With a bit of luck, you might still have the last of the homegrown tomatoes coming off the vine this month. My daughter Alba is just coming up to two, and is taking her job as Chief Tomato Picker very seriously, carefully selecting just the red ones and placing each tomato on the patio table, before asking to be lifted up to pick the next one - a slow but very enjoyable way to harvest.
I have to admit that my own squash plants weren't very happy in pots this year, but my mum luckily had a bumper crop in her veg patch. They're perfect for autumn casseroles, grated into rosti and muffins, roasted with spices and served alongside lemony pearl barley.
Here, I share a favourite baked gnocchi and squash recipe. If you're feeling adventurous, try mashing roasted squash with ricotta, to use as a filling for homemade pasta, served with sage butter - it's on my list to try with our pile of gifted squash.
This is a wonderful rib-sticker of a dish. Perfect for a crowd, just as good warmed through next day.
SERVES 4-6
PREP TIME 20 minutes
COOK TIME 55 minutes
METHOD
Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av BBC Gardeners World.
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Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av BBC Gardeners World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A new plot for tasty crops
Taking on a new allotment needn't be hard work. By simply following a few easy tips you can have bumper crops in no time, just like Alessandro Vitale
We love July
July is an island floating between the joy of June and the slightly fatigued month of August. It's a grown-up month: the year has shrugged off its adolescent exuberances, the weather is (hopefully) warm enough for ice cream to be one of your five a day, the sea should be swimmable without (too much) danger of hypothermia and thoughts will be of holiday shenanigans and family barbecues. School's out this month, the next tranche of glorious summer colour is washing across our borders and it's my birthday. Lots of reasons to give three rousing cheers for July!
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
Now, at the height of summer, Frances Tophill shows how to boost your plants' health and productivity with a timely cut
Hassle-free harvests
Flowers are out in abundance this month and for Jack Wallington, many of these blooms make delicious, low-effort pickings
Bite-sized bounties
Glorious doorstep harvests can easily turn into gluts, so let Rukmini Iyer's recipes help you savour every last bit
Upcycled outdoor living
Create unique and stylish garden features for minimal cost using reclaimed materials and simple DIY skills. Helen Riches shares four step-by-step projects and more inspiring eco tips
Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN
Buildings and landscapes can play a vital role in supercharging your space, as Nick Bailey demonstrates
Greening up a city balcony
Looking for sustainable, small-space gardening ideas? Take inspiration from Oliver Hymans' transformed balcony garden in north-east London - now a lush, green haven for humans and wildlife
The dry and mighty garden
As we adapt our gardens to a more volatile climate, Alan Titchmarsh reveals how to create a drought-tolerant plot and picks his top plant performers
Nature knows best
Carol Klein explains how to choose plants for specific growing conditions, based on what has naturally adapted to thrive there
