Allotments 4 All

Just wonder if any of you lucky winners grew the seeds in the present for Betula's good idea this year ?
I would be interested to know if they were as good as suggested ...
TBH I forgot to use the new seed myself this year.

The seeds were in response to this original thread last summer.

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,63946

I was working until the middle of July and didn't find time to sow any courgette seeds I'm afraid.  :-[ :-[Next year!!

Yes and very tasty they are too.  Not being hugely prolific but as I'm also growing some round ones that are going mad I'm quite relieved about that.  Thanks!

Jill are you growing them as climbers or trailing?

Glad they taste good pity they are not too prolific although that would suit me well.

I have three plants growing, two of which I optimistically put under an arch to climb up......but they are not climbing or showing any inclination to do so! Nice dark green fruits which get big pretty quickly compared to my other courgettes, I've still got way too many but hey, grated courgette goes with just about anything..... ;D

Like with most crops.There are good and bad years. The British weather dictates more than any growers personal desires.

Courgettes/zucchinis and marrows are exactly the same fruits.

When schools grew their own it was a plant that teachers knew would never fail (Unless it was a particularly wet year and the crops would be ruined with rot}

This year they are all doing brilliantly.

All down to the weather.

Such a shame they are tasteless

Daveyboi, they would be trailing if they went anywhere.  They're staying pretty much where they are.  Another thing I should mention was that I only got 50% germination of the Black Hawks whereas 100% for the round ones.  Round ones are tondo di nizza which are supposed to be bush but are trailing everywhere.  Still, a courgette is a courgette and I've still got more than I can use.

Thanks for the information Jill they were meant to be able to be trained up netting which drew my attention.

I shall have to try and remember to sow them next season.

(Replaces Black Forest) This excellent variety can be trained up a trellis or stout netting, if required. Alternatively, allow the plants to trail. The very dark green fruits are produced plentifully and have an excellent flavour.

This is interesting - used my last Black Forest seed this year and will get the Black Hawk F1 for next - I always grow up trio of bamboos tied in with string and find it an excellent cropper that goes on for a long time.

@zigzag
I think it depends how you cook them that makes them "tasteless" or not! I love baby ones grated in salad with a sharp sauce, or larger ones stuffed, or in ratatouille, not to mention in gratins with a cheese sauce or just pan fried with onions and garlic and plenty of salt and pepper. I find it hard to describe them as tasteless! In summer we eat them just about every day.

I've got two plants of Black Hawk which are doing well.....but not climbing.  :)

[attachment=1]

They look as though they may though, so I'll leave the canes.  They have produced nice dark courgettes a little later than other varieties I'm growing.  Thank you for giving us the chance to try them Daveyboi.  :)

Like Antipodes, we eat courgettes almost every day and we love them.  I never boil or steam them, maybe that's why some people think they are tasteless?  Yesterday I roasted chunks of them together with potatoes, tomatoes, onion, chilli and garlic. Delicious!

I'm with Antipodes - they're gorgeous fried in olive oil with onion and garlic.

@Squash64
The recipe you described just sounds too yummy! I am going to try that next courgettes I get!!!
Last night I made us a gratin with ONE courgette! I sliced it into my gratin dish, salt, pepper, covered and in the mocrowave for about 8 minutes. Then drained off the water that it had expressed, bechamel sauce, cheese, 20 mins in oven. Perfect. It was a Striata D'Italia and even  though I had left it too late, it was long and thinnish and not at all watery. I will definitely grow that again next year, best courgettes I have had.

I cook two large trays at a time of the courgette mixture, then freeze some in those plastic dishes with lids.  They freeze really well and heat up in minutes in the microwave.