MASSIVE cushaw + garden harvest photos

[Cassie K]

The cushaws seen in the photos were grown by my grandmother's friend. With these, I will use parts of the cushaw to eat and will also save the seeds to grow these fruits next year.

What we have harvested this week from the garden are additional cucumbers, beans, and some baby melons.

cushaw

With the neck of the cushaw, we bake it in the oven with a little sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice. Also we made a pudding with the cushaw by boiling the cushaw in water, then blending the cooked cushaw with sugar (or dates and bananas) and spices. With the "pudding", you could use it as a filling for a pie. Make the pie crust out of coconut flour, almond flour, or oat flour.

golden honeydew and watermelons

cucumber, beans, tomato harvest on August 23rd

Original post @ MASSIVE Cushaw fruits + Garden harvest photos

-Cassie Kinney, Vegans living off the land

 

[Corzhens]

The massive cushaw is alien to me but looking closer, it may be what we call Kundol. It is a close relative of the gourd with tender flesh that is made into candied dessert. The yellow honeydew is my favorite snack (when I am on a diet, hahahaaa). We have no success with the yellow honeydew although we had some cantaloupes before that were sweet but small.

 

[Cassie K]

The massive cushaw is alien to me but looking closer, it may be what we call Kundol. It is a close relative of the gourd with tender flesh that is made into candied dessert. The yellow honeydew is my favorite snack (when I am on a diet, hahahaaa). We have no success with the yellow honeydew although we had some cantaloupes before that were sweet but small.

If you notice closely, the melons were so so small. The vines had died, so I harvested them with the intention of saving seed from them. But I did harvest several watermelons that were a decent size--of course they had about a couple good bites in each, and I am saving seed from them as well. I had good sized cantaloupes this year and they were very sweet.

 

[Corzhens]

If you notice closely, the melons were so so small. The vines had died, so I harvested them with the intention of saving seed from them. But I did harvest several watermelons that were a decent size--of course they had about a couple good bites in each, and I am saving seed from them as well. I had good sized cantaloupes this year and they were very sweet.

Right now we have that same problem but not with a vine. Our banana plant seemed to have a crack in the lower part of the stalk such that some of the banana fruits are turning a bit yellow. From the looks of it, the fruit may still grow to maturity or maybe most of the fruits can mature but definitely there will be casualties. I just hope that the bamboo brace we installed this morning will prop up the banana so it will not sag.

 

[Cassie K]

Right now we have that same problem but not with a vine. Our banana plant seemed to have a crack in the lower part of the stalk such that some of the banana fruits are turning a bit yellow. From the looks of it, the fruit may still grow to maturity or maybe most of the fruits can mature but definitely there will be casualties. I just hope that the bamboo brace we installed this morning will prop up the banana so it will not sag.

I have heard/seen some banana growers completely cut the tree down when they harvest the banana bunch.

 

[IcyBC]

That is a huge cushaw and this is the first time I saw this! Those melons look small in sizes but I am sure they are great tasting.

 

[amelia88]

I had never heard of Cushaw before - they look to me somewhat like pumpkins, gourd type things. They do look like they've grown huge, though! Are there any particular recipes or cooking that you would use them for? I'm curious!

 

[Trellum]

Woah, that cushaw is huge! Is it like a squash? It kinda looks like one, but x20 times bigger, a really beautiful specimen indeed. Kudos to the lady who planted it and harvested it, it's amazing! I'm learning so much on here, to think there are many more fruits and veggies I don't even know!

 

[claudine]

I've never eaten cushaw. The recipes you shared sound very tasty! I'd love to try them out.
All your vegetables look really great, it's a wonderful harvest

 

[Cassie K]

I had never heard of Cushaw before - they look to me somewhat like pumpkins, gourd type things. They do look like they've grown huge, though! Are there any particular recipes or cooking that you would use them for? I'm curious!

Yes, good question. With the cushaw, I used them in recipes in place of pumpkin, butternut squash, etc. (1) cushaw pie with pumpkin spice, sugar, and homemade pastry dough (veg shortening, flour, salt, water); (2) cushaw soup with carrots and onions; (3) baked cushaw with brown sugar; cushaw pancake (shredded cushaw mixed with flour, water, sugar, salt) formed into patties and fried like a pancake.

 

[amelia88]

Yes, good question. With the cushaw, I used them in recipes in place of pumpkin, butternut squash, etc. (1) cushaw pie with pumpkin spice, sugar, and homemade pastry dough (veg shortening, flour, salt, water); (2) cushaw soup with carrots and onions; (3) baked cushaw with brown sugar; cushaw pancake (shredded cushaw mixed with flour, water, sugar, salt) formed into patties and fried like a pancake.

Sounds good! Pretty versatile too, which is always nice - I love when I can use something I've grown in multiple recipes, both sweet and savory!