Nov. 15, 2010

What were these huge, really huge turnips doing in the Friendship Trays copy room? Waiting to be copied?

Turns out they were merely photogenic reminders of a gleaning weekend, and the winners of an informal Biggest Turnip Contest.

The contest was held during last weekend's annual Greens Gleaning and Hot Dog Roast organized by the Society of St. Andrew at Caririgan Farms in Mooresville.

"Most of the participants were from Country Day School," said the Society's Marilyn Marks. "We gleaned over 4,000 pounds of turnips and turnip greens.  To that we added 800 pounds of pie pumpkins from Riverbend Farm."

Most of the gleaned turnip greens went to the Lakewood community. But about 500 pounds ended up at Friendship Trays. They'll find their way soon into recipient meals.

And as for the gargantuan turnips? Encore Catering's Chef Ami Novak said she'd make something of them – something big.