Sometimes during the winter last year I bought a Japanese Kabocha pumpkin to cook and buried the seeds and rinds in my raised bed to compost. The seeds germinated and gave me 2 seedlings mid-spring.
I transplanted one of them in my front yard and was doing really well, the plant began to bloom around the end of June/early July with only male flowers, when the female flowers finally showed up (flowers with tiny fruits attached below the flowers), the pumpkin was officially in full bloom.
When one pumpkin plant was about to take over my entire front yard, I had to start trimming some shots and leaves to make it manageable. With that, I also harvest some male blossoms to make this stuffed pumpkin blossoms soup.
冬天的时候我家前院处于休耕状态，我会在天气比较暖和的时候翻翻土把厨遗埋到土里堆肥。去年冬天堆肥时埋下的日本南瓜种子今年春末时钻出土长出两棵小苗，我把一棵给了朋友，自己留了一棵种在前院里。
殊不知夏天时它越长越壮，不但把我前院覆盖满了，还开始蔓延到邻居的地里。某个周末趁有空我就把分支的苗修剪了炒蒜蓉吃。南瓜的雄花摘了做南瓜花酿，做汤非常清甜好吃，连俊宝都很喜欢呢！
Ingredients:
8-10 Male Kabucha Blossoms (with stems)
80 g Minced meat (I used pork)
2-3 tbsp of Chopped Scallion/Spring onion
1 tsp of salt or to taste
1/2 piece of soft tofu
1/2 tsp of Chinese cooking wine (ShaoXing wine)
1/4 tsp of Roasted Sesame oil
1/4 tsp of Ginger garlic paste
A few drops of Nam Pla/Fish Sauce Optional or a little bit of chicken bouillon granules
A pinch of pepper powder
2 cups of chicken or bone stock
材料:
8-10 朵 南瓜雄花 （带杆
80 克 肉末 （我用了猪肉末）
2-3 大勺的 葱花
1 小勺 的食盐 （或适量）
1/2 块 嫩豆腐
1/2 小勺 料酒/花雕酒
1/4 小勺 麻油/香油
1/4 小勺 姜蒜茸
几滴鱼露 或 一点 鸡精粉
一点 胡椒粉
2 杯 鸡汤 或 高汤
Pumpkins have separate male and female flowers, with the male flowers appearing first early summer. One or two weeks after they appear, female flowers form and begin to open. Pollen from the male flowers has get to the stigma of the female flowers to set fruit.
Since I am only harvesting male flowers for cooking, I normally do it after 11:00 am, allowing bees to have plenty of time to pollinate the flowers.
1. To prepare the blossoms, gently remove the pistil from each flower. Remove the hairy tougher skin of stems，cut stems to about 2 inches. Rinse to make sure no bugs/dust is in the blossoms, let dry.
南瓜是先开雄花的，雄花开了近两周才会开始出现雌花，雌雄花很好认，雄花底部是杆，雌花底部是个迷你南瓜，所以怕吃了花就不结瓜的朋友可以不必担心，雄花可以尽量摘来吃。
如果雌花已经出现了的话，我一般会等到上午十一点左右才摘花，让蜜蜂有足够的时间传播花粉。摘花的时候要检查一下确保花里没有虫子.
1. 摘回来的花把花蕊摘除（不然会苦），花杆儿折下撕去带毛的外层，切段，把花冲洗干净滴干水份备用。
2. Place minced meat in a bowl, add 2-3 tbsp of Chopped Scallion/Spring onion, 1/2 tsp of salt ,1/2 tsp of Chinese cooking wine (ShaoXing wine),1/4 tsp of Roasted Sesame oil, 1/4 tsp of Ginger garlic paste, a few drops of Nam Pla/Fish Sauce and a pinch of pepper powder, mix well and let the meat marinate for 20 minutes.
3. Take a half piece of soft tofu, press to mash the tofu using a cleaver or a pastry scrapper to paste. Add the mashed tofu to the minced meat, mix well.
2. 把肉末和葱花、食盐、料酒、麻油、姜蒜茸、几滴的鱼露（或鸡精粉）和胡椒粉混合放置腌制20分钟。
3. 取半块嫩豆腐，用刀背压烂后加入肉末里拌匀备用。
4. Scope the filling into the pumpkin blossoms and gently twist the petals together to seal, I like to poke one stem in to secure the petals. Repeat the steps to finish stuffing the blossoms.
5. Place the stuffed blossoms in a pot, add 2 cups of chicken stock OR water with some chicken bouillon granules. Cook at medium heat for 10-12 minutes until cooked, season with a little salt and pepper before serving.
4.把拌好的肉馅酿入南瓜花囊中，填至花朵往外延伸处，将花瓣往中间折回，插上一小段南瓜花杆固定。重复把所有花都酿好。
5. 把酿好的花排列到一口小锅里，注入两杯高汤/鸡汤/清水加一点鸡粉，中火煮10-12分钟，加盐调味。吃之前滴入两滴麻油和一点胡椒粉。
欢迎到我的新浪博客玩--
good job!
ReplyDeletelove it!