Chinquapin Organic Gardens Potluck Picnic 2011
13th annual picnic is a delicious summertime success
The 13th Annual Chinquapin Organic Gardens Potluck Picnic on Aug. 6 was a fantastic event, with great weather, happy gardeners and award-winning gardens. As usual, the delicious potluck food was a big draw.
The annual
Tomato-Taste Off was very popular, with many entries. The judges (Matt
Humphrey, Margaret Slipek
and Leela Pereira) named the winners: • Best tasting: First place, Bob of RS4, Big Boy tomato; honorable mention, Amber Kim Dewey; first runner up, Margie Lomax; and second runner up, Brad Kukek
• Best-looking/most visually appealing: First place: Amber Kim Dewey; first runner up, Jim Toretti; and second runner up, Anne Saul
• Biggest ripe tomato: Bob of RS4, for his Beefmaster tomato that weighed almost 1.5 pounds
• Biggest tomato: Amber Kim Dewey, for her Delicious tomato, weighing more than 1.5 pounds
• Weirdest tomato: Marjorie Lomax
• Smallest ripe tomato: Neil Fine
• Exotic veggie, most photogenic: Susan Apgar, squash
• Exotic veggie, most appetizing: Terry Sykes, round zucchini
• Exotic veggie, most vibrant: Bob of RS4, cayenne peppers
• Exotic veggie, most Harry Potter-like: Gary Childs, purple carrot
Awards were
also given for Chinquapin’s best gardens. The 2011 winners
were:• Best Garden — Grand prize: Catherine Hillard (IJ1); first prize, Debra Welsh (DE5); second prize, Judith Nordin (HI1)
• Best Garden, Use of Flowers — Winner: Maxine Sorenson (OP7); first runner-up, Gary Childs (RS6); second runner-up, Bianca Beeks (UV7)
• Best Garden, Vegetable — Winner: Vitchalux Sitthidejphachon (NO8); first runner-up, Jose Lovos (HI5); second runner-up, Bonny Bell (EF7)
• Best Garden, Combination — Winner: Ginny Cady (UV4); first runner-up, Margaret Slipek (HI3); second Runner-up, Anne Brophy (ST5)
• Best Garden, Maintenance — Winner: Jean McKean (KL5)
• Most Exotic Variety — Winner: Trish Lese & Anne Saul (MN5)
• Best Melon Patch — Winner: Jeff Whisenant (DE4)
Alexandria City Councilwoman Del Pepper, who was on hand and helped award out the best garden certificates, summed up the event by saying “This is great eats! You are terrific cooks.”
Thanks to everyone who came out to the picnic and especially to the Chinquapin Organic Gardens Advisory Board and the Picnic Committee.
Check out the photos from the picnic below. If you have photos from the picnic you'd like to share, send them to Michele Late.
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Photos by Michele Late
