SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - For locally-grown vegetables, Ecology North's Fall Harvest Fair turned out an array of what some would consider mutant, and others majestic vegetable varieties.

Co-growers Catherine Pigott, left, and Tasha Stephenson, hold up their purple protege – a 3.2-kg turnip – at Ecology North's Fall Harvest Fair and Community Potluck Supper at Northern United Place on Saturday. - Charlotte Hilling/NNSL photo

On Saturday evening a large helping of Yellowknife's growers turned up at Northern United Place to pit vegetable against vegetable, chowder against chowder.

Certificates and accolades were handed out for the largest vegetables, the weirdest vegetables and best jams, pickles, pies and stews - to name just a few of the competitions.

One of the standout performers was undoubtedly the 3.2-kg turnip grown by Catherine Pigott and Tasha Stephenson on their community garden plot near Kam Lake.

Both women denied any foul play with regard to the turnip that could feed a small village for a week, saying the only additives used were soil, water, compost and manure.

The manure of a prize-winning race horse perhaps?

Pigott and Stephenson had a strategy to stifle suspicion.

"This is why we brought along the carrots to place beside it (the turnip). They're nothing spectacular. It's just to show nothing was going on," said Stephenson.

She added, "that plot did seem to do quite well though."

Another vegetable worthy of mention was the Romanesco broccoli, an Italian variety, grown and shown at the fair by Dale Johnston.

This vegetable-come-work-of-art looks like something from the Great Barrier Reef, with perfectly symmetrical spirals and an alien-like light green colouring. It looked too good to eat.

However, Johnston had a solution to the dilemma.

"We boil it whole so as not to destroy its beauty," he said.

Johnston started growing the variety of broccoli about five years ago after an Italian friend recommended he try it.

"It's much more flavourful than broccoli. The flavour is kind of like a mix between broccoli and cauliflower," he said.

While the Italian broccoli was not entered into a competition, had there been a people's choice award it surely would have been a hot favourite, with Johnston fielding questions and compliments for much of the night.

The competitions were judged by the fair attendees, all taste-testing their way around the display tables.

Among the winners was a multi-limbed carrot for weirdest vegetable, while the winners of the largest pumpkin and best pie competitions were taken by the only people who entered the categories. No surprises there.

In between the rigours of judging, gardeners enjoyed a potluck dinner and some recipe swapping.