Wanted - Ten easy Manband related quiz questions

[Mark Davies]

Who was it going on about Blue/black potatoes the other day? I thought StEvil, but can't see the message.
I had some the other day, peculiar things.

I saw a cooking programme recently where someone made mash from these. It ended up as a grey gloop, that someone else described as wallpaper paste.

[Stephen Barstow]

Who was it going on about Blue/black potatoes the other day? I thought StEvil, but can't see the message.
I had some the other day, peculiar things. Not like your purple carrots, or purple podded peas that go to a "normal" colour when cooked (orange and green). These tates stay a bluey-purpley-black colour, all the way through, and retain the colour on the plate. Taste like potatoes, but don't look like them.. Came from Norway, where they're suposed to grow best in the long cool summer days..  

I might well have mentioned the Norwegian Blue, but going on about it...?

It has been recorded on these pages that I am the Norwegian expert on the Peruvian Blue potato and custodian of the national collection. It's time after 10 years to put matters right. Neither am I Norwegian, nor am I expert on the Peruvian Blue. I'm not Peruvian either - how would I have been knighted in that case? Anyway, may I introduce myself as expert and custodian of the Norwegian Bl? Kongo potato, and indeed many other wierd and wonderful Norwegian vegetables. See http://www.skogoglandskap.no/slideshows/1200481933.29/slideshow_view/11. Incidentally, I brought some seed potatoes with me on one of my raids to the old kingdom to see the Manband.

It didn't take long for our IPR to be violated and a Staffordshire company to introduce the blue crisp : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2636939.stm - as if this was some kind of brilliant idea that they had come up with? At least 10 years previous to this, I served up not only blue chips, but also blue mashed potatoes, much to the horror of vegetable hater Rover's parents.... Note that the Staffordshire company is based in Leek...now don't get me onto the subject of leeks or I will go on.....

By the way, there is no point in fighting it (Rover, are you listening?), but it's a fact of life that all discussion boards evolve sooner or later into Vegetable discussion boards.... I even hear that Rover grew a vegetable this year. Get it off your chest, Rover - tell us...we may be able to help...

Oh and one more thing - Pete T mentions black potatoes - we have those too; they're called Shetland Blacks; Shetland is still as you know the furthest west island in Norway.

[mikes]

Fantastic! I never knew how far Norway stretched out to the west!    One can never learn enough. Many thanks, StEvil!

[Pete T]

StEvil,
Thanks for that, interesting site. Is there an English version somewhere? We're having a "Tattie Fest" in Kinlochbervie in nov, would be interesting to show some printouts. I was involved with the UK national willow collection, before I saw sense and came north.

Hell, we're nearly neighbours, here in The Southlands..

[Trevor Barstow]

I even hear that Rover grew a vegetable this year. Get it off your chest, Rover - tell us...we may be able to help...

I didn't grow any vegetables on my chest this year.

[Nick Nation]

Marvellous stuff, gang!

So Jules...in answer to your original post, I guess the answer to a question utilising the above few posts could be 'Freedom Fries', although I'm intrigued as to how you're actually going to word it.

You can smoke them too...

....as in 'Mellow Yellow' I believe.

On the same sleeve is that a cutout of MM? He's the only one that doesn't move.

In fact he does move, Mr D...I refer you to the pic in the 'Keep On Crinting' booklet...although the chief suspect in the 'Who Shot MJ' case is looking even more suspect...

Must say that I don't like bananas. Or the smell. And the texture. Or beetroot. Parsnips, turnips and avocado. Parmesan cheese smells of sick.

[Jules]

Parmesan cheese smells of sick.

Not if you grate it fresh.

The cheese that is, not the vomit. Grating fresh vomit, now that would be close to the top of my gross out list. At least it would do away with the diced carrots look though. 

[Nick Nation]

Grating fresh vomit, now that would be close to the top of my gross out list.   

Yes, especially as you'd have to let it dry out first.

Chunder And Lightning Kid!

[mikes]

It could be alright if vomit's taking the easy way out again. Err 

[Stephen Barstow]

StEvil,
Thanks for that, interesting site. Is there an English version somewhere? We're having a "Tattie Fest" in Kinlochbervie in nov, would be interesting to show some printouts. I was involved with the UK national willow collection, before I saw sense and came north.

Hell, we're nearly neighbours, here in The Southlands..

Dear Southerner,

I'm at 63.5N, you are really in the deep south - Scourie wasn't it? A mere 58.3 or so I think! I incidentally cycled past Scourie in the pouring rain on the way to Durness ca. 1977....

This reminds me of visiting a bar in Taynuilt, Argyll some while ago now around mid-summer. The barman sneared at us and muttered something about sassenachs and how we'd not be used to it being light that time in the evening... The laugh was on us when we told him that where we lived we didn't see stars at all for 4 months or so in the summer...

Anyway, to Solanum tuberosum. A good starting point is the Nordic Gene Bank (Nordgen) - they are responsible for the Doomsday seed vault on Svalbard. In Nordic meetings, the language is usually English if Finns are present... Therefore, there's also an English version of the Nordgen pages. Here's the main potato page:

http://www.nordgen.org/index.php/en/content/view/full/309/

A book has been produced on heritage Nordic potatoes (it has an English summary of each variety):
http://www.nordgen.org/index.php/en/Vaexter/Innehaall/Plant-material/Potato/Nordic-Potato-Book

Another good European resource is the the European Cultivated Potato Database (link to the Bute Blue potato): http://www.europotato.org/display_description.php?variety_name=Bute%20Blue

I'm responsible for the Norwegian Seed Savers, a group of amateur gardeners who have adopted various old vegetable varieties and are conserving them by growing. See http://www.nordgen.org/ngdoc/plants/hillerod/abstracts/Norwegian_Seed_Savers.pdf

Otherwise, yes I did have a (heritage) banana in my garden this summer, not much in the way of fruit though (should I mulch it with chest hairs perhaps, Rover?)

Re- Willows: Do you have a source of Salix pulchra - the one which the Inuits harvested shoots of and served up in seal blubber or such like?

Jules: Could you set up a Manfan plant and seed exchange category for us?

[Martin Daughton]

Just to be contraversial and bring us back on thread:
Did you get enough questions Jules?

What is the only track to appear both on a Man 45 and a Deke 45?

[Mike Morgan]

I'm fairly sure that Stephen (Steven?) Fry said on QI that if something has seeds on the inside - like a tomato - it's a fruit.  Unlike a strawberry which has seeds on the outside and is a fruit.  Perhaps I should stop now.  Well apart from mentioning 3-2.  Thank you and goodnight Cardiff City!

"Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not treating a tomato like fruit".  Attributed to someone clever who's name I can't remember.

[Nick Nation]

Aha! I see the Man Quiz is go go go....well done Jules, fruit/vegetable debate neatly avoided and George's myspace address updated. Groovy baby!