The Squash Family

I have started to reflect on this year's produce and I am now making plans for next season.

Two things I had never grown before but decided to try this year were Melons and Butternut squash. The Melons I grew in my small cold greenhouse and they certainly grew and grew and grew. Unfortunately that was only the foliage and the fruit was pretty much non-existent. We did have several melons the size of golf balls but they just went brown and dropped off in spite of my loving care. One appeared to keep growing and this one I nurtured, oh so carefully, even chatting to it on a daily basis.

When it was just about the size of an orange it ripened and smelt lovely. I waited until we had several people in the house and sliced it into minute portions so everybody could taste this prize specimen. To be totally honest it was pretty awful but everyone said how delicious it was although I am sure they were just trying to spare my feelings.
That is one thing I will not bother to grow again.

I was much more successful with the Butternut squash. I planted just five seeds in the greenhouse and when they were sturdy little plants and the danger of frost was past I transferred them to the garden. They also grew and grew and grew, very much more than I expected but instead of pinching out the growing point as I am sure professional gardeners would do, I just let them have the freedom to go where they wanted.

They spread in and out of the tomato plants, sweet corn and leeks covering an extensive part of the garden. However, they really rewarded me and produced masses of squash, not very uniform in size I must admit, varying from really small to enormous but all equally delicious.

These were "Cooks Garden Range Squash" and will definitely be on my "must grow again" list.

They were lovely roasted with other root vegetables and freeze well but I have yet to find a really good soup recipe. Those I have tried so far have been somewhat bland but I will keep trying.