[dig4victory]

Were the seeds you planted black A.F.?  Mine were creamy yellowish just like regular squash seeds.

[A. Fallowfield]

Were the seeds you planted black A.F.?  Mine were creamy yellowish just like regular squash seeds.

Did they germinate ok?

I still have one or two left from last season, they are black!

[dig4victory]

Black eh?

I sowed 5 seeds and 4 germinated.

I said I was conducting an experiment by planting 2 inside and 2 outside - and so far the outside ones are getting on better with more swelling of fruit and less rotting of small fruit than the inside ones.  Maybe they don't appreciate the hot conditions inside.  I've decided to give the inside ones another week or two to see if the current crop of golf ball sized fruit get beyond the rotting stage, if not, I'm going to cut them down. - they are swamping my toms and cukes and even though I am trying to train them back and tie them etc, they like to attack me as I go in the polytunnel 

[New shoot]

I got given one of these by someone at work whose chinese neighbour is growing them 

The seeds were not mature (boo hiss) but I cut off the peel and removed the pithy centre and cubed the resulting melon up.  These are widely grown across asia and although the Chinese use them mainly in soup, they are curried elsewhere.  I googled Ash Gourd and Wax Gourd for recipes as these are other names it is known by. 

I tried soup and curry and it does soak up sauce and flavour so cooking in liquid seems to be the key.  I liked it both ways but then I'm a greedy girl   

[A. Fallowfield]

I parted with the biggest today, to a friend of the plots Chinese family! She left it to grow and plied me with six Chinese meals, two Japanese massage brushes (don't ask), and today, as she collected it, a cake with blackberries in it!
She also left me a smaller melon from last season to keep untill the seeds go black! It's hung up in the shed!
Now she wants a plot, and she knows I'm on the committee, more noodles!

[New shoot]

   Sounds like you are not going to go hungry   

My friend at work has them growing through the fence from her neighbour's plot.  He is chinese and has put half the garden down to them by the sound of it