Stuffed pumpkins

Recipe contributed by Viv.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Basic quantities for one of the smallish pumpkins:

1 tbsp oil/butter

1 med. onion chopped

1 chopped clove of garlic

smallish handful of dried porcini rehydrated with boiling water

smallish handful of chopped nuts (e.g. cashews)

generous sprinkling of dried herbs or smallish handful of chopped fresh herbs (dried oregano or fresh flat leaf parsley for preference)

chestnut purée (about 1/3 tin)

Directions

1. Sauté the onions in oil until softened.
2. Add the garlic, chopped mushrooms, nuts and herbs and then add the chestnut purée and mix through.
3. Add some of the liquid from the mushrooms if necessary. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cut the top off a small pumpkin and scoop out the seeds.
5. Sprinkle the seeds around a roasting dish.
6. Stuff the pumpkin with the chestnut stuffing and then roast alongside the seeds (about 20 - 25 mins).
7. Sprinkle the roasted seeds over the pumpkin to serve.

Top tip for stuffing:

Make extra and use it for different things, e.g. shape into patties and use instead of meat stuff with a fry up, bulk up with beans etc. and make into veggie burgers, loosen up with a little of the mushroom liquid and use as a pate.

This recipe tastes even better made with vegetables from Community Harvest Whetstone :)