Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: strawberry1 on August 16, 2017, 10:11:34
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Alexander F1 and how well they have performed, started much earlier than all others on the site. I planted them through weed fabric and the moisture has remained in the soil. They have now slowed down and are producing mostly male flowers , so are tired. I could feed them and perk them up but my plans include a green crop and phacelia fits in my rotation. So these last few courgettes will be left two more days and they will be out to make compost in my hotbin. I have processed vast numbers for the freezer, along with green beans, ratatouille and I will be fed all winter. It has been manic picking but I am ready to slow down too
I have limited space, only 6 viable raised beds for veg on my plot 8 x 4 and no dig so green manure is vital, chopped down, turned over and covered, so easy
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I'm still picking every day from my three plants, Cavili, Sure Thing and Friulana Rugosa. Luckily my main 'takers' are back from their holidays now so don't have to spend so much time in the kitchen cooking and freezing them. The Cobra and Superstar beans are finished too - have frozen enough to last till next year!
Tricia :wave:
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Stocked the freezer, ate them every other day, gave millions away, then they went quiet apart from a few 'marrows' which went on the compost heap. Then after those couple of wet days they are coming back with a vengeance. I was going to pull the plants but the butternut have got themselves intertwined. So I will leave them to their own devices and dig the lot back in when the squash get harvested. Much nicer things to eat now, tomatoes, sweetcorn, beans, carrots and kale also the salad spuds are ready to pull up.
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Its wierd but I think I am tired of picking, the stuff that needs to be picked within a short time frame. I love putting the raised beds to green manure and then to cover and sleep. I am tempted to start taking out today but will sit on my hands until tomorrow, anyway my hotbin is pretty full and needs to sink down but I am ready as are the courgette plants
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I compromised and gave them more space by taking the middle one out and gave the remaining two a good drink of comfrey water. Only because my hotbin is full again and I am waiting for room, having taken some out of the bottom earlier today. It will be interesting to see if the small remaining courgettes grow bigger quickly or not
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I've taken out my 6 Parador yellow courgette plants. in the last week the few fruit that were being produced were pitted with green pits and looked terrible. I've already made 69 jars of the 2 courgette based chutneys and have enough in the freezer for another 25 so I'm quite happy to see the back of them.
The "free-range" Sungold tomatoes are really taking off now and giving 2kg every 2 to 3 days, so I've got my work cut out dealing with those!
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pescador, what do you do with the tomatoes? I have 3 sunset plants but they are all becoming orange at the same time. Luckily I do have freezer space now as I transferred a lot of produce to the overflow small chest freezer in the garage, which is now absolutely full to the brim. Maybe I will just bag and freeze them, will be nice gently cooked with an egg or on a pizza. I cannot be bothered with tomato sauce, was different when I had big red juicy tomatoes
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My courgettes have been rubbish so far-loads and loads f leaves but very few fruit.they are mostly diNizza round ones-won't be growing those again!
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Hi Strawberry, apart from the ones used fresh I make loads of Tomato, Basil and Chilli Sauce. I refer to it as a "grown-up ketchup"!
It's excellent as a dip, ketchup or ingredient (e.g. spread on a pizza base instead of tomato puree, it gives the whole thing a real lift!)
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Mine have been so poor this year that we haven't even managed to get sick of them... and only have about 6 a week to give away..
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Has anyone tried this- http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/zucchini-slice/eb7eed59-5f53-4f6f-bfb5-9b7e3f81a702 (http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/zucchini-slice/eb7eed59-5f53-4f6f-bfb5-9b7e3f81a702) We leave out the flour. it's really nice and freezes great!
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Thank you that sounds good, I will make it later hopefully :)
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Thank you that sounds good, I will make it later hopefully :)
Hope you like it- I also forgot to mention that we often miss out the onions and add grated carrot for a more attractive and tasty alternative...
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Have just checked out the link - 'down under' one courgette (zucchini) costs A$1.00 on special offer!!
This is similar to what I make and freeze quite frequently. I call it a pastry-free quiche and often add fried off mushrooms and some herbs.
Tricia :wave:
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Not a good harvest here and they think it is Autumn as the leaves are turning yellow already, despite being fed regularly :(
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Planted 6 plants this year as the 4 I did last year didn't give me much. WOW! I have them coming our of my ears! Keeping family, neighbours and work colleagues fully supplied too. They now have lots of white powdery mildew so will probably be digging them up this weekend. It's been an exceptional year for many this including 206lb Kestrel pots.
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Have just checked out the link - 'down under' one courgette (zucchini) costs A$1.00 on special offer!!
This is similar to what I make and freeze quite frequently. I call it a pastry-free quiche and often add fried off mushrooms and some herbs.
Tricia :wave:
We call it "ozzie slice"
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No, no, no, there is only one way that courgettes should be eaten, all these flash recipes look good but very, very thinly sliced chucked into hot olive oil and viciously fried with onion, garlic and chopped chorizo, bung in an anchovy and you are ready to go. Oh, getting hungry now, better go and knock up a snack with todays pickings.
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My courgettes have only just got going properly the last week or so, but now I'm cutting the things every day. Lots of flowers on my runner beans but still no beans. Still waiting for my first ripe tomato, but I did notice a very slight change in colour on one or two of them yesterday. Maybe I'm just impatient ;)
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No, no, no, there is only one way that courgettes should be eaten, all these flash recipes look good but very, very thinly sliced chucked into hot olive oil and viciously fried with onion, garlic and chopped chorizo, bung in an anchovy and you are ready to go. Oh, getting hungry now, better go and knock up a snack with todays pickings.
Sounds fantastic! Simpler still, cut them lengthways into 1cm or so thick strips, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and chargrill them on the BBQ or a stovetop grill pan until they get nicely caramelized...
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No, no, no, there is only one way that courgettes should be eaten, all these flash recipes look good but very, very thinly sliced chucked into hot olive oil and viciously fried with onion, garlic and chopped chorizo, bung in an anchovy and you are ready to go. Oh, getting hungry now, better go and knock up a snack with todays pickings.
Sounds fantastic! Simpler still, cut them lengthways into 1cm or so thick strips, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and chargrill them on the BBQ or a stovetop grill pan until they get nicely caramelized...
This is my favourite too, although I cut them thinner. Cooked really fast like Ace says so they caramelise but don't go soggy.
They take spices and herbs and other flavourings really well. I love adding Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, rosemary and garlic, or ras-el-hanout mix when they are nearly done. A touch of cinnamon is also surprisingly good.
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Lots of flowers on my runner beans but still no beans.
Now here's a funny thing. My mate on the next plot planted the same variety as me within 2 days, He has millions of beans I have flowers. I noticed the other day he was spraying his beans with a hand held water spray. I asked what he was doing and he said 'setting' the flowers. I have never heard of this and have never done it to my own, plenty of bees from the hives to do the business so I thought. Anyway I gave one wigwam a spray and now it is miles ahead of the other 3 with beans galore. Has anybody else done/heard of this?
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Yes, me. Think my father told me years ago. I use a watering can and kind of spray it up and down the bean plants, as well as watering the roots. But my French beans have done better than the runners this year.
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Regarding the courgettes, I would (have!) tidied up the scorched brown leaves, mildewy green leaves, and any that are blocking the path,fellow curcubits etc and this will allow the rain (we have had plenty!) to continue to sustain the root area.Hopefully you would have pre-loaded with enough manure/compost before planting. There could be 2 more months of production to be had, early frosts not withstanding." You simply cannot have too many courgettes" !! My neighbours just love 'em.
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I have really not had many at all this year. On my little allotment they are coming at about 2 or 3 a week, and at home we have had 2 fruit so far!!!! It has been too dry here I think. I do have a pattytpan squash in with the pumpkins though and that is giving lots of fruit, I think the pumpkins keep the ground cool and damp. Had a few cukes too, which were actually very nice and not bitter. Think they were marketmore. I usually have better luck with yellow courgettes (Sun something, sunbeam? sunburst?" but they didn't sprout this year so I have Nero di Milano. A bit disappointed as they are usually my most successful crop! But it's been an odd year weatherwise.
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The courgettes are out and I managed to chop more than one plant up to get them into the hotbin, remarkably the hotbin was steaming hot and had sunk to half full, from full, in 36 hours. The other 3/4 plant is chopped and under cover, ready to feed the hotbin monster tomorrow evening. Last three courgettes are in and the soil underneath is lovely, very crumbly, so a perfect thing to do today, remove the weed fabric, rake and sprinkle phacelia, which is in early enough to give me a good green manure for winter and to boot, soil moisture is perfect and the sun is shining with showers
Beans will be next but they will be kept to the end. Very good crop of moonlight. Not many flowers now but healthy plants and many tiny beanlets