The following pages will give you some recipes for

using gourds and pumpkins

Kika's Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 Large Onion

1 Large Potato (peeled and diced)

1 Large Carrot (peeled and diced)

1 Medium sized orange fleshed pumpkin (6" diameter- peeled and diced)

2 pints of vegetable stock

100g of soft cream cheese

Seasoning (salt & pepper)

Finely chopped parsley (handful)

What you need to do:

1. Chop the onion finely and fry until it is brown

2. 'Sweat' the potato and the carrot with the onion

3. Add the diced pumpkin and the stock

4. Boil the mix for 20 minutes

5. Remove from the heat, add the cream cheese and liquidise

6. Re-heat to melt the cheese on a gentle heat for 5 minutes

7. Remove from the heat and add the seasoning

8. Pour into a bowl(s) and add some chopped parsley to decorate

Strikers Pumpkin Pie :

Ingredients :

2 cups pumpkin puree (mashed up pumpkin flesh)

1 cup thick cream

1/2 cup milk

4 eggs

3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar, according to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

A 9" deep-dish (or up to 11 inch but shallower) regular pie crust

Procedure :

1. Prepare pie crust. I recommend freshly baked regular shortcrust pastry, in a pyrex pie dish, at 400°F.

2. Heat the pumpkin puree in a heavy pan; stir frequently.

3. Add milk and cream to pumpkin puree, continue heating gently and stir until smooth. Keep it hot but don't let it boil.

4. In a heatproof bowl, beat eggs (and sugar or maple sugar) until smooth.

5. Beat in the dry spices.

7. When the pie crust is baked, beat the egg mixture while pouring the hot pumpkin mixture into it in a thin stream.

The resulting mixture should be hot but not so hot as to cook the eggs.

8. Carefully pour the hot pumpkin filling into hot pie crust; return to center of oven and bake at 400°F.

9. Fill the pie partway out of the oven, then top it off with a cup or ladle with the pie positioned in the oven, as the slightest

sticking of the ovenrack is liable to cause filling to slosh all over.

10. For a Ginger Pumpkin Pie, carefully sprinkle the candied ginger evenly over the pie filling.

It will settle gently to the bottom forming a loosely packed layer.

11. The pie is ready when the outside edge of the filling is firm and slightly puffed, but the center is still jiggly.

12. Remove to a rack and let it stand (cool gently) so the filling can first finish cooking, and then set.

Paul Q's Meat Balls With Gourd

Ingredients
10 oz frozen meat balls
1 1/3 lbs hairy gourd
1 tbsp finely grated carrot
1 tsp wine
1 tbsp oil

Sauce:
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp cornflour
3 tbsp water

Instructions
Defrost and blanch meat balls in boiling water for a while. Drain.
Peel, seed and cut hairy gourd into 3/4" rings. Deep fry for a while. Drain.
Dust the inside of the hairy gourd rings with a pinch of cornflour. Insert meat balls into round opening. Arrange neatly on a plate. Steam for 5 minutes. Add fine grated carrot. Steam for another 1 minute.
Heat wok. Add oil. Sprinkle with wine. Add sauce. Bring to the boil. Pour onto beef balls. Serve.

Click here to e-mail us your gourd or pumpkin recipe

~ click here to return to the top of this page ~

Contact: enquiries@ohmygourd.co.uk

click here to visit a web-site dedicated to Clematis