PIMP MY PUMPKIN

Cheese-making has always intrigued me. I think I had a very romantic idea about it, and could see myself wandering around the hills, chatting to the happy cows and sitting down to dinner with my homemade cheese, bread and delicious homegrown preserves. That was until I actually did a cheese-making course. I now am completely cured of any delusions of being Heidi in the hills and have a great respect for farmers and the art of cheese-making. However, making your own chutneys and preserves to go with the cheese is relatively easy.

Chutneys and pickles are a great way to preserve and enjoy your summer crops. This season’s pumpkins were particularly good and I have been making pumpkin-everything in the deli, from delicious sage-and-pumpkin soup to pumpkin-and-date chutney. I have had good success with the cultivars Flat Boer and Ironbark. They store well, as does the cultivar Queensland Blue which has a grey-blue tough skin which lies better on wet soil. Pumpkins do take up space so plant them where they can ramble in full sun. Dig over the bed and compost well. Plant 5-6 seeds directly in the ground about 10cm apart and 2cm deep. Thin out the bed, choosing the three strongest plants after about three weeks and let these grow to maturity. Planting garlic chives close to the pumpkins helps with powdery mildew. Pumpkins are a summer annual and the best time to plant is September.