Too much veg!

[suzynick]

Hello

I have got sooo much veg at the moment that my o/h has brought back from our allotment that I am quite frankly over-whelmed by it all!

Tons of courgettes and marrows, have frozen some sliced courgette, made loads of courgette soup (resembles the look of dish water) given some away but still have about 20-30 courgettes/marrows! Going to try and store some in nets and hang them from the beam of my garage when i find some nets. But still have lots of courgettes that need using. I don't even like courgettes that much but o/h decided to grow some different ones this year......

Also have loads of turnips that are not at their best so need using asap before they go rotten, lots of beetroot that needs pulling up and storing, squash mmmmm, and now i've been brought home tons of plums (don't like these either and already got loads frozen in the freezer!) too which he tells me we will be making plum jam out of!

I managed to get a couple of wooden boxes from freecycle but they are slatted so will need to put something in the bottom if i intend to use them for storing root veg. I've heard of using compost, damp sand, woodshavings and peat!!! Which is best?

Wonder if I could make lots of cornish pasties with some stewing steak and root veg but no idea what to do with all the courgettes.

Sorry lots of questions I am really not good at making the most of all our veg and o/h tends to leave it to me as he is the grower!

[ina]

Even if he is the grower and you the processor - maybe you should get together for next year and make a plan to avoid gluts like these? I know, can't be avoided altogether, as it also depends on weather etc, but still... It doesn't seem entirely fair on you to be left with heaps of stuff to do something with.

And sorry, I don't have any more ideas on what to do with courgettes, either! You can stick some in cakes, but it all takes just a fraction of what you have.

[suzynick]

Even if he is the grower and you the processor - maybe you should get together for next year and make a plan to avoid gluts like these? I know, can't be avoided altogether, as it also depends on weather etc, but still... It doesn't seem entirely fair on you to be left with heaps of stuff to do something with.

And sorry, I don't have any more ideas on what to do with courgettes, either! You can stick some in cakes, but it all takes just a fraction of what you have.

Well the only glut is the courgettes really and they just keep on coming! Think everyone has the same problem, seen a few people advertising them on freecycle. Last year anyone that came to our house left with a marrow...including a delivery man!

Forgot to add I did try courgette cake....

[Millymollymandy]

Just compost them - it's just not worth wasting time trying to do things with stuff when you have a glut. I'm sick of working myself to death and having no life and spending all summer in the kitchen. Courgettes go soft really quickly anyway even in the fridge. I must have composted at least 8 carrier bags of runner beans and about 20 courgettes!

Having said that I do have 25 cucumbers in the fridge and some more on shelves, but the chooks are getting 2 - 3 a day now so we will eventually get through them!

And next year cut down on the amount of courgette plants!

[suzynick]

Just compost them - it's just not worth wasting time trying to do things with stuff when you have a glut. I'm sick of working myself to death and having no life and spending all summer in the kitchen. Courgettes go soft really quickly anyway even in the fridge. I must have composted at least 8 carrier bags of runner beans and about 20 courgettes!

Having said that I do have 25 cucumbers in the fridge and some more on shelves, but the chooks are getting 2 - 3 a day now so we will eventually get through them!

And next year cut down on the amount of courgette plants!

I think you're right though o/h hates throwing anything away if it can be used and as for cutting down on plants he was warned last year!!!

[Millymollymandy]

Oh I think you will have to take over the growing!

[red]

its a good problem to have

courgette and feta quiche (quiches freeze btw)
courgette and stilton soup
courgette bhajis
courgette fritters


one wy i like courgettes fresh is grated into 'noodles' and then added to chicken soup

heres my recipe


you could try approaching local shop or doing an honesty box on garden gate or something?

[cluckcluck]

Here's a good recipe from Hugh F-W. I tried it last week - it's really good.

"Courgette glutney

This lovely pickle is a fantastic way to use various summer veg gluts, and overgrown courgettes are one of my favourites. You can alter the recipe according to what you have, and chop and change the spices to suit your taste, too. Makes about 10 jars.

1kg courgettes, unpeeled if small, peeled if huge, cut into 1cm dice (or use pumpkin later in the season)

1kg red or green tomatoes, scalded, skinned and roughly chopped (or 1kg plums, stoned and chopped)

1kg cooking or eating apples, peeled and diced

500g onions, peeled and diced

500g sultanas or raisins

500g light brown sugar

750ml white-wine or cider vinegar, made up to 1 litre with water

1-3 tsp dried chilli flakes

1 tsp salt

For the spice bag

1 thumb-sized nugget of fresh or dried ginger, roughly chopped

12 cloves

12 black peppercorns

1 (generous) tsp coriander seeds

A few blades of mace

Put the vegetables and fruit in a large, heavy-based pan with the sultanas or raisins, sugar, vinegar and water, chilli flakes and salt.

Make up the spice bag by tying all the spices in a square of muslin or cotton. Add the spice bag to the pan, pushing it into the middle.

Heat the mixture gently, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer for 2-3 hours, uncovered, stirring regularly to ensure it does not burn on the bottom of the pan. The chutney is ready when it is rich, thick and reduced, and parts to reveal the base of the pan when a wooden spoon is dragged through it. If it starts to dry out before this stage is reached, add a little boiling water.

Pot up the chutney while still warm (but not boiling hot) in sterilised jars with plastic-coated screw-top lids (essential to stop the vinegar interacting with the metal). Leave to mature for at least two weeks - ideally two months - before serving."