Topic: Giving it a go in 2008?

[flowerofshona2007]

I love the idea of Aubergines but have always stopped myself growing them as i just dont know how to cook them !! Back many years ago mum used to salt them to draw out the 'bitterness' and batter them (very healthy)  ;D
Can anyone convince me to try them ????

[saddad]

We use them in a variation of Tomato slop... for ratatouille etc... never bother salting..
 ;D

[Jeannine]

Many of the newer varieties don't need the salting as they are not as bitter as they once were XX Jeannine

[cleo]

Yard Long Beans will be my challenge for 2008-in the greenhouse I think.  Okra and Capers I will leave to others until someone gets a good crop.

Eristic-Lemon Grass is not too tricky,it germinates like a weed and if you can keep it growing you should have skinny plants by the end of the first year,then comes the slightly tricky stage.

Over winter it in a frost free place and keep the top soil bone dry,water very sparingly through the winter by standing your pots in a little water. I bring my indoors as low light levels do not seem to bother them.

In their second spring pot on and by the end of their second season you should have some to use and some to pot on again

[Jeannine]

Ho Cleo, is that Okra challenge good for this year, I have a few types and am one determined lady, sadly the floods beat me last year XX Jeannine

[cleo]

Ho Cleo, is that Okra challenge good for this year,

Hi-and Happy Christmas to you and yours-my word is my bond  and I don`t remember putting a time limit on it :)

[Plot69]

Has anyone seen the film "Grow your own"?

I'd like to try to grow some of the Shark Fin Melons that appear in it. Trouble is I can't seem to find anywhere I can get the seed from. I've trawled the web and can't even pin down a definite name for them. There seems to be so much confusion over latin names and most of the info I've found comes from forum posts 4 to 5 years old.

Does anyone have any clue what I'm talking about or where I can get a few seeds to try?

[Amazin]

When the film came out I trawled the web to find out more about Shark's Fin - apparently there's two things with the same name, one is the melon, the other is a type of squash as I recall.

The general concensus from my search was - go to your nearest Oriental supermarket, buy the fruit and save your own seeds!

I'll be seeking them out soon, as I'm due a visit to my 'local' to stock up on the soy sauce, etc (I go through so much of the stuff, I'm sure someone in this house is bathing in it) - there are a few Oriental suppliers, both wholesalers and retailers, within easy driving distance, so if I find the melon I'll let you know and sort you out for some seeds.

[Barnowl]

I love the idea of Aubergines but have always stopped myself growing them as i just dont know how to cook them !! Back many years ago mum used to salt them to draw out the 'bitterness' and batter them (very healthy)  ;D
Can anyone convince me to try them ????

How about trying some of the smaller varieties? Last year was our first and I grew Calliope and Little Finger in large pots. Definitely no need for salting the results.  Also they have thin skins compared to the full size varieties and can be cooked quite quickly.

The dish I cooked most often with them was a sort of quick ratatouille:

Splash some olive oil (or garlic / chilli oil) into a wok, throw in some coarsely sliced onions and chopped aubergines (and also sliced/chopped courgettes and peppers if you like them!), cook on a medium heat adding chopped garlic (if you didn't start with garlic oil) after a couple of minutes. Add more oil if it all gets absorbed.

Don't let the garlic go brown it'll make the dish taste bitter.

When the aubergines begin to go brown (or earlier if the garlic is looking iffy) add chopped tomatoes a splash of white wine and some tomato concentrate/passata and herbs to taste,  then cover and simmer for about five minutes (longer for a less crunchy result).

End by simmering for 5 minutes uncovered. Season with salt, pepper - and sugar if the tomato wasn't sweet enough) -  and serve.

Might take a couple of practice runs to get it exactly the way you like it but a bit of randomness makes life more interesting, for instance a little bit of chilli at the beginning does seem to improve the final result but might not be to everyone's taste.

[Plot69]

When the film came out I trawled the web to find out more about Shark's Fin - apparently there's two things with the same name, one is the melon, the other is a type of squash as I recall.

That's the problem I had, couldn't pin it down to one specific variety.

My Wife bought me the film on DVD and in the "Extra's" they talk about the melons saying, "all melons look pretty much the same" so they used ordinary melons in the film. So, I'm assuming the ones I'm after are actual melons and not squashes... Trouble is I can understand a squash having the properties described in the film but a melon?

so if I find the melon I'll let you know and sort you out for some seeds.

Apparently they take up a lot of space so two or three would more than suffice. Many thanks for your kind offer, I look forward to it.

I have 2 1/2 tons of GG by products already rotting down in anticipation :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

What you want is shark's fin squash, but I've no idea where to get it unless you have a Chinese supermarket nearby.

[Amazin]

they talk about the melons saying, "all melons look pretty much the same"

Good grief! Who was the horticultural advisor on the film - Monty Don?

 ;D

[Deb P]

I'd like to try to grow some of the Shark Fin Melons that appear in it. Trouble is I can't seem to find anywhere I can get the seed from. I've trawled the web and can't even pin down a definite name for them. There seems to be so much confusion over Latin names and most of the info I've found comes from forum posts 4 to 5 years old.

Does anyone have any clue what I'm talking about or where I can get a few seeds to try?

Well I can help you out there! I grew loads of them this year, and we are still eating our way through them . PM me your address and I will happily send you some after our next meal. They have distinctive big black seeds, and the fruits look like watermelons! Here is one I grew on the allotment; warning, they are very vigorous, I grew mine around the base of my sweetcorn and that worked well. My seed came from a Chinese friend at work who has grown her own and saved the seed for years.



There are a couple of links to other posts where we discussed these too...

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,91/topic,25595.0


http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,28653.msg283014/topicseen.html#msg283014

[Plot69]

  PM me your address and I will happily send you some after our next meal.

Thank you so much, I'm deeply indebted to you. If there is anything I can do in return?

[Deb P]

I'm sure I'll think of something........ :o

If anyone else would like a some Shark's Fin Melon/Squash seeds PM me. I will have to make some more soup to use them up! ;D

[flowerofshona2007]

Thanks Barnowl  :D
 I will give the little ones a go i think i have some seeds here from a magazine :)
 Funny i have tried most veggies at some time but these have been one thing
 i have shyed away from :)

[Jeannine]

Deb I would be very grateful for Sharks Fin seeds and have lots to trade you for, let me know what you enjpy growing I am bound to have it I think. Thank you so much XX Jeannine

[Rob08]

I would love to grow Okra and tried Clemsons Spineless a few times but have never managed to get it to germinate.  Anyone got any tips?

[Jeannine]

Hi Rob, I tried Okra last year along with a few other folks after Cleo offered to cook a meal for anyone who grew them, mine did grow and very well but the Hull floods finished them off, I actually got 2 fruit only.

I didn't find germination a problem. I did it a propogater in individual Jiffy pelletts and then popped the gator into the airing cupboard till they showed, then I kept them warm and gave them light.

I did find they don't like to be potted on so am doing that less this year.

I have about a dozen or so types  now and am going to try an experiment with them this year. They vary in maturity dates from 45 to 90 days so I think the short season ones will do best. I used to grow these in Canada but I got them from my garden handy man and he gave them to me as healthy plants in decent sized pots


Watch out for the Okra post as I am sure it will be just as much fun this year, it was like a race with plants popping off unexpectedly.
Fingers crossed XX Jeannine

[cleo]

And nothing would give me more pleasure than to cook a meal for friends-especially if they shared the secret of a good okra crop with me