|
Post by michaeljohnson on May 23, 2009 1:12:44 GMT -5
Hi-Mike, I actually don't know why they call them pot leeks, the only thing I know is that pot leeks are short very fat leeks in the stem thickness which can often be about six inches across the width of stem and about a foot long, with massive long strap like leaves, and are closely guarded by enthusiasts who mount shotgun over them at showtime- lots of jealousy emerges between contestants on winning strains. prizemoney often runs into the hundreds of pounds.
The other type of long leeks, are often up to a yard long with about a three or four inch thick stem on the white bit, also with massive strap like leaves that look almost like a palm tree, and require a lot more care and growing to perfection, involving cardboard sleeves, leaf support etc, etc, there is also a lot of jealousy with these at show time, especially in the north of England,and saboteurs have been caught sneaking into a competitors garden armed with a machete at night, resulting in tears and anguish the following morning by the owner.
|
|
|
Post by grungy on May 23, 2009 1:26:26 GMT -5
Michael, any chance of getting some of your pot leeks next trade?
|
|
|
Post by michaeljohnson on May 24, 2009 2:09:30 GMT -5
Sure thing -Grungy, the majority of Pot Leek seeds are available in November each year, so I shall send you some then. I think the last winner of the pot leek contest-produced a beauty of 110 cubic inches from the button at the base to where the leaves start about a foot up the stem-it was a monster and looked almost as thick as my thigh,
|
|
|
Post by bunkie on May 24, 2009 8:18:47 GMT -5
michael, would you please count me in for some seeds to trade of the pot leek also, next fall? thanks!
|
|
|
Post by castanea on May 24, 2009 22:54:31 GMT -5
Years ago (before the internet) I used to correspond with a gardener in the UK who was into leeks, especially pot leeks. I wasn't into leeks at that time so I didn't pay all that much attention, but I do remember that he said there wasn't much genetic variation among pot leeks and that success at growing the exhibition pot leeks was based on technique and nutrition.
Is that true (or was that true) that there isn't that much variation among pot leeks?
|
|
|
Post by michaeljohnson on May 25, 2009 0:51:37 GMT -5
I shall endevour to get sufficient quantities of seed in to supply a few of you during november.
Pot leek variation- the only thing that varies in Pot leeks is their size, big and bigger, some of the leaves can measure up to four foot long in a fan like display above the leek. The very best giant ones are derived purely from little bulbils from the seed head and then crossed with others next time the flower to fix a strain. Feeding is of course paramount and often a closely guarded secret among enthusiasts-and usually high nitrogen early in the season, supplimented with all sorts of concoctions like blood and bone and fish meal, hair sweepings from a hair dressers shop, soot, urine etc, etc,
|
|
|
Post by bluelacedredhead on Jun 16, 2009 18:29:13 GMT -5
Well, the first English Marrow out of the gate, looks like it has succumbed to a fungus of some sort, no doubt due to the cold spell we had. He just didn't grow?! Poor fella.
But today, I have three very healthy specimens well on their way to making marrow ginger jam....
Pretty soon be time for a Tea Party ;D
|
|
|
Post by mnjrutherford on Jun 16, 2009 18:30:20 GMT -5
What the heck IS an English Marrow?
|
|
|
Post by michaeljohnson on Jun 17, 2009 2:25:00 GMT -5
English Marrows- are sort of long striped squash or courgette type, usually green with yellowish stripes, that can grow to a massive 100lb in weight for the giant types, but generally average for the more normal types-around 7lb to 20lb. The variety-(Long green trailing) is perhaps the best for flavour and marrow size, most of the others are bush types like a courgette. The flavour of a marrow is totally different to a courgette, and are best savoured by roasting a cut and quartered sections of it in the same tray as the sunday beef roast or roast potatoes, etc, they are scrumptious, slightly sweet with overtones of rich savoury flavour and are very moorish-often requiring (seconds helpings) for those that can get away with it, they are at there best when slightly burnt chunks emerge from the roasting tray- where the burnt edges are caremelised by the sweetness of the flesh. M-mmmm,
|
|
|
Post by mnjrutherford on Jun 17, 2009 8:09:45 GMT -5
wow.... 100 lb squash? My kids would hate me forever! ;D You refer to a courgette? Now, I don't get that nomenclature either. Here is how I categorize: Melons - sweet fleshed (when mature) eat as a fruit (watermelon, antelope, honeydew are in this category) Summer Squash - eaten as a savory veg side dish. I typically egg batter and skillet fry, tempura batter and deep fry, or stew with onions and a bit of bacon fat. (yellow crookneck or straight neck and zucchini are in this category) Cucumbers - crisp light flavored flesh eaten with salads and often "pickled" or marinated. (My French Picklers are in this category but last year I grew a melon that we ate as cucumbers because we didn't realize they were immature, but that's another thread all together) Winter Squash - hard skinned with long term keeping quality. Always cooked, most commonly baked, frequently incorprated into pastries most notably pumpkin pie. (pumpkins, acorn squash, butternut squash, and spaghetti squash are in this category) 100 lbs of a winter squash type would be right up my alley! But a summer squash type would, as previously indicated, have my kids swearing out a warrant for my arrest as an abusive mother! On the other hand, I would LOVE to grow a giant squash! I am currently growing "Carolina Cross" watermelons which are reputed to attain sizes of well over 200 lbs. We shall see!
|
|
|
Post by bluelacedredhead on Jun 17, 2009 9:28:52 GMT -5
Jo, Courgette is British for Zucchini in the Italian sense.
English Marrow are for making Jam/Preserves. Michael, your version of roasting a marrow sounds perfectly delightful. Were it my English Grandmother doing that, she would just burn the entire thing along with the roast, lol
|
|
|
Post by mnjrutherford on Jun 17, 2009 10:28:57 GMT -5
ok, so you are saying that it's a zucchini that is sweet like a melon? Any recipes around for the jam? What is the jam/preserves like? This sounds very interesting. What about nutritional value? Michael, the sweetness is mellow? I'm having a time imagining a sweet zucchini/courgette roasted with beef! I am thoroughly intrigued!
|
|
|
Post by robertb on Jun 17, 2009 13:29:39 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by mnjrutherford on Jun 17, 2009 21:02:09 GMT -5
That recipe sounds pretty good! I do want to give these a shot!
|
|
|
Post by michaeljohnson on Jun 18, 2009 0:48:03 GMT -5
one of the best jams to make with them is mock-melon and ginger jam, with the marrow chunks cut into half inch squares, delicious. No-marrows are not that -sweet, like a melon, just slightly sweet-if left to become fully mature once cut and stored for at least a couple of months or more until the stripes on it turn a deep yellow, at that point they are roughly on a par with butternut squash, roasting them with the traditional joint of beef or roast potatoes just serves to bring out the flavour more, just like when you fry big tomatoes almost to the burning stage or for that matter even fried onions which take on a new sweetness once fried, and also add to their social unacceptable behaviour as well Most people make the mistake of eating unripe english marrows, almost fresh as soon as they have cut them, they are as different as chalk from cheese if kept for 2 to 3 months over winter- and of course any seeds saved also germinate much better from these mature ones, the next season and are fat and plump seeds rather than flat almost hollow seeds. Next season I am growing a very rare -very old variety of english marrow, called (Blyton Belle) which are short dumpy marrows, pale coloured skin, with mottled light blotching on them, the seed cannot be sold for them at the moment owing to some nasty regulations, but they can be sold as young plants, so I have ordered a dozen for next season and seeds will be given away free or exchanged as there is no regulation against that. you can view what they look like here:- www.medwynsofanglesey.co.uk/medwyns%202008%20catalogue.pdf and then scroll down the page until you come to them .
|
|