Courgette watch!

[usernamealreadytaken]

I've been struggling to find courgettes locally, and thought it was just a local supply issue. Turns out there is apparently a national courgette shortage. So, stealth boast time - are courgettes plentiful where you are and will you post to Gtr Manchester

@ Handbag, your comment really tickled me.

Ah, there was I blaming a glitch on the Sainsbury's website - no courgettes in the marketplace, not even for ready money!

(I did find some in a local grocer in the end.)

Ah Pelvic, like a potato clock??

I've got two in my fridge too! I'll sell them for £5 each - anyone interested?

If there are no offers mine will be going into a bacon and courgette carbonara tomorrow.

Article on BBC Breakfast this morning saying that shortages are due to the bad weather in Southern Europe (especially Spain). A box of courgettes that would normally sell wholesale for £6-7 is now apparently going to as much as £20!

Exactly - potato clock, courgette watch.

Now the news is saying there will be a shortage of tomatoes and salad leaves too. I blame Trump the EU Brexit

I went to a Tesco yesterday and there were billions! I bought 4!

I didn't check the price in the supermarket and was rather taken aback that one courgette had cost me 1.67euros. I told myself off for buying out of season, but if there is also a shortage it makes sense.

Mine went in minestrone.

Lots in aldi this morning but I'm out in the sticks and no one buys them here anyway.

Why does anyone want courgettes in January anyway?

I don't think we've ever bought any - grow our own, and have masses in the proper season.

I've had three huge ones in the fridge since last week and almost chucked them but made this weird Moroccan lentil stew thing with one of them plus aubergine, peppers and haloumi, was quite nice. Got them from Tesco but goodness knows where they were grown.

I overheard two market traders this week discussing courgettes and one said she didn't get any as they were too expensive. The other agreed.

The shortage must be he reason. I'd not heard the news when I was in the market.

Ah, courgettes - those things one of our French exchange students when I were a lass, went looking for in the greengrocers of Streatham, long long ago in the late 1960s. It was summer, but in those days there were no such thing as courgettes, only marrows, which appeared in the autumn. She was wanting to make ratatouille for the family she was staying with, but was puzzled after her expedition since she could find neither courgettes, nor peppers, nor abergines.

I digress. Some things are seasonal. We are jolly lucky to get courgettes, I suppose. We have tomatoes all year round too - but they hardly seem worth buying in the winter months and quite right too in the opinion of this grumpy old gimmer.

Leeks are nice this time of year. In the olden days, English leeks were only out of season in May.

Peace, love and soup in cups

Surely this is an ideal opportunity to prop up the flagging Brexit economy.
It's warmer here than mainland Europe, so get those poly tunnels up and grow courgettes rather than strawberries this spring.

I got some from Ocado today. They are the size of flipping marrows!

Couldn't order any with my Sainsbury's online shop the other day, but had LOADS in my local coop

I think it is a foreign supply issue as last year they grew well over the summer.

I have 3 in the fridge.

They are the plant in the garden that never stopped fruiting and can be grew in pots with some new varieties which are a lot more vertical.

I still have some in the freezer from last summer :)

PInkSwimGoggles that ended up as my only option for those and chili peppers.

Lots in Lidl Tooting Broadway!

As others said courgettes in January,what ever for ?