Multiplying tomatoes

Tomato plants went on sale locally at the beginning of March. We saw the first of them on a stall in Descartes market. A gentleman well seasoned in years with a flat cap and rubicund features turned to me and said bemusedly, 'Tomates?' These plants could only survive even the most favourable early spring in a heated greenhouse, a rare item in these parts.

But then, having sowed our tomato seeds for the year, we found ourselves without 'Lemon Boy', one of our favourites. Instead of buying seed (mail order from Baumaux) we bought a plant from Gamm Vert (5€10 per 3), potted it on and cut the top off. The top went in a glass of water, the rest on the windowsill.

In the space of a couple of weeks, the top has grown roots, making a plant about the size of the growing seedlings. We now have two Lemon Boy plants. Yesterday a side shoot from the mother plant went into the glass with the top, and very soon the Boys will be a threesome. There are six more sideshoots forming on the stem of the mother plant...

The rooted cutting is in front

Little rootlets questing for nutrients

For this technique we have to thank Joe Maiden, then of the Gardening Which trial gardens at Golden Acre Park, Leeds, and still very much of Sunday mornings on Radio Leeds. As GW subscribers we were invited to an open day at the trial gardens, where Joe was in full anecdote. Free tomato plants? Well, why not?

A true Yorkshireman, reet enow - with fans elsewhere in Touraine!

A corner of Golden Acre Park, courtesy of Leeds List

A Pain in the Crookneck

For the second year running we have grown Yellow Crooknecks....
they have rapidly become a  favourite.
We had three plants to start with...
one didn't thrive and eventually went to the "great composter in the corner"....
but the other two grew well...
very well...
very well indeedy!!
They are...
HUGE!!

The crooknecks are the two, huge, dark green plants...The gap on the right is where the third was!

They are triffid-like...

And underneath those leaves the triffid hides its mouth....

with droopy yellow tentacles...
and I'm beginning to dream about the things!
Rank upon rank of marching, yellow, gooselike gourds!!


We have used Yellow Crookneck instead of courgette in any dish that will take it...
and in many, many others.
We aren't going yellow through jaundice...
it's them thar crooknecks*!!!

Not more Crooknecks!!!!..... please!

Not that I am complaining....
oh no!
Crooknecks are creamier and more dense in the flesh than a courgette...
slightly sweeter, too...
so we started using them as a courgette substitute because our real ones were very late.

They are great sliced and fried...
they are nice raw with mayo...
they are wonderful in a courgette and tomato soup...
which, as Pauline decided to use Lemon Boy tomatoes...

A Yellow Crookneck squash with a Lemon Boy tomato.

was an all yellow affair... quite a visual/taste experience...
and great cold, too!!

A large pan full of chunky yellow soup!

And this serving for one barely dented the surface...

Pauline also made a yellow Ratatouille for bottling...

Ratatouille using Yellow Crookneck

and a very yellow version of a marrow mustard pickle...
That looks wonderful in the bottle... all glowing!!

Yellow Crookneck Mustard Pickle

Then Ken posted a Stuffed Courgette Boat recipe...
right... another use...
so we did a version using the crooknecks...

Cheese stuffed Yellow Crookneck....

and that will be repeated, too!!

Stuffed Yellow Crookneck served with fresh "Moonlight" Runner Beans and new "Charlotte" spuds.

Fortunately...
very fortunately...
we have this book...

"What will I do with all those Courgettes?" by Elaine Borish

...and all the recipes work with Crooknecks!!

*And possibly all the Lemon Boys...
we seem to have a yellow theme going this year....