Staff

[Penners]

what is the use of pumpkins and marrows?

That's a question that I frequently pose to Mrs P. Ditto squashes and gourds. You grow them, admire them and then throw them away.

Some people claim to eat marrows, but I don't believe this. The things have a horrible, slimy texture, taste of absolutely nothing at all and have about as much nutrition as a glass of pond water.

 

[skier-hughes]

don't roast it, cut it into qtr's and let them eat it like that.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thanks Graham!

And Mr P - all that is very well put, though if anyone can do something delicious with a marrow, I'm sure it's Mrs P. Butternut squash soup can be nice, if there is proper chicken stock and lashings of double cream - ie - if the gourd flavour has been masked!

 

[Flyfisher]

:lol:
what is the use of pumpkins and marrows?

Around these here parts, pumpkins are readily available and grown, I suspect, in response to demand from the US air bases and their halloween practices. I suppose they are also quite entertaining among competitive veg growers.

As for marrows, I entirely agree with Penners. Fortunately we have some ponds so, should I feel the urge, I can drink pond water direct and cut out all the hassle of growing a vegetable-based container for the stuff.

 

[JoceAndChris]

:lol: quite so.

But I'm sorry, Norfolk can't have as many pumpkins as Lincolnshire. Heavens, we have so many we have to have the Spalding Pumpkin Parade to use them all up - a festival I'll never forget, or repeat!

 

[LadyArowana]

:lol: quite so.

But I'm sorry, Norfolk can't have as many pumpkins as Lincolnshire. Heavens, we have so many we have to have the Spalding Pumpkin Parade to use them all up - a festival I'll never forget, or repeat!

I guess you won't be wanting to take holidays at Half Moon Bay in the US during October then, and to save you the trouble of wondering what a Californian prize pumpkin looks like...........

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Hmm - that pic looks like a load of bo**ocks to me!

Pumpkins and courgettes taste nice. Marrows are very useful for scooping out the insides and replacing most of it with something that tastes nice and then baking it. They're also more entertaining to watch that paint drying/lime mortar setting; I'm sure I can actually see mine grow they're so huge!

Of course, tastier marrows can be grown by taking your eye off your courgettes for approximately 3 femtoseconds - during which time they will will have expanded to the size of a small caravan.

 

[JoceAndChris]

This boyish delight in watching rapidly expanding protrusions of monstrous tumescence is sweet, but the pleasure is lost on the female sex I fear.

 

[LadyArowana]

Hmm - that pic looks like a load of bo**ocks to me!

:shock: I think you need to see a consultant urologist asap, don't make an appointment for October 31 though.

 

[LadyArowana]

This boyish delight in watching rapidly expanding protrusions of monstrous tumescence is sweet, but the pleasure is lost on the female sex I fear.

There are plenty of "ladies" that will tend a vegetable garden for money if not for pleasure. Unfortunately they can't usually keep quiet about it.

 

[JoceAndChris]

:lol: You can keep your Geylang, we Brits are far too prudish.

 

[LadyArowana]

:lol: we Brits are far too prudish.

Surely not, the sweet young things I was reading about in a certain online tabloid seemed to be more than happy to tell everyone details of their intimate encounters. Not that I was interested you understand.

 

[Pford75]

Pumpkins are delicious - Mrs F makes a wonderfully spicy Pumpkin soup which warms the bones on Bonfire night. They can of course also be used as seats....

Or hollowed out and used as hats.....

 

[LadyArowana]

There must be a lot of scope for period property appropriate pumpkin carvings, this one might serve as inspiration, although I'm not sure about the windows.

 

[Penners]

Here are some pumpkins I photographed on Hallowe'en last year, in Bungay. They have a wonderful display in Bridge Street - well worth a visit if you're nearby:

View attachment 1

 

[jocelyn plummer]

To make a marrow tasty, use a good quality mince, either left over roast or fresh. Fry with a litle onion and herbs of your choice. Peel and slice the marrow, blanch for 1 minute, layer a deep oven proof dish alternating the mince, and marrow. make a well flavoured cheese sauce--- add nutmeg, a little dijon mustard, and a splosh of cream, pour over the meat and marrow, sprinkle with a layer of grated cheese and parmesan and a few breadcrumbs if liked, brown under hot grill or bake for about 20 mins in the oven. Serve with some thick slices of good honest crusty bread and a glass of whatever is in the wine rack.

 

[skier-hughes]

or, chill, slice in half, remove seeds, add a good layer of sugar and eat like a melon

 

[Penners]

Alternatively, take a pound of good minced beef, some mushrooms, carrots, garlic and onions. Select a large, firm marrow.
Wash the marrow and halve it. Scoop out the seeds then slice it thinly into crescent shapes.
Now fry the onions and garlic, adding some white wine and a bouillon cube. Add the carrots and mince, simmer and allow the sauce to reduce.
Throw away the marrow and eat the mince.

 

[Schoolmarm]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[JoceAndChris]

Excellent plans for marrows. :lol: (think I prefer the throw it away and eat mince one though!)

I heartily recommend staff. House and garden look lovely after 6 hours of paid work today, and I've wafted about organising my autumn wardrobe, arranging flowers and berries, and showing off the chicks to passing children. Perfect.