From courgetti into spiral of fear

As I tend my allotment it is as if my courgettes grow in real – time while I’m there which of course they do but at a surprising speed. Each year I enjoy the beautiful yellow flowers picked for salads and wait with anticipation for the resulting crop.

Except I always wonder what if sucessful I shall do with the crop and the favourite cardamon and courgette cake is usually mulled over temptingly but with reservations even if the recipe is one of Tom Kerridge’s wonderful low calorie ones.

But this year a surprising consideration emerged reading of Guardian columinist Tim Dowling’s experience of his and his family’s poisoning from his garden crop of yellow and green ones. Alarmed by the unpleasant bitter taste although I think they ofen taste that way he increased stress levels by the now old adage of Googling and was presented with the news his fresh produce could have poisoned them. Symptons include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, vomiting and hair loss.

I was taken aback but although further hair loss is something else to fear unconcerned. After all Tim Dowling’s garden is probably in the urban jungle of London and my allotment is 30 square metres of organic soil. How could the crops and their relative safety compare? Not only do I avoid pesticides and weed killer, buffeting the council’s constant demands for more control of weeds (weeds are plants too right?) I compost.

In fact I have to leave this post to acquire low – fat ricotta cheese for tonight’s courgette pancakes with freshly picked leaves of rocket, spinach, lettuce and chard.

Enjoy!