It seems very wrong, and I wasn't sure about posting tonight. I remember when I was a little girl my first horse was hit and killed by a drunk driver. I wondered at the time why the world didn't stop and acknowledge my personal childhood tragedy. Life does go on, and dinner does go on the table.
In light of all those who are doing without, I wanted to make do with what we had in the house today. And I decided to bite the bullet and try Elaine's suggestion of steamed pumpkin shoots. As you all know because I've complained so much about them, the pumpkins are not pumpkining. But they are shooting, and off I trotted through the giant mud bath that is my backyard to harvest a few of the shoots.
First off, I did have trouble peeling them as the lovely Elaine had suggested. It seemed either all the shoot or nothing wanted to come off, so I ended up leaving them unpeeled. Then I couldn't find my steamer basket (the boys like to cook) so I boiled up some water and dropped the shoots in. A few minutes in the water and they turned the most fabulous green colour, I popped them out and dressed them with lemon and soy.
Now I have to admit, I wasn't 100% sure about eating these shoots, so it was with some trepidation that I approached the pumpkin shoot delicacy.
And they were delicious. Just delicious. Sweet and fresh, I could feel the healthy goodness coursing through me as I chewed.
I hope others in Queensland got to have dinner tonight too.
For anyone wishing to donate to the Queensland flood relief appeal, click here.
9 comments:
Glad you liked the shoots Ali :-) I didn't invent the system! A neighbour, passing as I worked in the garden at 5am asked me if I liked them ... er, I'd never heard of such a thing. She'd lived in PNG and got a taste for them there - why the Papuans or New Guineans would like a European plant is anyone's guess but they do and apparently a number of the Pacific Islander peoples eat Pumpkin shoots. Anyway, I shared some shoots with her and have been munching them now and then ever since. Peeling: I passed on what I had heard. I've found it a tad tricky to peel them so now I crack off the stem at the leaf axil and whatever strings come with do and that's it. As I've found and you've just found, they are so young and tender a steam to soften and that's all you need.
'Survivor Guilt' I believe it's called: those of us who are not at all affected by these floods are (speaking personally) finding it hard not to feel lucky. And luck is supposedly a random event. Random I don't believe in so instead of feeling a bit guilty because I bought a property in a non-flood-prone suburb, I thank the Universe for the being here and for having a wonderful partner to share it with. We make donations and do what we can within our power and that's it: grateful for living here and mindful of other people's pain.
Some very honourable sentiments expressed here Ali, which I admire. To be honest, going without your dinner wouldn't really help anyone, so it is, as you say, best to be pragmatic and carry on as nearly normally as possible. Now if you could make your steamed pumpkin shoots dish for someone who had been flooded-out and had no home or dinner of their own, that would be even better. I have read that the State Government in Queensland have appealed (with big success) for the fortunate ones to help those less fortunate, by providing temporary accommodation. That is the sort of charitable thing that social communities are for. If I were there, I would do that. I read about Food Banks in the USA recently - where you can "deposit" unwanted food items for the use of needy people. That's a great idea too.
Now, changing the subject: Seeing Elaine write about food in PNG, I wanted to say that that is a place I visited when I was in the Army (as was Townsville, Qld, by the way)and I remember them making a Mou-Mou. Have you heard of that? Basically it is away of cooking food with hot stones, with the food buried underground. Takes ages! I also bought a PNG cookbook that has a recipe in it for eating human meat - i.e cannibalism! Perhaps it's nice with pumpkin shoots!!
What a beautiful idea it sounds so healthy!I am looking forward to having a vegetable garden one day- it will be the last part of my garden to be established because I plan to put plenty of energy into it.Your photography is wonderful as usual!
I am putting a link for donations on my site..right now. Then I am off to the veggie patch to pick some shoots to try. I wonder how they would go in a tempura batter? The cook's sister in law is Mauritian and is always wanting shoots from my pumpkins. I wonder how she cooks them?
If you've a mind to, the RSPCA is needing money too to provide accommodation for displaced animals - the 3 shelters that I know about have been evacuated so there's more animals being billeted who-knows-where. Anyway, it's: http://www.rspcaqld.org.au/howtohelp/ where you'll find the link to 'donations'.
PNG food is a closed book to me, a 'hangi-type' feast sounds amazing! Never been to one, but there's time yet ;-)
Tempura batter sounds wonderful, they would go with anything vegetable like Samosas for example, in stir-fry, soups, stews a very versatile vegetable! Probably shoots from other cucurbits would be just as nice but they are not as big. They would each have the flavour of the fruit I imagine.
Hi everyone, sorry for the late reply, the internet has been down and McDonald's of all places is my saviour. Bless them and their 50MB internet allowance.
Elaine, you are right, I feel guilty. About the ruined houses, yes, but mostly about the people losing loved ones. I have heard one story in particular that I am glad I will forget about in time, but the people that it affected won't and that makes me feel like I should be out there lashing myself, Brave New World Style.
Mark I would like to go and do something to help, I am thinking that donating clothes or toys is something I can easily do. I would prefer to donate my time, but I am concerned that with the boys we'd just be getting in the way. They are good boys, but it is true that young children often hinder with their eager help.
On your other subject, I have seen this on tv, and would love to see this done. I have a friend how spent a lot of time in PNG with her missionary parents, and remembers eating pork done this way. Yum O. I think I need to buy a new shovel.
Did you get yours Hazel? I think a tempura batter would be perfect, and was actually thinking how this would suit while I was eating. Like zucchini flowers, it would work really well.
Thank you for your kind comment about my photos GT, I have no natural eye for photography, but have always loved photographs over artwork. I work very hard to try to take as best a photo as I can, and comments are really appreciated.
Elaine I will look into the RSPCA. Perhaps the boys and I could do something to help there, we could certainly take an animal or two in for a while. Where will all the people in the shelters go once the initial shock wears off?
Love you new red flowering plant at the beginning of your blog. So sad for the city of Brisbane and her people, but she WILL come back bigger and better than ever. m
I've never tried pumpkin shoots before but that does look good! It's nice that you prepared your dinner with the flood victims in mind, I hope their ordeals are fixed soon.
Eliza, they were good, and I think Hazel's idea of battering them would be even nicer. I'm a sucker for fried food :)
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