Sunday, October 14, 2007

Apples on Parade

As mentioned below, I really dislike crowds. And waiting in line. So why would I subject myself to two events that required both, all in one weekend? Well, the answer to why I attended the first event is that I love my husband (and, to a lesser extent, beer). The second event is somewhat of a family tradition (my son is insisting) and I love apples (still not as much as my husband, though perhaps a little more than beer). Especially when I can get heirloom and odd varieties for just 79 cents a pound.

You may have already surmised that it must be time for the annual Portland Nursery Apple Tasting, and you would be, as the English are fond of saying, "spot on." Though this year I opted out of the standing-in-line-to-taste-apples part and went straight to those lovely bins, where I loaded up several bags of my favorite apples from years past and sat in the sun to wait for the rest of the crew to find me.

For the record, the favorites in the tasting were Melrose, Spartan and Elstar, with Melrose the only one available for sale. With a few of those and my bags of Mutsus and Empires, we headed home, discussing what would be the best and highest use for each of them. The apples will be available for sale this week at the nursery, with another tasting scheduled for this weekend.

Details: Portland Nursery 20th Annual Apple Tasting. Oct. 19-21, 10 am-5 pm; free. Portland Nursery, 5050 SE Stark St. Phone 503-231-5050.

2 comments:

Loo said...

Ahhh, apples. Divine. I too am crowd-phobic but would brave it for apples. There is an apple back east that we can't get here called the Cortland. I am drooling just thinking about it. And also the famous apple cider doughnuts that Vermont specializes in...

Might need to make me some pie now!

Kathleen Bauer said...

I was just thinking of pie when you wrote in...the smell of it wafting through the house, the expectant expressions on my family's faces (or is that ravenous?). Good idea!