Everybody knows this time of the year – people frantically browsing the Internet in search of pumpkin soup and spice latte recipes. But this craze is not only limited to online. Do you know the annual Pumpkin Festival held in California since 1971.
Cucurbita maxima
This event is known around the world for its main attraction – giant pumpkins – fruits of the squash species Cucurbita maxima. As one can deduce from the name, representatives of this variety can reach really impressive sizes. But what weight will truly impress you? Can you imagine a pumpkin of 100 kg for instance? (We wonder how many lattes and soups you will get from such a big fruit…).
Since 1970 the records have been routinely beaten. And now pay close attention: at the dawn of the dawn festival, the starting weight of the fruit was 181 kg. Last year’s record was around 1190 kg! Figures crawl up each year and there’s no end in sight. The calculations by scholars show that a perfect pumpkin could potentially grow into a 9100 kg monster without breaking! Whoa.
Time to eat the (tiny) monsters
This can only mean one thing – whole pumpkin recipe. The easiest one is surely baking it in the 180˚C oven for 2 hours. But before you pop it in, don’t forget to make it tastier. And this is how: First, use a sharp knife to remove the lid, scrape the seeds and fibre out, and set the fruit aside.
Meanwhile, melt some butter and saute one large chopped onion and 3 garlic cloves. Add 6-8 bacon strips and keep them on medium-high heat until fat is rendered. Then add 3 cups of breadcrumbs and some chopped sage leaves for great flavour. Remove from the pan, mix 240 gr of Swiss cheese. Mix everything, stuff the pumpkin and then pour 250 ml of cream to cover the stuffing. Put the fruit on a tray, cover it with the cut-out lid, and place it in the oven!
When 2 hours pass, you will be amazed by the tenderness, flavour and taste the pumpkin will grant you.
What do you think?