Curcurbits - pumpkins, squashes and courgettes and autumn vegetables

A Taste of Autumn

My family teases me each year when I start to say ‘It feels like autumn’. For me it is the ‘feel’ of the season – the weather, the range of temperatures each day,  the sound of the birds, the look of the trees and bushes, the development of the autumn/winter vegetables which tell me that the summer season is closing down. For me, that is autumn. Yesterday,[mid September] my daughter laughed as she said to me, ‘I think it is Autumn’.

This autumn feeling can start in mid August, and then I really get a ribbing from my family but, can have an onset in mid September. I have no idea what this may portend for the coming winter. For me, on my allotment and in my garden, I try to follow the advice from many experienced gardeners alongside my own experience on the differing soils, climates and conditions I have tried to grow in.

My courgette plants are still producing a few fruits [Sunstripe F1 from T&M and Goldena from vegetableseeds.net]. Both varieties have performed excellently throughout the season and although, the yellow varieties of courgette [zucchini] are not everyone’s favourite, I much prefer them to the usual rather ‘wet’ green ones. I find that the slower maturing of the yellow varieties gives a denser and slightly dryer vegetable which, for me, is preferable. If you still have some try this recipe:

Cheesey courgettes

Allow 1 courgette per person – wash, trim and cut lengthways.

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Good quality olive or rapeseed oil

Grated parmesan and blue cheese [my favourite is stilton]

Method

·         Lay the courgettes out on a baking tray and bake for 20 – 30 minutes in a moderate oven until the courgettes are soft but, not collapsing.

·         Sprinkle with seasoning and spray with a little oil.

·         Cover the tops with a mixture of parmesan and a strongly flavoured, grated, blue cheese and place under a grill until the cheese has turned golden brown.

·         Serve immediately.

As I had sown them in my propagator at the same time as my winter pumpkins and squashes [and I always sow more than I need to ensure I have enough good plants for planting out] and the seedlings and young plants look almost identical, I managed to mix the plants and only when they were quite mature and showing flowers, was I aware that I had actually planted six courgette plants – fortunately one died ! Now everyone knows that, unless you are growing for a market or a restaurant or a particularly large family, two courgette plants are really quite enough. I did manage to find a ready market for my overproduction on my ‘garden wall’ with a notice saying ‘Help Yourself’.

I had already allocated two quite large areas for my outdoor curcurbits this year and as I had sown so many seeds, I have still ended up with a substantial crop of winter squashes and pumpkins – many of them from my own saved seeds. [I know it is not recommended that we save our own curcurbit seeds as they are so promiscuous, especially on an allotment where they are close to so many other varieties for cross-pollinating opportunities but, a very knowledgeable friend did think that the seeds produced are really much more suited to the conditions on the allotment than some bought in varieties might be.

Some years ago I found a very exceptional little pumpkin called Baby Bear [the plant produced loads of the small, tasty fruits which were excellent keepers]. I did save some of my seeds but was unable to find the same variety again from seed suppliers. I tried Hooligan instead – also small and tasty but, with a much tougher skin though, that might be a good think when storing. I saved seeds from them as well. This spring I sowed both varieties and had excellent germination. The plants from both varieties have produced fruits which all look much like the Hooligan. So far I have not eaten any and the plants have not yet died back properly so, I haven’t harvested but, I do have a lot of them and have a family to share them with who are very fond of this vegetables throughout the winter. I find it very difficult – when slicing open a pumpkin and faced with a collection of plump, healthy, viable seeds [not all are viable!], to throw them away. I want to keep all of them. I guess I will have to explore ways of saving the seeds to use in pumpkin bread ! I will get back on this if I find a good way of doing this or, if anyone out there does this, please let me know so that I can share it.

Try these as a tasty vegetable accompaniment to a roast dinner:

Roasted Baby Pumpkins

Allow 1 small pumpkin per person

Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 plump garlic clove per pumpkin [more if liked] – peeled and crushed or chopped

1 small sprig or a few leaves of rosemary for each half pumpkin

Olive oil

Method

·         Remove the stalk and wash the outside of the pumpkin carefully.

·         Slice the pumpkin in half through the middle, horizontally and scoop out the seeds.

·         Place the half pumpkins on an oven-proof tray or dish. Add the chopped garlic, salt and pepper and a small sprig of rosemary and a spray or a teaspoonful of olive oil.

·         Bake in a moderate oven No5 Gas or 180ºC for approx 30 – 40 minutes. Check with a skewer that the flesh of the pumpkin is properly cooked.

·         Serve immediately.

Of course, larger pumpkins can be used in a similar way by cutting into slices.

Interestingly, I had also sown my own seeds of Justynka – a fairly round, medium sized pumpkin with a rich deep pinkish/orange skin. These have in previous years kept well for me over the winter and spring period and are a very delicious and useful vegetable [Can we describe pumpkins as being delicious? Really they are fairly bland but, that is good as they can absorb the herbs or spices we add to them in cooking]. My home saved seeds have produced fruits which really look and taste like the fruits from the original bought seeds. I will use the seeds of this variety again.

This year I have introduced a couple of new varieties – well, I do try out some new varieties of different vegetables every year – some are old varieties I have just not experience before [ try Heritage varieties] and some are new on the market [not all are F1 hybrids but, even if they are, they can have something to offer to growers in pest or disease resistance, etc.] Many Allotments have been grown on and harvested intensively for many years, sometimes hundreds, and pests and diseases will have built and developed ways of getting around our methods of protection quicker than we can think up new methods – pigeons are more intelligent than we give them credit for!

I got side-tracked there – back to the pumpkins. I have grown Butternut squashes before. They are probably my favourites of the winter squashes and pumpkins but, I have found that my Butternuts don’t keep particularly well and can be tricky to germinate and grow on successfully. Of course, this is my fault – others are doing this very successfully but, I don’t know what I am doing wrong. I believe that in previous years my germination temperature has been too high so, this year I lowered it to give excellent results [still in my propagator which, unfortunately doesn’t have a thermometer – you could say ‘buy a thermometer’!] but, then again, the lowered temperature didn’t suit other vegetables. But, will they keep?

I have tried Waltham Butternut before with mixed success. This year I have harvested many more than I expected, around 10, so far. They are much plumper than in previous years and look good but, I don’t yet know how they will store. They are definitely a ‘family’ vegetable as they are much too large for me to use on my own in a few days.

My new varieties this year are Butternut ‘Barbara’. A new introduction, she looks more like a large marrow than a winter squash. Marrow sized and fat, she has stripes of green with darker green. I have not yet harvested the fruits as the plants have not yet died back. I will get back on how this variety works out, with photos. The other is Turk’s Turban. I seem to have about twenty of these to use and share. They are prolific, medium sized and beautiful. Already, I have given several of them away although I haven’t yet eaten any of them myself, them look too beautiful to eat! Nor, do I know how well they will keep over the winter months – I will get back on this.

It is important to harvest these fruits as the plants die back and lift the fruits off the ground where wet weather and pests will attack them. The fruits must develop a harder, dryer skin which will preserve the fruits through the autumn/winter. Before frost sets in, store them in a cool dry place – frost-free shed or cold room when the fruits can be useable until springtime.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Roasted Potatoes

1 – 2 medium onions - red onions for preference – peeled and cut into chunks

½ kilo suitable roasting potatoes – washed, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 medium butternut squash – sliced, peeled and deseeded then cut into chunks

1 garlic bulb – separate the cloves and skin them

A good dollop of top quality olive oil

A good sprinkle of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Some sprigs of rosemary

Method

·         Prepare the vegetables.

·         Heat the oil in a roasting pan until hot - 200ºC, No 6 gas

·         Toss the prepared squash, onions and potatoes in the hot oil.

·         Add the seasoning, herbs and garlic and return to the oven.

·         Cook for a further 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are golden brown and crunchy ( this will depend on the size you have cut them.

·         Serve immediately with any roast meat or with a nut roast.

Note – an excellent choice for Christmas dinner

This year, I no longer need to water outdoor crops, although, my indoor crops of tomatoes, chillies and peppers are still ripening so they do need a substantial amount of water every other day.

I am

This year, I am sorry to say, I have not chosen well with my tomato crop. For me, tomatoes have to fulfil four purposes:

·         For salads during the summer and early autumn months- and for eating fresh;

·         For freezing in pots as pulped, skinless tomatoes to be used during the winter months;

·         In Ketchups, Chutneys and relishes;

·         Fresh in dishes such as Chilli con Carne, Bolognaise, Lasagne, etc.

However, this year although I grew some of my own seeds from plants I really loved like, the heritage variety of ‘Broad Ripple Yellow Currant and my own favourite of plum salad tomato – Sultana [this might have started as an F1 variety but I have no record of that]  and I just love these small, flavoursome, plum shaped tomatoes which I now grow from my own seeds. However, and I think I’ve expressed my disappointment before, from the Mixed Heritage varieties [from Nickys Seeds], I sowed and had good germination and growing on – for me, the crop was very disappointing. 

Almost all were yellow or orange tomatoes-

some beefsteak and some standard size. But, for me [although the different varieties may well have been what customers would like] they were not what I was looking for. Of course, if you are buying any mix of seeds, un-named, you run the risk of having something you are not really interested in.

Don’t let me put you off Nicky’s Seeds – they are excellent and the range and quality of their seeds is excellent – my choice of tomato seeds was my mistake, not theirs.

I am still, however, making lots of batches of Tomato Ketchup – very time consuming but much appreciated by my family and friends.

In case you have missed the recipe before:

Home made Tomato Ketchup

2Kg ripe tomatoes ( 4½ lbs)                            2 – 3 fresh bay leaves – crushed

568ml white vinegar( 1 pt)                              piece of cinnamon bark

190g white granulated sugar ( 6oz)                2 – 3 cloves garlic - crushed

1 Tblsp. salt                                                     2 – 3 red chillies ( dried or fresh)

¼ - ½ tsp ground allspice                                ¼ - ½ tsp ground cloves

Large pinch coarsely ground black pepper                                                                

Method

1.      Wash and roughly cut the tomatoes and put in a preserving pan or large saucepan with the salt, bay leaves, cinnamon bark, crushed garlic cloves and vinegar (be fairly sparing with the salt at this stage – add more in the final stages as necessary).

2.      Add the chopped chillies. Take care with these, especially if the ketchup is for children ( I have used dried  Joe’s Long, grown indoors - which are medium heat)

3.      Bring to the boil then simmer gently until the tomatoes are thoroughly softened.

4.      In the meantime, sterilise the bottles or jars – keep hot in low oven.

5.      Remove the cinnamon bark and bay leaves then, sieve the tomato mixture through a coarse sieve – preferable nylon. Return the juice and pulp to a clean saucepan.

6.      Add sugar then ground allspice, ground cloves and black pepper gradually, tasting frequently to ensure the flavour is not too strong. Remember, when the ketchup is cold, the flavour will be somewhat milder. You may also want to add more salt if needed.

7.      Simmer the mixture until it starts to thicken. Don’t make it too thick at this stage as it thickens as it cools.

8.      Put the heated sterilised bottles/jars on a wooden surface and fill them with the ketchup while it is still very hot. Seal the jars immediately. This ketchup should keep safely for several months.

My chillies and peppers are also ripening now and although I can use them in salads, chillies and a range of Pasta recipes, for me the important crop is in the chillies – mostly Joe’s Long – of course, I have written about Joe’s Long before, they are my favourite chilli – reliably medium heat, even in cool summers [under cover – I’ve never tried to grow them outdoors!], they are thin fleshed so, save easily for the year until they are next available. I have found that three plants, established early will give me a crop which is too much for me to use.

potatoes, sweetcorn, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and pumpkins - Autumn Harvests

Using Our Harvests

I think I have been muttering about it now for a week – at least! But, it struck me very forcefully this morning as I was leaving my allotment and took a last look around at my favourite place…. how very autumnal it has become and it is still only the middle of August. Is it my imagination that autumn is arriving earlier each year or, do I say this every year?

Already the leaves on some of the trees are turning yellow; my Jack Edwards and Borlotto Beans are already starting to dry on the vines and the leaves are beginning to yellow and fall; coriander seeds are ripening and drying quicker than I am picking them; some of my Brambly Apples [always a late crop] are ready to pick; squashes and pumpkins are ripening especially, my Turk’s Turbans.

I have grown winter squashes and pumpkins over several years and have shared my over-abundance of fruits with family and friends. Last year, I had some difficulty with ensuring I had enough plants, I ended up having far too many.  And, I have always found germination a bit tricky,

This year, I introduced a few new varieties and sowed a few of my own saved seeds. I now find I have about 14 different plants, many of which are Turk’s Turban. I haven’t grown these before nor, I think, have I eaten them. They are however, being particularly prolific and a few are almost ready to harvest. They are very pretty though a bit larger than the varieties I usually choose. It is recommended that we stop the plants when they have set and established 3 – 4 fruits. I haven’t done this and haven’t ever yet, I find, especially for my chosen small varieties that, the plants will happily grow 5 or 6 fruits - and support up to maturity.

I discovered a few years ago, an excellent small pumpkin – Baby Bear. Since then I have struggled to find the same variety again [it seems the main seed houses introduce new ‘improved’ varieties each year – ‘Jack be Little’ and ‘Hooligan’ are other examples but, for me, neither has been so good]. I did find the seeds again and saved some seeds from my own plants but, as the plants are very promiscuous you really don’t know what you are likely to get from saved seeds, especially when you are growing many varieties or are on an allotment where your neighbours are growing different varieties. An allotment friend suggested that, from the saved seed we might well get plants which are most suited to our ground and conditions. I will see in a few weeks how my crops turn out.

I have now started to harvest my first Sweet-corn – ‘Lark’ planted outdoors from a sowing in my propagator in early March. They are bearing amazingly large and ‘full’ cobs though each plant is giving one or, at most, two cobs. I hope my later sowing of Tasty Gold F1 will give as good or a better crop.

Some of my tomatoes this year have been disappointing. Stupidly, I bought a packet of ‘Mixed Heritage’ varieties but, they were not individually named. Germination was good but as I chose to plant the strongest plants in my poly-tunnel, I find I have an over abundance of yellow/orange tomatoes and beefsteak varieties – not my favourites. Fortunately I had saved the seeds of a couple of my favourites. Sultana, an oval shaped salad tomato is now providing me with a daily harvest of very tasty little tomatoes – I will definitely grow them again. Broad Ripple Yellow Currant – a heritage variety was given to be by a neighbour and bears small, salad type yellow tomatoes that are sooo sweet. I have enthused about this tomato before – it will grow indoors or outside [indoors it will take over!]. Although it can be affected by blight like all other varieties, it seems to shake it off and continue growing and producing. This year, I have given lots of the plants away to neighbours [the germination rate was amazing] and I planted a couple of these bush tomatoes outdoors. Already they are covered in trusses of the littler fruits and I watch daily for them to ripen.

Well, I must use my beefsteak and orange tomatoes for something which will be enjoyed, especially as they are promising to produce a heavy crop. My family loves my Homemade Tomato Chutney. Try this:

Home made Tomato Ketchup

2Kg ripe tomatoes ( 4½ lbs)                            2 – 3 fresh bay leaves - crushed

568ml white vinegar( 1 pt)                              piece of cinnamon bark

190g white granulated sugar ( 6oz)                2 – 3 cloves garlic - crushed

1 Tblsp. salt                                                     2 – 3 red chillies ( dried or fresh)

¼ - ½ tsp ground allspice                                ¼ - ½ tsp ground cloves

Large pinch coarsely ground black pepper                                                                

Method

1.      Wash and roughly cut the tomatoes and put in a preserving pan or large saucepan with the salt, bay leaves, cinnamon bark, crushed garlic cloves and vinegar (be fairly sparing with the salt at this stage – add more in the final stages as necessary).

2.      Add the chopped chillies. Take care with these, especially if the ketchup is for children ( I have used dried  Joe’s Long, grown indoors - which are medium heat)

3.      Bring to the boil then simmer gently until the tomatoes are thoroughly softened.

4.      In the meantime, sterilise the bottles or jars – keep hot in low oven.

5.      Remove the cinnamon bark and bay leaves then, sieve the tomato mixture through a coarse sieve – preferable nylon. Return the juice and pulp to a clean saucepan.

6.      Add sugar then ground allspice, ground cloves and black pepper gradually, tasting frequently to ensure the flavour is not too strong. Remember, when the ketchup is cold, the flavour will be somewhat milder. You may also want to add more salt if needed.

7.      Simmer the mixture until it starts to thicken. Don’t make it too thick at this stage as it thickens as it cools.

8.      Put the heated sterilised bottles/jars on a wooden surface and fill them with the ketchup while it is still very hot. Seal the jars immediately. This ketchup should keep safely for several months.

I made my first batch yesterday.

I am not a big fan of cucumbers but my family and I do love all sorts of pickles and chutneys and even cucumbers make a tasty relish or chutney. We enjoy them enough for me to continue to grow this plant. This year, I have grown a small cucumber variety – Green Fingers and for interest in something different – Crystal Apple – a small round yellow variety. I have grown them in a corner of my poly-tunnel but, although I’m getting a harvest, the plants have been attacked by red-spider mite. I am spraying every few days with water, Py solution [organic] and SB plant Invigorator [organic plant food which seems to help the plants to fight off insect attacks. Interestingly, I set up a cane structure to support the plants and put a plastic bottle on top of each cane [to avoid poking myself in the eye with the end of a cane – and I have done this, very dangerous!], I have found that the red spider mites have established huge ‘cities’ inside the up-turned plastic bottles – amazing! I now remember to spray thoroughly inside each bottle when I am treating the plants.

Do try this recipe, a favourite of my family:

Hot Sweet Cucumber Relish

Like so many other vegetables in late summer, we wonder what to do with the glut. It doesn’t take too many cucumber plants to have too many cucumbers. Try this recipe as a way of using and preserving them.

Ingredients

1 kg cucumbers ( 2 lb) – don’t let them get too big or they will be full of seeds

1 kg onions ( 2 lb)

1 cooking apple

600ml white vinegar (1 pint)

3–4 red chillies(I have used Joe’s Long, use a medium hot chilli, but take care if for children)

500gm sugar ( 1 lb) – I used white sugar, but soft brown sugar will ‘warm’ the colour of the relish

2 tsp salt                                                          1 tsp allspice

½ tsp ground cloves                                        1 tsp turmeric

¼ tsp mustard powder                                                ¼ tsp ground mixed peppers( black, green, red)

Method

1.      Top and tail the cucumbers and remove the skin – cut into small cubes - ¼ cm- ish. If necessary, remove the seeds – if the seeds are still soft, you can leave them in.

2.      Peel the onions and chop finely – similar size to the cucumber.

3.      Peel and core the cooking apple and cut into fine slices.

4.      Cut the red chillies into small pieces – if you don’t want the relish to be too hot, leave the seeds out, or leave some of the seeds out. For a hotter relish add more chillies.

5.      Put the chopped cucumbers, onions, apples and chillies into a large pan or preserving pan with the vinegar and gently simmer until all the vegetables are cooked through – approx. 30 mins.

6.      Prepare the jars/ bottles – wash well and sterilise – put in a warm oven - 100ºC for 15mins.

7.      Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.

8.      Add the spices and salt to taste, add more salt if necessary.

9.      Simmer gently until the relish thickens – remember, when cool it will be thicker. Stir occasionally.

10.  Pour into the hot sterilised jars and seal immediately. Label.

This year, potatoes have been so much better, especially my Mayan Gold which I just love. In my efforts to encourage a similar love for them in my neighbours, I have given away far too many and I now find that my crop has finished. Last year - cold and wet - was a disaster for many varieties of potato but, particularly Mayan Gold and my crop was non-existent. This year they have been excellent. They are an early maincrop and can’t be boiled [they will fall apart] but, they are amazing steamed, as mash [from steamed potatoes], as chips, and as roast potatoes. The only downside is that they don’t keep.

I am always trying out new varieties of vegetables and fruit. Not all of them are successful but, I was most interested to try Purple Majesty potatoes – purple all the way through and will stay purple as boiled potatoes, mash, roast or chips. I first tried these from the supermarket and was not impressed. However, my home-grown ones have been delicious. They are very dark when dug and it can be difficult to spot them when digging up [no doubt, resulting in many being left behind when harvesting]. I have offered these to neighbours who have not been enthralled with the results – perhaps because of the colour!

That colour indicates that they are a healthy vegetable, high in anti oxidants. I do recommend them, find them very tasty and will continue to grow them. I think it would be a severe loss if they were withdrawn as a seed potato.