The universe and nature always have a way of surprising humans. Plants that grow wild look amazing even without human care.
The thing that makes me love exploring the outskirts of the village, the bush is all about the magic. There are always unexpected surprises that show how miraculous something reproduces itself and is greater than what humans have cared for so far.
I like to compare how plants that grow wild grow better than plants that are looked after and even given fertilizer by humans. It's a blessing from God. How God shows that there is nothing more than God's power. God added many things for human survival.
The biggest pumpkin for the first time in my life which I will share with you in this post. I found big pumpkins on my husband's uncle's plantation (previously I had also harvested green oranges from that plantation).
After returning from the plantation before dark, I immediately made a dinner menu from an old pumpkin. The dinner menu I made was inspired by spaghetti squash. I also combine this menu with wild spinach which is available behind my house.
THE PUMPKIN PARADISE
Actually, this plantation is dominated by orange trees. Also, on the ground, there is grass that grows abundantly specifically for food for the goats, as well as the cows belonging to my husband's uncle.
Pumpkins are planted on the ground rather than hanging above. Most of my friends who have seen my previous video wonder whether the plant is planted hanging from the top.
Pumpkins can be seen hanging above the orange trees. This happens because they grow very well due to good soil. So, it makes their vines grow and spread strongly.
I was quite surprised that the stems holding the pumpkins were so strong! In fact, I had difficulty removing the pumpkin from the base of the stem.
Pumpkins look beautiful hanging from orange trees. Sunlight enters from the gaps in the lush trees. I feel blessed with this grace that is worthy of gratitude.
This time, I only harvested two pumpkins. One pumpkin is old and delicious for desserts and baked side dishes. Meanwhile, the other one is a young pumpkin. Pumpkins that are still green are delicious for stir-fried, similar to stir-fried chayote, and also for clear soup.
Cutting a pumpkin into two halves
I can't wait to cut a pumpkin into two halves. Before that, I weighed the pumpkin. 4 kg. Wow! It was the biggest pumpkin for the first time in my life. Usually, the pumpkins I buy at the market only weigh under 1 kg and 0.5 kg. Really insane.
I asked my husband for help in splitting this pumpkin because this pumpkin is quite hard, especially on the outer skin. After being split into two parts, the inner part appears to have a different texture of seed spaces. I was so surprised by the structure of the parts for the seeds. What an amazing pumpkin I got this time.
Well, I will only use 1/4 of this pumpkin to make baked pumpkin served with stir-fried pumpkin and roasted almonds. This dish is good for 2 servings.
Harvesting Wild Spinach
Before I cooked the pumpkin, I turned to my backyard to harvest wild spinach. To be honest, the wild spinach that grows by wild in my garden is tastier than the spinach I buy at the market. The texture of wild spinach is still crunchy when served stir-fried because their leaf stems are quite long, but not fibrous so they are delicious to eat.
I only harvest enough for dinner because they wilt easily after being picked from the tree. All are free from nature. Thank God!
THE INGREDIENTS
for 2 servings
- 1/4 big pumpkin, or 1/2 small pumpkin
- 3 handfuls of spinach
- enough olive oil, salt, and pepper to grease the pumpkin
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 3 cloves of red onion, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Removing Pumpkin Seeds
Clean the pumpkin from seeds, but don't throw away the seeds. Pumpkin seeds are delicious for making roasted seeds as snacks.
GREASE PUMKIN
Cut the pumpkin into the desired shape. Without peeling, wash the pumpkin thoroughly, then dry it. After that, grease it with olive oil, salt and pepper.
BAKE PUMPKIN AND ALMOND
Bake the pumpkin in a previously preheated oven. I used 30 minutes per side of pumpkin. You can use your own time preference because each oven has different heat. Just cook the pumpkin until it looks tender.
I also put the almonds in the oven so I can save time. Don't forget to keep an eye on the almonds so they don't burn in the oven.
MAKING STIR-FRIED SPINACH
While waiting for the pumpkin to be baked, prepare the vegetables that I served with the pumpkin. Of course, you can replace the spinach with your favorite vegetable which is suitable for serving with baked pumpkin.
Heat cooking oil, then add chopped garlic and red onion. Then, add spinach. Stir-fry for a while until spinach and onion are evenly mixed. Then, add a little water and cook for about 5 minutes.
SERVING WAYS
Before serving, we can scrape the baked pumpkin with a fork to make it easier to eat the pumpkin filling with veggies later. Then, sprinkle with roasted almonds. I also sprinkled them with seaweed flakes.
Serve while warm. Thank you nature, for the delicious free food! Wanna try this dinner dish, veggie lovers?
Thank you for reading my blog and reblog if you want my blog this time worthy of reading by others.
Best Regards,
Anggrek Lestari
Anggrek Lestari is an Indonesian fiction writer who has published two major books. Now She is a full-time content creator. She has a goal to share life, poem, and food content that makes others happy and can get inspiration.
Contact Person: authoranggreklestari@gmail.com
Discord: anggreklestari#3009