Marrows and Pumpkins

My vegetable garden got properly used for the first time this year. Normally we grow a few greenhouse tomatoes, the odd (very odd in some cases) cucmber, and some beans and carrots. The wife always insists on growing swet peas on the plot too, even though they are only a flower and not a vegetable. Iallow her to have a large pot of them simlpy because the pot is just the right size to stand on the circular drain cover, hence it doen't take up any growing space and it stops me trying to dig up the drain cover.

This year however I expanded the vegetable plot, and planted potatoes, carrots, onions, leeks, radishes, marrow/courgette/zucini plants and pumpkins. The Cukes and Toms were joined by peppers and chillis in the greenhouse. And the apple and rhubarb trees were left to themselves as usual. Despite having used fresh compst it must have been previously used in a greenhouse and recycled, as loads of self seeded tomato plants also came up outdoors.

Now I would like to claim that a lot of hard work, skill and knowledge went into this garden, but that woudl be lying. After bunging the seeds in the ground roughly as directed on the packet, and watering them regularly, the occasion feed and keeping the weeds down, once I could distinguish them from the plants I did nothing special. But I have been rewarded with a bumper harvest of just about everything.

The carrots were the least prolific, but better than ever before - i guess my ground isn't best suited to carrots, but that's not a problem for next year as I have imported several tonnes of Biltons finest soil. So this years stumpy split and twisted carrots may be the last amusingly shaped vegetables for a while. And despite their looks, they are far superior to shop bought. Mine are naturally pale orange, not dyed, and taste of carrots, not a vaguely carrotty mulch.

Moving on to onions, these did well, with nice crispy onions that taste more of onions than onions bought in the shops do. There's a theme developing here. I actually cried peeling my onions, and that hasn't happened in a long while - ever since I developed an sort of immunity to CS spray. My chilli peppers certainly made me cry - I didn't expect them to be very strong, as they were only small, but hell they pack a punch. I only grew one plant, but next year I'll be planting more now that I know how easy they are to grow.

What surprised me most though was the marrow and pumpkin crop. Huge plump specimens of both, and in vast numbers, each plant yielding at least four fruit each. And due to the unseasonably warm weather it looks like I may even have a second late crop to come.

All this means I have had to become all culinary and cook uop new dishes I've never tried before. Marrow and vegeatble soup (with a little chill and curry this is an excellent winter warmer soup)
Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin muffins, Ginger and Marrow Marmalade, Various jams, Chutney, curried Marrow............. the list goes on.

I am inspired to get growing next year. Gardening for free food. Beat the recession - dig for victory.