Baby marrows
Few other crops can be cooked in so many different ways and at so many stages – from flower to finger-sized to monster-sized – as baby marrows.
They’re easy to grow and will reward you endlessly
Many carnivorous South Africans, who aren’t familiar with cooking them properly, regard baby marrows as the non-confrontational and somewhat bland Betties of the squash, pumpkin and cucumber family. Unlike the hardskinned winter varieties, these mildtasting green, canary-yellow or almost white summer squashes, which are technically fruit since they contain seeds, are eaten as a vegetable – skin, seeds and all.
Compared with the winter squashes that are rich in beta-carotene, the nutrient level of baby marrows is relatively low. They’re not particularly high on flavour either, generally getting by with a little help from their best friends: garlic, lemon, tomato, mint and dill.
One of the greatest rewards of growing your own is that you get, along with the baby marrows themselves, their magnificent flowers, which can be stuffed and deep-fried or baked. The flowers have a sweet pollen-like flavour and are the perfect receptacle to fill with seasoned meat or cheese, especially ricotta, and soft herbs.
Jane Griffiths reminds us that squash plants produce both male and female flowers: The male blossoms, which appear first, have a straight stem and a single stamen inside the flower. The female flowers, the only ones to produce fruit, follow about a week later. You’ll notice a distinct bulge – the ovary – just below the flower and a far more complicated pistil with four parts inside. >
Practical matters
The right spot and soil The squash family are heavy feeders that thrive on rich, moist soil and loads of sunshine. Plants that get excessive shade tend to produce more leaves than fruit. Add generous amounts of well-rotted manure and compost to the soil a week or two before sowing or transplanting seedlings – or make it easier still: grow them right on top of a recently turned mature compost heap!
The right time They like warm soil and are sensitive to frost – wait until about two weeks after the last frost date.
Plant them like this Sow the seeds on their side, two seeds per hole, spaced 60 cm – 90 cm apart in rows 1,5 m apart. Apply a thick layer of mulch to help suppress weeds and retain moisture.
Care and water The plants have a shallow root system, so be generous when watering. Try to avoid getting the leaves wet to prevent fundal diseases.
Good and bad companions Basil, chives, fenugreek, nasturtiums, origanum, onions and radishes will happily share the veggie patch with summer squash, but keep potatoes far away.
Pests and problems Slugs and snails are rather partial to a tender baby marrow stem.
Protect the seedlings and plants by making collars from plastic food containers with tops and bottoms cut out and sink them into the soil around each plant. Sprinkle sand, wood shavings or any other slug-deterring material both inside and outside the collar. Marrows are also susceptible to powdery mildew (spray them with liquid seaweed foliar spray once a week to prevent this), and pumpkin fly can be a problem if sown too late.
It’s harvest time!
Baby marrows taste best when they are 8 cm – 15 cm long, usually just before the blossom shrivels, about eight weeks after sowing. The more you pick, the more fruit the plant will produce from mid-spring through to early autumn. The larger they grow, the more watery and less flavoursome they become, warns Jane Griffiths. If you missed a large fruit, harvest it immediately to encourage more to set.