O/T:- Elite's onions!

[drillerpie]

Must admit I didn't know that. You would probably have to pick them young, because they're huge when fully open, about the size of a hand.
They also seem a healthy snack:

"Sometimes we munch our pumpkin flowers straight off of the plant when we’re in the garden. Pumpkin flowers can also be added to salads, dipped in pancake batter and fried, or chopped and used as a garnish. No matter how you eat them, you’ll enjoy knowing that a single cup of pumpkin flowers offers the following nutrients:

643 IU Vitamin A
9 mg Vitamin C
57 mg Potassium
a host of other essential micronutrients to keep you healthy"

Yeah you can eat the flowers from similar things like marrows or courgettes too. In fact a courgette is called a zucchina (pumpkin = zucca, zucchina = little pumpkin) here so they're probably all the same family.

You see packets of the flowers on the supermarket shelves here in summer, so I suppose June/July would be the time to pick them.

If they are too big even then you can fill them up with something (you might have seen something similar done with peppers or tomatoes) and cook them in the oven. I'm on hand with recipes if you need any!

[Elite_Pie]

One final pumpkin pic before it ends up in the cooking pot:



My carving skills don't quite match my growing skills, but it looks better in darkness with a candle and my grandson loves it.

I was thinking the pic would make an ideal avatar for me, but I will remain loyal to the horse.

[queenslandpie]

One final pumpkin pic before it ends up in the cooking pot:



My carving skills don't quite match my growing skills, but it looks better in darkness with a candle and my grandson loves it.

I was thinking the pic would make an ideal avatar for me, but I will remain loyal to the horse.

If you wrote Mr Arrogant across the forehead it would make the perfect profile pic

[Elite_Pie]

If you wrote Mr Arrogant across the forehead it would make the perfect profile pic

It's a big pumpkin, but I would still struggle to fit Mr arrogant, argumentative, patronising, condescending annoying bast@rd on it.

[queenslandpie]

It's a big pumpkin, but I would still struggle to fit Mr arrogant, argumentative, patronising, condescending annoying bast@rd on it.

I can't comment on the b word but everything else seems to be correct.

[ForeignLegion]

looks like the Aussies are picking on you Elite. The Ashes on NCM.

[i961pie]

Seeing as someone mentioned my winter veg on another thread, I thought I would provide a pumpkin update:



It weighs in at a mighty 11.4 Kg (25lb) and measures 48" in circumference. It will have a scary face carved into it for halloween, the seeds saved for planting and eating as driller suggested, then I will be searching pumpkin recipes to use the rest.

Looks good EP, I put 2 plants in my allotment each year, last year I got about 5 large pumpkins but this year I got about 12 medium to small ones using the same seeds? My missus makes a lovely pumpkin and red pepper soup and we had it for a starter last Xmas day for ten of us.
mind you it looks like dinner for two this year. They are heavy buggers aren't they?

[Elite_Pie]

I'm sure you were all wondering, so I can proudly announce that my ambition to grow a 3lb onion has been achieved, and by some distance. This ugly looking thing weighs in at just over 3lb 11oz. It's grown into a kind of double onion, and came from a single seed the size of a grain of sugar from a 50p Wilko packet sown on New Year's day, as is the tradition. I've got a couple more still in the ground that might equal it, and plenty more that should make 2lbs. I put the success down to two things - firstly, having a greenhouse for the first time which encouraged growth when they were in pots in early spring, and secondly a home-made feed I read about on the internet consisting of woodash and urine. I have a plentiful supply of both, so I thought I'd give it a go. Reading back through this thread was interesting, it's a pity tarquin can't post a few pics of his harvest in Mexico.

[SmiffyPie]

How long have you had a connection with Southwell?

[Elite_Pie]

How long have you had a connection with Southwell?

Apart from visiting the racecourse regularly since 1970 I don't have any connection with Southwell. I think seriouspie said his mate has an allotment there.