Red and yellow and pink and green....

[Mrs Ava]

Decided today to start bringing in the squash bounty as the plants are really starting to go over, and I have started to notice a lot of snails about!  This is about half the collection, there are still loads on the plot, but they are smaller and still a little on the soft side, so I thought I would leave them to ripen a little more.

- couple of marrows
- mammoth courgettes for autumn use (apple used for scale)
- a pretty little Pumkin Pie squash
- a trio of gargantuan white volunteer courgettes for winter use
- red kuri
- Queensland Blue (thanks Moggle)
- pink banana.....altho more yellow than pink
- ornamental guords...masses of these, shame you can't eat them!
- baby green hubbard
- not certain, thought it was one of the chioggia as they are warty, but couldn't find a piccy, and of course, couldn't find a label on the allotment!
- Black Futsu
- Vit d'etemps squash.  The skin on these appear to have scratches, but as they are all alike, I guess that is how they are meant to look!
- Cobnut - one of the butternut gang.  This piccy doesn't do it justice as it is a lovely shade of creamy yellow.
- a pair of trombolinos.  These were hanging and they are so heavy I thought it best to cut them down now and let the plants energy zoom into the two that remain.
- and here is the whole gang!

[Mrs Ava]

[busy_lizzie]

What a fabulous collection EJ.  Do you ripen them in your greenhouse? busy_lizzie

[spacehopper]

Great harvest. I can't wait to grow more squash next year. ;D

[lorna]

Emma WOW what a collection indeed!!  I have to admit that over half of them I have never seen!!! Brilliant results and what  results from your had work. Lorna.

[slug_hunter]

Nice squash, I had 5 courgette plants in the garden and they gave us plenty of courgetted for a few months!!!
I have had an allotment since june and put some in down there in the bit i weeded first so I have more courgettes growing now  ;D
How long do the marrow sized ones keep for? (I might let some go bigger again)

Chris

[Maddy]

Another fantastic collection  :)

M.

[tim]

No 1 daughter would love that lot for her still-lifes, Emma.
I shall be interested to hear how the White Volunteer eat - they, & White Bush, seem to stay more solid than the standard types.

As said, we've 'had' courgettes & have let them grow on for the winter.

[Debs]

E J ,

Fabulous.

Debs.

[Roy Bham UK]

 ::) Words fail me again Emma Jane ;D

[Doris_Pinks]

Cor looking forward to picking mine now EJ!  Brilliant!

[Moggle]

They all look so good  ;D Especially the Queensland Blue which I am extremely envious of, mine have done really badly and I don't think I will end up with a fruit :'( Oh well there's always next year!

[dibberxxx]

wow what a collection weldone would not no how to cook or what to do with some of them , but i am sure you do weldone

[Mrs Ava]

Thanks everyone.  My darling Ava helped me pick the 2 giant pumpkins yesterday - I shall have to take a photo.  We kept finding more and more squashes as we looked around, suprising how they hide in the undergrowth!

BL, they live in my conservatory.

[jaggythistle]

  Very very nice Emma.....along with dibber I would not know how to cook them
  what is the taste like anyone.....???  don't say tastes of vegetable!! ;D ;D

[Mrs Ava]

I grow them for fun as well as for the plate Jaggy.  The kids and my darling love to see them, they are so tactile, and of course, lots of fun come halloween!

Cobnut is similar to a butternut so has dense sweet yellow flesh.  Some of the pumkins are more watery than others, but all make great soups, or sweet pies.  The courgettes, even now super sized, will have a watery bland texture, similar to that of marrow, great for stuffing with a spicy well flavoured mix as the flesh absorbs the flavour excellently and can become quite creamy when cooked.  Also, the big round marrow is destined to become one of my most favourite sweet preserves ever, marrow and ginger jam!  The Kuris are dense and have a nutty flavour, good in curries, or cut into small cubes and fried until golden brown and slightly caramalised.

My lot don't really eat them, altho they do love curried pumpkin soup, so often it is hidden in dishes like curries and chillis, but for me, I enjoy them all, and cook my own seperate dinners......I'm afraid I frequently cook 3 different meals every evening!

[Jill]

Purple and orange and blue.  EJ You domestic and lottie goddess you.  They look fabulous.

[MagpieDi]

Just amazing EJ !   I love the UGLY ones !   ;)   ;D

[dibberxxx]

well i no that feeling Ej cooking separate meals, 6 alltoghter in our family and can only cook one meal that everyone like a roast dinner , some night i cook 3 or 4 different meals ,

[BAGGY]

How many plants of each do you grow ?  I would like to do more next year but the seeds are so expensive and you end up with lots of the same.

[Doris_Pinks]

Baggy EJ and I both ordered different ones and then swopped!  I am sure we could get you in the loop too, then we could grow even more varieties!!  So long as thats OK with EJ of course! ;D