Wealden Times | WT200 | October 2018 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

Garden
Above: Home-grown chillies are great for cooking – and look
lovely too
I often grow a variety called ‘Hooligan’ (it does what
its name suggests and romps about all over the patch,
so be warned) and there’s another small one called
‘Sweet Dumpling’ (but don’t be fooled, it’s a hooligan
in a dumpling outfit and will also run rampant). Both
grow to be a little bigger than a cricket ball and are
great roasted whole, hollowed out and stuffed with
risotto. Of the butternut squash varieties, ‘Hunter’ is
a good variety, as it has been bred to flourish in the
UK and will ripen well regardless of the weather.
Pumpkins and winter squash are easy to grow, but are
greedy, needing rich soil, sunshine and moisture to ensure
a good crop – this is why they are often grown on compost
heaps. They take a while to make their fruit and need a
fair amount of space to sprawl about in, but (if given a
good long summer like this one) should be ripe by the
time the foliage starts to die back in early autumn.
Leave them out in the sun for as long as possible, as
this will cure their skins and enable them to last longer
in storage. Bring them inside before the frosts arrive,
cutting each fruit off from the main stem, but leaving
a long stalk if you can, as this will also help prolong
their shelf life. They’ll keep for ages, providing they’re
stored in a dry place and look wonderful piled up
155 wealdentimes.co.uk
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