It's over. I pulled the last couple of plants out yesterday. Having picked the last little fingerlings of the courgettes at the weekend, the frost had nipped the huge leaves and sprawling stems but they were still trying to put out more courgettes. I couldn't stand it any longer. Nearly November - they just had to go. The sense of total relief won't set in until I have used up the overflow of courgettes in the fridge and the larger ones (picked a month ago) in the vegetable rack. I have given away all I dared give away. My elderly neighbour at the bottom of the hill, one of those who is still happy to eat stuffed marrow (for that is what the forgotten ones had become) had her final bloated offering on Sunday. Some she turned into chutney, as I did. But there is a limit to how much Courgette or Marrow Chutney a person can eat in a year . . .
My own fault entirely, as I planted a whole packet of 10 or a dozen seeds back in the spring, thinking that I would do a car boot sale and sell the surplus plants. However, we were going flat out on the house, getting it ready to go on the market, and we never found time to do a car boot sale, so I was left with ALL the plants, beautifully grown. Then a friend gave me a couple more. I should have said no, but I was brought up to be polite . . .
The previous two years I had NO COURGETTES AT ALL! They sulked - it was too cold, wet, overcast to put out a single female flower. This year my plants more than redressed the balance . . .
I have to say, we have eaten courgettes in just about every conceivable dish you could add courgette to. I even made chocolate courgette cake (and OH didn't notice it had courgettes in!!!)
Next year . . . I will just plant one or two. No, really . . .
I could have written this BB - they are coming out of my ears as I write. I do love stuffed marrow (for the ones I missed when they were small), especially stuffed with sausage meat, onion and plenty of herbs. Also have you tried them cooked slowly in a little oil and then mashed with a drop of cream or creme fraiche, as a pasta sauce (needs parmesan in great quantity to spice it up a bit). We pulled our plants up yesterday too as the frost had got them. I can't say I was sorry to say goodbye. And like you they did not do well last year at all.
ReplyDeleteWell I'm grating one with a carrot tonight, tablespoon of water and some butter, quickly cooked and seasoned gets rid of one; do like the idea of creaming though.
ReplyDeleteThis was apparently a bad year in Kentucky for anything in the squash vine family. My zucchini [as they are known here] gave up after only two weeks of production, so none of the wonderful excess we've come to expect.
ReplyDeleteJ. doesn't like them so he is suspicious of any dish which has finely grated green specks. I wonder if detesting zucchini is a male-gender-related trait?