content from the
CambrianTimes
December 2004. Volume 14, Number 12
reprinted with permission. Copyright (c) 2004 Times Media, Inc.
|
|
| Cambrian UC Master Gardener and award winning preserver Dennis Norris shows off his homegrown peppers with Corno Di Toro and Mulato Isleno in the background. |
By Carol Rosen
Editor
Looks like it's getting to be an annual prize for Carolyn
Norris. For the second year in a row, she won blue ribbons at Cal Expo for her
jams, with fruit all grown in the Cambrian Park area. But this time the scenario
was just a bit different because she persuaded her husband Dennis, a D.C. master
gardener, to put in his own entries, which also resulted in blue ribbons. In
fact, the pair was the only couple awarded all blue ribbons out of more than 450
entries!
'People always assume that Dennis does the growing and I do the preserving. but
he is a very talented preserver and I wanted him to have his own awards,"
Carolyn said. Then, she laughed, noting that Dennis had totally outclassed her.
Having worn out the world of marmalades last year, Carolyn and Dennis began
planning their competition items last fall with peppers and mixed vegetables.
Carolyn had hoped their dying Santa Rosa plum tree would produce for another
year, so she could perfect a Santa Rosa plum rnelba. She also was searching for
the perfect apricot, since apricot is the fruit jam the couple's relatives love
to receive as gifts.
Dennis started preserving with a colorful mixed vegetable with jalapeno that has
an Italian antipasto spice to it. His next trial was jalapeno jam, which created
a lot of angst for the master gardener. He was unaware that the 2003 Cal Expo
judges were disappointed with that year's pepper entries, calling them
"lifeless."
The chili-head on the master gardeners' pepper team, he started mixing different
heats of peppers together. He tested the "spiciness" on Carolyn, who only has a
"normal-people" tolerance for beat. He didn't want to burn a judge's tongue off.
Carolyn falls ill
In March, Carolyn fell ill with double pneumonia and blood clots. After a bout
in the hospital, she came home "dragging oxygen sound the house with her all of
the time." However, it didn't take long to figure out the length of time she
could be off the oxygen while standing over their gas stove. Once she'd solved
that problem, the two were back at preserving once again.
Just about that time, the plum tree was covered with plums, and the two couldn't
keep their hands off them. Dennis made the first attempt at Santa Rosa plum
melba, but added a little too much raspberry to the mix-leaving plum as the
background flavor.
"The plum turned out to be the background flavor and boosted the raspberry
flavor to the point that it tasted like raspberry jam on steroids. We rationally
dubbed it Raspberry Surprise," said Carolyn. She later came back with a more
gentle seedless version, and felt she had it nailed with just a gentle nudge of
raspberry flavor. The rest was up to the judges
 |
| Six out of six first place ribbons from the California State Fair surround the special Mized Pickled Vegetables with Jalapenos that rated a 100 point first place at the Santa Clara County Fair. |
Apricot jam
Both were interested in making apricot preserves. Their first batch was a full
sugar version that was way too sweet. And, they were out of apricots. No sooner
had they decided not to submit an apricot, the neighborhood came to their
rescue. Ken and Janet Newcomb, who live down the block, called to see if the
Norris' wanted any of the Moorepark apricots their grandson had harvested.
Carolyn created a low-sugar version, "that simply screamed apricot."
The final entry was a Mission fig jam from fruit grown on a Willow Glen tree.
Rich and meaty, its taste is wonderful, even for those who aren't fig addicts.
"We couldn't actually attend the California State Fair this year, so we had to
ship our entries. Packing the 12 jars as though we were shipping eggs, and
hopping they would arrive in one piece was as stressful as the competition
itself. All we could do after that was to sit and wait for the judging results
to show up on the computer. Our eyes almost glazed over when we found that all
six of our entries had made first place."
What Carolyn doesn't mention above is that all entries are also judged on
neatness and appearance. Their fear in shipping the bottles was that perhaps one
would break and scatter jam or preserves or pepper flavoring all over the other
jars. They were very lucky in that everything arrived in one piece and as
attractive as it was prior to packaging.
Any entry with a total score of over 90 is awarded a first place. When the grade
sheets arrived by mail, it turned out that Dennis had received all 100s and
Carolyn got two 90s and one 100. He actually scored higher than she did. Judges
comments of "excellent" were frequent. "I think I have created a monster," she
says laughing. "I may never live this one down!"
Again, Cambrian Park has taken consistent top scores to show the rest of the
state Santa Clara County's talent. Who ever said this area used to be the Valley
of Heart's Delight. "I think that Santa Clara County remains 'the Valley of
Heart's Delight.' The orchards are simply divided by fences now," Carolyn said.