Well, Wednesday was a very interesting day to put it mildly. As has been the case this summer in Ireland, the skies were blue and the sun was hot. I’m still pinching myself to be honest.  As if to underline this point, the Violet Cauliflowers have been going to seed – apparently they do this if the day time temperature is too high and the weather dry. Not really a problem normally encountered in Ireland; just trying to work out weather I should be annoyed or happy with this development.

Well we spent the morning picking blackcurrants and while we stripped the bushes of the ripe berries there is still plenty more to come. It took pretty much all morning to do this and tidy the netting away, so when done we went inside to have lunch. Over lunch The Sage kept going on about how I must have cheated on the tomato plant, that the bet should be off and other miserable excuses. It really seemed to be getting to him. Mrs Sage had the day off so we fended for ourselves and I did the washing-up. BIG mistake.

After lunch we did a tour of the plot to check up on progress.  The cabbages were coming on great and one was added to the basket to take home, courgettes were forming and there were even some prickly little cucumbers starting off. The peas were almost there too and I broke off a swollen pod and the peas tasted delicious and sweet. Nothing like peas straight out of the pod.

So back to work and thinning out some of the later leeks. Hold on a minute, I never checked on the progress of The Sage’s tomato plants. Importantly, the competition plant. The first plant had plenty of flowers but not a sign of a single tomato yet. I was surprised as this was easily the most advanced of the two. Now for the competition plant. I could not believe my eyes, not only was there a tomato there but it was bright red and definitely met the 2cm diameter requirement. I was stunned. Trust The Sage to be stringing me along over the whole of lunch when he knew that outside stood his little prized tomato.

Nothing more for it other than to get a nice new crisp €5 out my wallet. At this point a broad smile spread across the face of The Sage as he confessed that the tomato was ‘planted’ while I was doing the washing up, taking it from a tub of cherry tomatoes bought at the supermarket.  I couldn’t get a good view of the specimen and it got me hook, line and sinker. So the good news is that it looks like my nose is in front on the Tomato Challenge.

And what of The Sage? Should his name be changed to Dick Dastardly, that wicked villain from the Wacky Races? Thinking of this, Dick Dastardly and Muttley were my favourite characters from the cartoon series and I always wanted them to win. On that basis alone I will stick with the name ‘The Sage’ but I have been warned, I need to keep my wits about me.