2010 Perth Royal Show finale

3rd Place Colorful Peppers

    There are some similarities between the Perth Royal Show and the Ohio State Fair: one needs to register entries two months before the event (often leaving people to enter things that do not yet exist) and that there are so many surprises.  Take my colorful peppers (or capsicums, as they are called here) four different colors striped in a jar. Looked like candy...and lost to some drab "dilly beans".

Blue Ribbon Tangy Tomato Jam

   And then there was the tomato jam experiment. I had never heard of tomato jam before last year when a friend mentioned how much she loved it. Really? So I experimented with some cheapy grape tomatoes and made a few batches, threw out two and saved one small jar of stuff that didn't make our eyebrows curl.  And rather surprising at that seeing as how it had vodka and hot peppers in it.  Looky here, a blue ribbon! And I had no idea what I was doing or that I was leading a trend. Savory jams are becoming quite popular and next year it will be a category of its own. I am quitting while I'm ahead.  
    But it begs the question, what made this right? At the Ohio State Fair, the only feedback offered by the judges is at the time of judging. Miss that and you miss out. At Perth's Royal Show, the judges write down comments at the closed judging which contestants  pick up at the end of the fair.  This is when I will find out what was wrong with my colorful capsicum confetti relish (which did not look as mushy as the other relishes) or why my gingerbread kangaroo cookies were not up to scratch.
   And because it was asked; Yes, the Quince Strawberry Jelly of amazing clarity featured in the last blog did win the blue ribbon.  The prolific prize winner named Reuben who made it is even featured in a cooking/competition book printed locally, as are other serial ribbon grabbers.         I have a new goal in life.
   Ever watch the 1947 (or even 1962) movie, "State Fair"?  Notice how everyone dresses up to go there, especially at night? Apparently that was the case here in OZ, also.  The treasurer of the Country Women's Association commented to me how dress standards have changed, "why, we would get a NEW dress to go to the Show!"  O.K. I'm having a tough time seeing the standard fair goer donning a suit and tie or high heels with a linen dress. Does a shirt with buttons qualify as dressy now? Good, call me a Swell.

   Kev is a reluctant fair goer, even without a tie. But a free ticket and the promise of free food got him there. "Only for a couple hours, grumble grumble."  And lasted five, spent gawking at squawking poultry, daggy sheep, washed & blow-dried cows and eating all free food samples that we could get our grubby hands on. (Some things are universal regardless of what you call the fete.)

Kev at The Show / Poultry

We watched some young teens trying their hand at sheep shearing. Not as easy as the pros make it look.

Learning to shear lambs

Emu  - so not pretty

What I always wonder is why do so many animals look like a science experiment gone wrong? Especially some of the birds. Maybe butt-ugly has been their best defense for ages and now celebrated at state fairs and royal shows world wide.  Ewwwww.

Fancy decorated cakes

   Now let's talk pretty. I have always enjoyed looking at the decorated cake section of the fair. The science of baked cakes is nice enough but the fondant finery draws the bigger crowds everywhere.  I have no hope of ever diverting my creativity into a frosted delight. It's just not in my DNA. But I encourage  and enjoy it from others.

   My State Fair/Royal Show is done for this year. Now it's ten months of planning for the next one.