Long Island Cheese pumpkin

I was sent seeds of this variety of pumpkin last year by fellow blipper ceridwen and this autumn we’ve harvested two of these pumpkins which originate in the USA.  With our daughter here and a friend invited for supper, neither of whom eat meat, I decided to stuff it with bulgur (cooked until almost soft), chopped garlic, chopped mushrooms that I’d briefly sautéed in olive oil, thyme, a chopped fresh paprika pepper, a tablespoonful of chopped capers and two chopped, peeled tomatoes.

I roasted the stuffed pumpkin in the oven at 180 C for three hours.  For the last half-hour I removed the top and covered the stuffing with cubes of feta cheese.

It was worth the three-hour cooking time!  We cut it in wedges, like a cake, to serve it. The flesh of the pumpkin had a denser texture than other varieties – perhaps that’s where the ‘cheese’ part of its name came from – and a very good flavour which went well with the stuffing I’d invented. I’ve saved the seeds so that we can grow them again next year.

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