General Chat

I am very odd about squashes. Although I do enjoy eating them I have some sort of ridiculous aversion to doing so. Luckily it is not so strong that I can't over-ride it.

Marrow is an exception and I have always loved it, even just boiled with butter, but I probably would not have chosen to grow a squash plant.

We do like butternut squash soup which I first tried in Namibia and pumpkin pie which I sometimes make with marrow. That is just cubed squash boiled up with sultanas, sugar and ginger or cloves and baked in a pie and I would kill for it!

I grew pattis again this year,,,,,,they are scalloped edged and flying saucer, in yellow or white shaped but look like a wax candle and feel like one a.very pretty veg.......

wash ,cut top,scoop out the inner seeds.and fill with your choice mix ......garlic, choice of cheese.,peppers .bake in oven for 15-20 mins with top back on ,,,,and eat the whole thing.

I grow mine for showing....... ;-)

Acorn squash is delicious when baked in the oven .......... cut it in half across the middle (either long ways or not).

Do not peel, but make sure each half will lie straight on the baking sheet or casserole by shaving off some skin on the bottom.

Scoop out the seeds and string bits, leaving a hollow.

Put a little water and 1 or 2 tsps of maple syrup in the half, then bake in a hot oven for ca 40-45 minutes.

Some recipes call for olive oil, cinnamon, brown sugar, and other things to be added, and baking at 425F, but we usually use just a little water and the maple syrup, and bake it at 375F with the meat. OH sometimes covers the casserole, sometimes doesn't bother.

As you can tell ..... it's easy-peasy!!

OH has also sometimes used other kinds of small squash.

I am not sure.

There is a centre for people with learning difficulties near us and we have bought squashes from them in the past and there is a big display of squashes at Slindon each year where I have bought squashes.

There was one I bought that was used to make Angel Hair jam but that was a bit of a faff.

Have you tried , patti-pan squash,Sharron.?

I grew spag marrows last year,although I didnt use any, those given away were liked by most who had them.

Today we finally took a knife to that squash.

It was one that came in a selection of vegetable plants I bought from Suttons at the end of the selling season. Twelve plants for twenty quid and you don't know what you are going to get.

Luckily, we only received one chilli plant because I truly loathe chilli, there was a pepper plant, an aubergine, plenty of tomato plants and this 'ere squash.

It has been sitting on the table for a fortnight while I have plucked up courage to investigate its structure and researched ideas for things to make out of squash.

When I was cutting and disembowelling it I thought it might be a spaghetti marrow so we baked it and, to my delight, it is. OH spent a happy few minutes forking at the table and we are having it for tea.

I love marrow, which is just as well, we have over a dozen more coming,more aubergines too and, unfortunately, many chillies.