Garnish Opinions

Fred,
We took our daughter with us when we entered Plant City which was KCBS. She loves garnishing. I just like to see good food arranged neatly and cleanly, but that's just another aspect of appearance too. What I don't understand is why the limitation on the type of greens you can garnish with. I think that should be left open to the individual. Sometimes it's just hard to find pretty leaf lettuce or parsley, and maybe there would be nice red leaf available. I agree that sculpting and anything that will give off the identity of the team shouldn't be allowed.
Anyway, I kind of feel that there is too much importance added to the garnishing aspect and don't really understand how it can help or hinder the judges taste of the product.

That's just my 1/2 sense!
Peggy

Peggy, I know where you are coming from, it een gets harder when you going somewhere way out of town, like the royal last year. I must hae stopped about 3 times on the way there the last day before I found something halfway decent, the good thing I found out after the fact was that they sold lettuce there, but I deffinitely would like to see it taken out all together. I think alot of people actyually use it to hide parts of their meat turn-in.

Don't stop on the way to Sebring this week,unless you want salad for lunch.

Tom-Fl

I personely have no problem with having the choice of using garnish that KCBS allows, no garnish is allowed also.

As a KCBS Rep I get to see lots of turn-in boxes, what some folks are doing is quite simple but very well done. Yes it takes more time and you do need to think it out but the use of garnish can be used to make a much better presentation.

Each sanctioning body has it's own tradition and KCBS is the use of garnish, I just don't see it as a problem, I see it as a chance to set my turn-in apart if done well.

Jim

Tom, I just got myself enetered into sebring this weekend, so I'm hoping you guys take it easy on me....

Don,
Hope you do well there. You're sure to enjoy yourself!
Peggy

Don,
One tip:
Stay out of Barbara's way on the turn-ins!!!
Good luck to all at Sebring.
Peggy

Peggy,
more garnish choices would make it more interesting, but could run the risk of marking. Finding good lettuce can be a real problem, certain times of the year. We try to get it and prep it before we head to the contest. That way we don't have to worry about finding it on the road or worry with prep once we are at the contest.

Don,good to see ya in there,except you always make it tougher.

Come on by for some good luck Hoppin' John and cornbread Friday night.

Tom-Fl

I'm in favor of the garnishing the way it is now. I wouldn't want to make it a free-for-all, or all the boxes would look like the anything butt entries, but garnishing is an important skill if you're selling your food, so why not practice it at contests. The first taste is with the eyes.

Also, those of us lucky enough to have FE-100's aren't as pressed for time during the turn-ins, so the garnishing gives us something to do.

During the wait before turn-in,
I like to clean the box of fingerprints and smudges. I like the clean look of a nice white box with beautiful bbq in it! I just think the meat looks great without a bunch of salad around it. But I think if any garnish is allowed, all garnish should be allowed. Why are green leaf lettuce, parsley(flat or curled), and cilantro the only ones chosen? If you like to garnish that is a limitation on the artistic side. And if you think your meat looks prettier with a garnish, and you feel that gives you an edge, then you should allow others to garnish as they wish.
I think it should just be the meat. Or the meat and whatever you want to garnish with.