The fantastical, sometimes bizarre shapes of fruit from the gourd family, are at the same time… somehow beautiful, aren’t they?  From an instantly recognisable vivid orange pumpkin, to the paler skin of the butternut squash, or the UFO-shaped ‘patty pan’ squashes, or the ‘sweet dumpling’ with its highly decorative green and white skin, gourds seem reminiscent of the paintings by Guiseppe Arcimboldo, the artist who depicted human images made up of vegetables, crops and other plants: https://www.giuseppe-arcimboldo.org/

This amazing fruit (officially, ‘Cucurbita’, which is such a great word), in all its shapes, colours and sizes, is also a nutritional powerhouse, packed full of vitamins C and A, beta-carotene and potassium, according to a report published by BBC Good Food magazine.   This is hearty, warming, winter food.  It’s also highly versatile and can be baked, steamed, made into soups, added to stews to provide depth and that’s before we get onto the side dishes such as pumpkin croquettes, or added to fishcakes.  Then there are the puddings – caramelised pumpkin tart, with maple syrup, pumpkin custards and pumpkin cakes (we suggest Mary Berry’s recipe for that last one).   While the skins can be tough to cut, depending on the variety, one of the easiest methods is to bake the whole gourd in its skin first, seeds and all and scoop out the flesh afterwards to use in any recipe.  Here at LCMG, we grow only edible varieties, although there are some extraordinary types which are mainly for decorative purposes, known as ornamental gourds and any good market gardener or retailer will be able to tell you which is which.  Oh and a tip – look up how to save and roast the seeds, which make a delicious snack.

Some gourds are ready as early as May, depending on the area and conditions, but typically, we have them throughout October and November.  Come and find us at the Shambles Market in Stroud every Friday, where we’ll have a fine display of gourds for sale in season – stop for a chat, swap recipes, ideas and get to know these amazing fruits. 

Read more:  BBC Good Food Magazine https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/health/nutrition/health-benefits-pumpkin