my first courgette

[MrsKP]

My fave colour is purple, I have it EVERYWHERE.  The blue spots are a bonus !

Sets of the yellow flower nicely don't you think ?

:P

[MrsKP]

[shirlton]

We would have had a courgette if it hadn't have been for the frost. I am quite sure that by the end of the year I wll have eaten that many that I won't ever want to see another one. I think it could be compared to having babbies. At the time you say never again but the memory fades and off you go again making more of the little perishers.lol

[Sajaself]

mmm getting a tad worried now. I have planted 18 courgette plants. Am I guessing I will be feeding the whole town!!!

I thought i would only get a couple off of each. TBH I am still in shock that I got anything from the seeds..really didn't think it could be that easy.

Oh well will wait and see if any actually grow.

[MrsKP]

  18 !

how many are there in your family ?  do you like your friends .... more to the point, how much do they like you ?

[Sajaself]

Only 5 of us and the kids hate courgettes ;D
My friends and the whole road will be getting them I guess!
Wonder if tesco's need a supplier :P
I'll learn ???

[MrsKP]

I said last year that I was down sizing.  It's got to a ridiculous state this year both with flowers and veggies.

I'm trying to find room for an extra freezer in the house for all the beans and courgettes that I hope will happen.

It's an addiciton.   ;D

[tim]

Comes the time when you're spending more time trying to pass the things off around the village than looking after your plants!

When you reckon that one plant can produce 60 fruit, EIGHTEEN??

Too late to relearn the lesson this year, but there IS such a thing as CONTINUITY!!

[MrsKP]

I've got mine in two batches tim, so I have learned something !

;D

[frogdoctor]

All my courgettes are coming on fine, should be a bumper crop (one hopes) I let many grow to giant size then take them to my local fine Chinese restaurant , who love them finely sliced stir-fried with garlic and shrimps  :P and in return I get a free bottle of vino  8) with my meal..

[tim]

Anything - so long as it's with Garlic & Shrimps. And a free bottle!!

[shelleys]

This is my first time growing courgettes,which I have in pots and in the ground.  Should I put something underneath the courgette whilst its  growing for the ones that are growing in the ground??

I have picked my first one yesterday which was very exciting.  Considering this is the first time that I have ever tried to grow vegetables.  It's definitely addictive.

[Jeannine]

Shelley no need they will be just fine, many don't touch the ground actually unless you let them get very big.

XX Jeannine

[lin]

You will get loads Sajaself, but not to worry, do like I do, and pick them small, that way you get a meal every day, but yes, you get huge amounts from every plant. I have 6 on the go and they will feed me to the end of the year.

I leave some to get bigger because one of my favourite soups to freeze for winter is courgette, the soup is absolutely gorgeous to get out of the freezer in winter time with a nice hot roll and butter... oh and some frozen blackberries rolled in sugar at freezing time for afters...mmm!
Lin

[Sajaself]

Other half is a chef so just told him we need a third freezer and he has got to find 100 ways to cook and freeze courgettes!!!


Ok just a question  I am a real noob so was it silly to plant 30 runner bean plants as well.
Thing is I brought some seeds and they all grew to little plants. I hadn't the heart to chuck any of the little ones as I was so excited they grew. Maybe I need to curb my sowing addiction :D

[Astrogirl72]

I've got lots of boy flowers on my Courgettes so far but no girls  :(  Not worried though as this isn't my first time.  And this year I've planted some Poached Egg Plants right alonside so hopefully I won't have to hand pollinate at 5am like last year, one of the problems of having a balcony by a lake is that the insects seem to prefer the semi natural environment to mine....Grrrrrrrrr  >:(

I also found a Gardeners World mag from a couple of years ago with Hugh Fearnly W....Oh his name's too long, recipe for Glutney which it seems a few of you could use come the end, or in fact the start of the season.  I'll copy it into the recipe section later.

Astro

[Raisedbed]

I've had quite a few off my Orelia courgettes but there haven't been too many male flowers yet so, with the odd exception, the fruits have have been long and skinny.  But they still taste good.  Had a couple off my round courgette plant too - nice slightly nutty flavour.

[Marymary]

I leave some to get bigger because one of my favourite soups to freeze for winter is courgette, the soup is absolutely gorgeous to get out of the freezer in winter time with a nice hot roll and butter... oh and some frozen blackberries rolled in sugar at freezing time for afters...mmm!
Lin

What's the recipe for the soup, Lin.  Not something I'd thought of doing with them.

[antipodes]

18 courgettes? This year I limited to two, which, the last time I had 2, kept us in courgettes for weeks, we were sick to death of them!! They produce enormous amounts of fruit usually, especially if it is warm, so be warned! And I have found that even if they start off different sizes, they will give fruit all at the same time  ;D  I am like Tim, mine are still small but a lot of budding so I am sure they just need some sun to take off, they are the hardiest things I have ever seen.
How to use them?? The French love courgettes: ratatouille (simmer for a faire while in a big pan with olive oil, courgettes, onions, aubergine and tomatoes with bay leaves and mediterranean herbs, delicious), steamed and pureed (even with big ones, just take out the seeds, add pepper, salt and cream), thinly sliced and cooked in the frypan with garlic and slivers of fennel, BUT also grated in salad if they are young, grated and used in any sweet cake recipe that uses veg like carrot cake or fruit cake, for moisture.
Oh sorry, did I make your mouths water????

[Old bird]

Hi I had my first at the weekend from my polytunnel and they are coming thick and fast now!

I have got quite a few (ridiculous I know) outside which aren't doing much yet.

;D

[Jeannine]

You can serve embryo fruits with the flower still attached.