You might see Ponderosa Pinks, Early Girls, perhaps some Cherokee Purples on Saturday at the Fullerton Aboretum, Orange County's largest botanical garden and host of the annual Tomato Tasting and Sizzlin' Summer Salsa Contest.
Urban farmers will show off their crops while the rest of us taste and judge. Contestants should place home-grown tomatoes in clearly labeled bags and bring them to the tasting tables, where they will be cut up for sampling and voting.
Salsa will be divided into three categories: "wimpy or mild and mannerly"; "Now you're talkin'!" (medium to hot); and "hot cha cha cha!" (bring a fire extinguisher). Salsas must be made with home-grown tomatoes and peppers. Competitors should provide three 2-ounce containers of salsas and four cups for guests to taste.
The tasting runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fullerton Arboretum, 1899 Associated Road. Go to the open pavilion of the arboretum's Orange County Agricultural and Nikkei Heritage Museum. Admission is free but donations are welcome. Information: (657) 278-4010.
-- Lisa Boone
Photo credit: Fullerton Arboretum
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