You’ll never guess why a quick peace in Ukraine might be in the ambassador to Washington’s interests, writes SOLOMON HUGHES. Actually, of course you will – he stands to make a lot of money from his business links to Russia
Error message
An error occurred while searching, try again later.Rediscover the mighty marrow
Previously staple of all our gardens, the neglected marrow is making a culinary comeback, offering versatile flavours and textures when picked and prepared properly – so let your courgettes live large, writes MAT COWARD

ALMOST every vegetable gardener I know grows courgettes, but the full-size version, the marrow — once a mainstay of British allotments — seems somewhat neglected these days.
Perhaps part of the reason, as with many traditional vegetables which fall out of fashion, is people’s childhood memories of giant marrows grown for size, not flavour, and then mercilessly cooked until any remaining risk of taste or texture had been expunged.
But grown for the kitchen rather than the show bench, picked at the right time, and prepared according to the many excellent, modern recipes available online, I think marrows deserve to regain their former status.
More from this author

It’s a dead easy crop to grow and can be made into one of Britain’s best sauces. MAT COWARD explains how

MAT COWARD looks at the personal ideology of a man as concerned with the psychology of inventing as with inventing itself, whose ideas about education – and contributions to the war effort against the Nazis – live on

MAT COWARD battles wayward pigeons in pursuit of a crop of purple sprouting broccoli

Despite his wealthy background and membership of a secretive aristocratic occult club, the radical politician forged an alliance with the working class to fight for democracy and free speech against the Georgian elite, writes MAT COWARD