THE CHINESE CUCURBITS - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 44

'Orange Hokkaido', is closely related to the big blue-gray 'Hubbard' squash. Regard-
less of the variety, they all take about 100 days to mature.
Other varieties to look for: Asian Gold, Hybrid Papaya Golden, Hybrid Sunday
Sweet.
STORING CHINESE PUMPKINS
Chinese pumpkins store very well and, under the right conditions, will last through the winter. Cure them
in the sun for several days (cover them at night or take them in out of the dew) to toughen their skins.
Store them in a cool, dry place; a temperature of 45°F to 50°F will hold them well. Check them over every
so often. They will keep for months as long as the skin is not bruised or punctured.
CULINARY USES
Chinese pumpkins can be used in all the ways you use other winter squash or pumpkins
— in soups and pies, puréed, baked, or fried.
SOUP . Chinese pumpkin makes an unusual soup, beautiful in color with a delicate fla-
vor. Peel, seed, slice, and boil in a little salted water until tender. Drain and purée in a
blender. Meanwhile, brown a chopped onion; add this to the squash with pepper, salt,
and a little curry powder. Stir in a cup of yogurt, and reheat without boiling. Garnish
with thinly sliced raw water chestnuts when serving.
PURÉED . Mixed with eggs, puréed Chinese pumpkin makes a vegetable custard — just
follow a standard recipe for corn pudding. This is not a dessert, but it could be if you
add sugar and nutmeg with a pinch of cloves. Put it in a pie shell, and garnish with
whipped cream laced with sherry. Chinese pumpkin has a richer flavor than our com-
mon pumpkin, so it makes a tastier pie when used in traditional pumpkin pie recipes.
JAPANESE STYLE SOUP . For a very easy Japanese dish, cut peeled pumpkin into chunks.
Add the chunks to chicken broth, as well as a little dashi (available from Asian mar-
kets), and simmer for 30 minutes. Then add sugar, soy sauce, and salt to taste. Sim-
mer until the pumpkin is tender. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add Japanese
noodles.
IRISH-STYLE NEW . Irish lamb stew with potatoes, onions, carrots, and chunks of winter
squash is another tasty but easy dish to prepare.