Vegetable Taste Tests

& Chef Preferences

Lane SelmanOregon State University

Scott DolichPark Kitchen and Bent Brick

Jaret FosterPortland Farmers Market

www.ospud.orghttp://eorganic.info/novic/

www.ospud.org

• 2-year Western SARE funded project (2006-2008)

• 11 organic farms in PNW

• On-farm potato trials• nutrient/insect/disease

• Participatory process

• 2nd year: added variety trials and taste testing

• Slow Food and Organicology

• 4-year OREI-funded project

• OSU, Cornell, University of Wisconsin and Organic Seed Alliance and 30 organic farms

• Goal: increase access to organic seed

• Breeding for season extensionbroccoli, butternut, snap

peas, carrots, sweet corn, peppers, chicory, kale

• On-farm variety trials of existing varieties and breeding lines http://eorganic.info/novic/

Key Traits for Variety SelectionAlternative to Gypsy F1

Early, cold-tolerant Bell or Italian

OP varieties preferred

Varieties Gypsy (Territorial)

Symmetry (Foundhorn)

Reliably Red (Foundhorn)

Gatherer’s Gold (Wild Garden)

Joelene’s Red (Wild Garden)

Little Bells (Wild Garden)

Stocky Red Roaster (Wild Garden)

King Crimson (High Mowing)

Shepard’s Ramshorn (Adaptive)

Lipstick Pimento (Oakhill)Frank Morton (Wild Garden Seed) and John Eveland (Gathering Together Farm)

Germination Vigor Plant Canopy Plant Architecture Days to first ripe Plant height & width Disease Susceptibility Yield Fruit length and width Fruit wall thickness

Evaluation Criteria

Andrew Still (Adaptive Seeds), Laurie McKenzie and Jim Myers (Oregon State University)

Roasted SampleWhole

Visual

Sautéed Sample

Raw Sample

Halved Visual

Variety Name

Gatherers G

old

Gypsy

Symm

etry

King C

rimson

Stocky Red R

...

Lipstick

Shedpards R...

Little Bells

Joelenes

Reliably R

ed

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

7

4

3

5

7

5

6 6

8

5

NOVIC Pepper TastingTabla Bistro -- October 2011

Q1

MIN

MEAN

MAX

Q3

Ove

rall

Liki

ng (S

cale

1-9

)

SUMMARY Matured with Gypsy (102 days) Very uniform fruits Very few culls High yielding Good canopy Organic seed (Wild Garden Seed) OP variety Rated 2nd at tasting

What makes you prefer one variety over another? 

How do you evaluate flavor?

What specific traits do you look for in a vegetable? 

Where are the gaps in what is currently available?

What should breeders focus on?

Questions for Chefs