"
Bernard"
has planted all our veg this year and it included two ensembles of marrows. Whilst not having grown them before or even had the privilege of eating one we were excited and at the same worried what they tasted like. The first one arrived in good time and Annette truly peeled off the thick skin and sliced them up and fried them, then they were placed on the dining table for consumption. Whilst not being too keen on too many veggies that are green I approached the first taste with a bit of trepidation, but much to my surprise they were OK, nothing to write home about but alright to pad a meal out with volume.

That is how we have been with them and they have been included in many meals since then. Only trouble is the two patches that Bernard sowed are now chucking these things out like mad and some have grown to half a metre long. Bernard has even put a large piece of string around two of them and has instructed us not to pick them, this must be an effort to see how big they will grow.

We have half the kitchen covered with them now and I haven't picked any for two days, so there will be oodles of them waiting there to be picked. Is there anyone in the VT area that would like a barrow load?! Only joking, not a barrow load but a significant amount of them.

I think you might find everyone is in the same boat, whether they are marrows or overgrown courgettes, six of which were passed over to us today! The rain we have had has been very good for them. Speaking of which, here it comes again......

Good luck!

Mrs Eq

i think you need some recipes so here goes
Make jam and chutney with them add fruits to marrow to bulk it out that's what they use at Tiptree jams in Essex England.
Slice the marrow and cook in a steamer or boil in water as a veg
Cut a marrow in slices and grill or fry
Cut a marrow long ways take out the seeds and stuff with veg or meet mushrooms etc and spices tie back together and bake
there good added to other veg for a curry or mousaca not spelt right but i think you will know what i mean (sorry)
Marrow and ginger is good too
I expect the two large ones in your patch are for the seeds for next year so best you learn what to do with them any one have any other ideas we are all trying not to waste these veg now as they don't freeze well where are the cooking angels please

itchyfeet wrote:

"
Bernard"
has planted all our veg this year and it included two ensembles of marrows. Whilst not having grown them before or even had the privilege of eating one we were excited and at the same worried what they tasted like. The first one arrived in good time and Annette truly peeled off the thick skin and sliced them up and fried them, then they were placed on the dining table for consumption. Whilst not being too keen on too many veggies that are green I approached the first taste with a bit of trepidation, but much to my surprise they were OK, nothing to write home about but alright to pad a meal out with volume.

That is how we have been with them and they have been included in many meals since then. Only trouble is the two patches that Bernard sowed are now chucking these things out like mad and some have grown to half a metre long. Bernard has even put a large piece of string around two of them and has instructed us not to pick them, this must be an effort to see how big they will grow.

We have half the kitchen covered with them now and I haven't picked any for two days, so there will be oodles of them waiting there to be picked. Is there anyone in the VT area that would like a barrow load?! Only joking, not a barrow load but a significant amount of them.

Itchy if you give my friend Chris Fox a ring or email from Priateli Orphanage she will no doubt tell you of the homeless who would be glad of them. Home grown fruits and such like cannot be accepted into the orphanages but there are homes for the elderly and various other organization that will be glad of them.

As chrissybg suggests.

Stuffed and baked are absolutely scrumptious and far better than frying them.
Just let your imagination run wild with what you can put in them and if it's edible it will be well worth the baking time.

I have made courgette chutney, two sorts, and courgette and ginger jam twice. You can do the same with marrows. All delicious and welcome in winter, the jam is brilliant on yoghurt, the chutney, according to Mr Eq, with anything and everything. I might have to make more!

Marrows are supposed to be good for making wine, but I have never tried it.

Mrs Eq

Equinus wrote:

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.
Marrows are supposed to be good for making wine, but I have never tried it.

Mrs Eq

Actually I was just about to say that, so you saved me the trouble.

At least with the wine I'm quite sure apart from the hours of fun watching it ferment, once bottled it wouldn't last very long and maybe one of those products that you never get fed up with.

Marrow Wine Recipes
Homebrew Marrow Wine Making Recipe

2.7 kg / 6lb Ripe Marrow

1.5 kg / 3lb sugar white or brown

2 Lemons

2 Oranges

25g Root Ginger

4.5 litres/ 1 gallon Water

Pectolase

Yeast

Yeast Nutrient

Grate the marrow, slice oranges, slice lemons, grate ginger and put into brewing bucket

Pour on boiling water, when cool add pectolase, yeast and yeast nutrient, cover, keep warm for 5 days, stir everyday

Strain onto sugar, mix to dissolve and continue to ferment

When fermentation is complete siphon into clean demijohn, put somewhere cool to clear

When totally clear bottle, cork and store

Try this one..choose one which will fit in your oven, slice it in half lengthways, scrape out the seeds and soft pulp, but leave the outer skin on, put to one side. Prepare a stew with lots of meat and veg (or just veg in Saras case) and cook until about halfway done. Go back to the marrow and lightly coat the inside with crushed garlic and pepper (lots)..pour in the stew mix until it fills the bottom half and cover with grated cheese and any other powdered spice you like. ( I use strips of red chuski). Bake this in the oven on medium heat for two hours with the top half in place, to keep it sealed, then remove the top and bake until you see the cheese form a crust. Serve straight from the oven.

Bon apertit.

chrissybg wrote:

Marrow Wine Recipes
Homebrew Marrow Wine Making Recipe
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Pour on boiling water, when cool add pectolase, yeast and yeast nutrient, cover, keep warm for 5 days, stir everyday
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I tried making beer 'once' ended up being used as the preferable furniture stripper and it worked great, but enough of that.

But seriously.
You say 'stir everyday'
If it has a frothy covering on it, do you stir hard enough that the 'froth' gets turned back into the mix, or just slow enough not to disrupt the froth?
So basically how hard do you stir the mixture?

By 'froth' I think I mean the fermentation on top.

Also how much, pectolase, Yeast and Yeast Nutrient.

depends on how much you make as to how much yeast or pectolase you use follow the instructions on the packet
Stirring is just to stir to mix not to adjitate whisk or beat
let us know what your wine turns out like please

Thanks Chrissybg,

Hopefully other people will not now make the mistakes I made.
(Should the case arise again the 'Electric paint stirrer' will stay firmly in the garage)

Although one word of caution is to make sure the pots are thoroughly clean before use.
(Although I'm beginning to think things in BG don't seem to get the same hygiene treatment as advocated here in the UK, or is that just with the Raki making.)

Phil-H wrote:

Thanks Chrissybg,

Hopefully other people will not now make the mistakes I made.
(Should the case arise again the 'Electric paint stirrer' will stay firmly in the garage)

Although one word of caution is to make sure the pots are thoroughly clean before use.
(Although I'm beginning to think things in BG don't seem to get the same hygiene treatment as advocated here in the UK, or is that just with the Raki making.)

Oh no, not the electric paint stirrer, your ingredients must have flown everywhere. I don't believe that the hygiene here in BG is like the UK, Bernard's Rakia tastes better with the flavour of rust from his pipes, or the flies that inhibit his barrel of ingredients for days before the final brew up!! Our tomatoes have nearly finished and they are the last of our veg garden this year, haven't grown those leaf things because I only eat peas or beans. It may sound boring, but there are loads of beans and of course peas, my last count of a test for chlorestrol was 3.3, which is really good I have been informed and so onwards we go ignoring that horrible stuff called spinach and also cauliflour, my digestive system hates these things and I have to avoid them at all costs, there are dozens of different beans and I love all of them.

Compot has been going all year with the help of Bernard and we now have a house full of bottled tomatoes and fruit and a freezer full of runner beans, lovely, so there we are for the start of the Winter whenever it arrives. The house is full of food, just in case we can't get to the shops for two weeks or so, we found that after keeping extra food for the Winter last year that we have done the same all the way through the Summer as well. So most emergencies have been taken care of where food is concerned, no shortage in our house at the moment, the dogs have rice and pasta hidden about the kitchen in case we have a shortage of food for them and we would rather go short ourselves than not have food for them. This is being a responsible dog owner, making sure that they have food even we have to eat our compot and bread until things improve.

We have to arrange some more clothes for the Winter this year, my thermal socks have really had it and a few new pairs are required which actually keep the cold out, rather than let the cold in to my almost frozen feet. A good look on Ebay is required to get the right type of socks and onto my feet before they stop working altogether. They sell all types and paying more than £1.50 is now required, otherwise the darned things only last half the Winter and I sit there freezing watching NCIS which is my favourite programme at the moment.

I feel that a pair of ski's is overdoing it, but with a metre of the stuff laying outside maybe it isn't, we have been given some awful stories of Winter's in Bulgaria and maybe Shackleton may have had problems living here, who knows.

Just as a matter of interest, did you know (or anyone else in the UK) that NCIS series 11 starts being aired here in the UK the week after next, which means I must make the effort and watch series 10 which I have had on disc for ages.

As for the home brew, I don't think alcohol as such needs to be so scrupulously clean as maybe just beer.

Phil-H wrote:

Just as a matter of interest, did you know (or anyone else in the UK) that NCIS series 11 starts being aired here in the UK the week after next, which means I must make the effort and watch series 10 which I have had on disc for ages.

As for the home brew, I don't think alcohol as such needs to be so scrupulously clean as maybe just beer.

I don't believe we are anywhere near Series 10 over here, the actors are still wearing nappies, so it might give you an idea how far back we are with the programme.