My African horned cucumber had been creeping all over the place but not producing much in the way of fruit. Now, despite the dropping temperatures, the first fruit has emerged, and it looks like this. The "horned" bit is no exaggeration - the spikes are sharp, as I learned to my cost when I tried to pick it up. But how to eat it before the slugs snap (or should that be slurp?) it up? A sprinkling of salt and lemon juice is the suggested method, but all recipe suggestions are welcome.
I spent a few hours at the weekend in an overgrown area of the allotment battling with thistle roots that looked unpleasantly like fat white maggots. The feeling derived from rooting them out of the ground was akin to pulling out a loose baby tooth as a child - painful, but somehow deeply satisfying. It's hard to explain to non-gardeners why weeding can be such a relaxing and stress-relieving activity: perhaps it's the feeling of bringing order from chaos. Or maybe it's just the bracing effects of a an hour in the fresh air and a break from work.
A sprinkling of salt and lemon juice on the slugs should do nicely!
Posted by: Gabrielle | October 05, 2004 at 07:00 PM