. The other was marginally sweet, but otherwise perfect and we gave it to that. Having once gained 19/20 points for my lemonade in an Area WI class, I reckon I know my soft drinks - anyway, as I say, De's was the winner as it transpired.

Ro was out on my bike (he had asked) when I arrived home. He'd gone to visit various friends, one of whose mother has just died. Another friend, who gave him a lift home from Norwich on Friday, lost his father to cancer a year ago - tough on these young men. My father died suddenly when I was 16; I miss him still, and it will be 40 years in January - and the centenary of his birth next July.

Anyway, we had an early meal of bacon (local), eggs (home-laid) and tomatoes (home grown) and I took him back to Norwich. I brought back a boxful of shot lettuces from his landladies' garden, for the bantams.

Today, there was a car treasure hunt and tea at the Rectory. I thought it my absolute duty as a good guest to eat as much as possible, since Brenda and Gill had cooked so much delicious food. I ate sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, sponge cake and fruit cake. Back to a redoubled diet tomorrow. Size 10 (English, darling American friends) has been determinedly re-won and will not be lost again.

12 comments:

Marion said...

It sounds like you had delicious food all week-end. We finished up the last of the green beans & tomatoes from a cousin's garden. Summer food is truly my favorite.

Z said...

We had the last of the outdoor tomatoes, pretty well, tonight, though there are more in the greenhouse. I love every food in season, and there's nothing to beat a summer tomato!

Jon said...

so cool that you're growing so much of your own food... i'm hoping that's in my future... good thing to be a localtarian...

Z said...

Well yes, I may have eaten a lot but at least it was all home grown or home baked!

Localtarian. Heh heh, splendid

martina said...

Sounds like a pretty tasty experience.
I don't know what size 10 UK is equal to in U.S. size but I suspect it means about a size 4 US. Was rather shocked to discover that my size 6 U.S. foot equals a 32 or 37 European.

Blue Witch said...

Sounds, erm, foodiferous!

I thought car treasure hunts had been banned? Maybe not in Norfolk. Yet.

Z said...

There's a limit of 12 cars (I think it's 12) on any one route, although you can have the same route in reverse for another 12. The organisers knew the regulations as they've done it before - they're punctilious about getting it right.

Z said...

If it would make me a size 4, Martina, I'm moving to the US. Now.

Blue Witch said...

No, I thought they'd been completely banned for safety reasons. The times I've been behind people in cars slowing down, speeding up, stopping and starting without indicating, clearly looking for landmarks/clues with no thought for other road users whatsoever (I suppose in all the excitement). There was even a crash in Local Small Village between 2 competing cars 14 years ago. Most dangerous.

I think I'm right in saying that the wording in insurance documents now makes sure there is no cover for those taking part in any sort of 'competitions' (including treasure hunts as well as rallying etc etc).

Z said...

I have just looked up the criteria and the relevant bit for rallies says -
"Your event has a fixed route which competitors are required or are likely to traverse but has no more than 12 competing vehicles. Such events are authorised automatically under Regulation 5(a) of the legislation", which is what we had. If you're going to have more than 12 vehicles, and up to 180 for day or 120 by night, you can apply for a licence.

It also suggested that casual treasure hunts, as different from rallies, were given more leeway. I also read somewhere that the average speed should not be more than 30mph.

http://www.glass-uk.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=253&Itemid=491

From an insurance website I looked at, it's clear that ordinary insurance would not cover you for rallying, but as it didn't mention a small group of people doing a non-timed treasure hunt, I can't give you an answer. The route took us on the A143 for a mile and then down quiet country roads - we certainly didn't hold anyone up and there wasn't a competitive element regarding time, only in the number of correct answers. We were timed, but this was only to make sure no one did it too fast, which would have meant disqualification.

My friends really are careful about the letter of the law and when we asked, at the time it was being set up, they had all the answers for us.

luckyzmom said...

In a box somewhere is a bunch of ribbons that I won at different events with my canning, knitting, cross stitch and paintings. It sounds to me like it would have been a whole lot more fun and less work to be a judge instead. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Blue Witch said...

Thanks for looking into that Z... I shall pass that onto the person in the village who keeps telling everyone that one can't have treasure hunts (even though they'd like to) any more and let them research it further.