Marrows: better late than never
Interesting to be in full courgette/marrow glut in mid August. Normally cucurbits are beginning to wind down round about now.
My allotment, I’m ashamed to admit, has gone a bit weed-tastic in the last few weeks. I’ve not gone much; went away for a while, then was busy trying to run myself back to some kind of fitness.
Plus I’ve had dental problems.
Dear God, but dentistry’s pricey. Could have bought a small family home in Rochdale for what I’ve spent so far on root canal work. And there’s more to come. After a decade of relative calm, every tooth in my head has spontaneously decided to crack, rot, combust or spit the dummy in one way or another.
So there’s been pain, whingeing, allotment neglect and endless, unbounded expense. Back to normal service in the autumn, I guess.
Oh dear! You have all my sympathy on the dental front. Had to have a crown last year. Sadly not a jewel encrusted sparkley one. I was pregnant at the time so could have got it on the NHS but I would have looked like that ‘Jaws’ bloke out of James Bond so I opted to cough up myself for it.
Out of interest, are you from the Rochdale area (I was born not too far away) or are you just being a bit sarcastic about northern house prices?? I remember not too long ago you could get a back to back house with perhaps a back-yard in Bacup for less than the price of a 2nd hand car.
August 15th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
The latter I’m afraid, Tilly. But meant in jest of course! I used to work up there a lot, and was always stunned how cheap houses were.
And who the hell wouldn’t prefer to live in a house they can actually afford… rather than the insanity of the southeast, where a boxy, tiny, shitty semi costs half a million quid?
This is the reason I’m so fucking knackered all the time; working my arse off just to pay for the roof over my head.
August 16th, 2010 at 7:59 am
At least it wasn’t Oldham (my home town) and I know what you mean now living in Salisbury; Wiltshire is pricey. Hope the dentistry goes OK, I’m never going to miss another appointment again after reading your post!
August 16th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Looking at those teeth in the photo’, I’d say it’s just as well you’re having them seen to.
August 16th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
Ha ha!
August 16th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
your marrows are rally pale…what variety did you grow?? And do they taste any different to the standard store bought stripey ones???
August 17th, 2010 at 9:18 am
They’re a Russian variety, Tanya. Or at least, I got the seeds in Russia – because I really liked the variety when I ate some in Moscow with my in-laws.
They’re known as ‘Kabachok’ in Russia, which – unhelpfully – simply translates as ‘marrow’. But they do definitely taste better than the stripey ones. You can eat them as small courgettes/zuchini, or larger fruits.
They’re the only variety I grow on my plot, and the seeds come true. So if anybody fancies a bit of seed, let me know.
August 17th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
No matter how they’re cooked, I just cannot get on with courgettes and marrows. Much to the disappointment of my mother.
August 17th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Hey soilman…I would love some seed….to be able to grow some marrows that I can pick small like courgettes or leave big for marrow would be heaven in the glut department…..just let me know how to give you my details.
August 18th, 2010 at 6:51 am
Just email me with an address, Tanya, and I’ll send you some
August 18th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Nowt wrong wi Rochdale, (promoted to division 3 this year you know!) Gracie Fields, birthplace of the co-op, a town hall so beautiful Hitler was planning to have it pulled down brick by brick and rebuilt in Germany if he had won the war!
And Bacups not too bad these days either Tilly.
In fact the cheapest houses in the UK are actually in Burnley so I believe.
Claire
Raised in Rochdale, now living in the beautiful Rossendale Valley, not too far from Bacup.
August 19th, 2010 at 10:46 pm