ottawa foodies

My aunt grows these "upo" gourds every year. This year was apparently bad because of rain and cloudy skies. I was hoping to claim a few of them and give them away to those that my not have tried the gourd, or maybe try creating a nice dish out of it.

As you can see they can grow really huge. This was a medium one. I would have to cut it in half and spread the wealth to those that want one. I've seen one in a Sommerset store and it was quite pricey.

Oh well...maybe next year. For now, enjoy the picture.

Never heard of them (UPO Gourds), what do they taste like?

I do grow some exotic plants though: Zephyr Squash, Chilacayote or Shark Fin Melon, Pattypan Squash, Dragon Tongue Beans, Caigua, Oca, Winter Melon . . . plus regular vegetables like tomatoes, bush beans, eggplants and watermelons.

Francis How to you cook your Dragon Tongue Beans? Do you shell them first and boil or steam just like that? Someone at the Byward market was selling them last week and they looked so nice but I didn't know what to do with them.

Hi Pasta Lover,

I usually cook beans by steaming, as boiling extracts all the nutrients. You don't need to steam dragon tongue beans very long, just a couple of minutes. In fact if you cook them too long the cool purple disappears and they look like regular cooked beans. If you're steaming use a pot with a clear lid so you can see. They still taste a lot better than regular beans though (to my pallet anyway) - sweet and buttery.

This is what they look like. They're bush beans, and they are amazingly prolific.

Reminds me . . . I have to pick them again tomorrow!

Thanks Francis. I will now have to pick some up at the market this weekend! I actually have a glass pot (Pyrex I think?) so that is the pot I will use to cook them in. I'm getting tired of green beans but with all the different varieties these days I'm having fun trying new beans.

Hi Pasta Lover,

p.s. I forgot to answer your question . . . yes they are edible pod, so you cook the whole thing. If you don't have a steamer, you can rig up one very easily in a large pot - just put in about 1cm of water in the bottom and find another dish or pot that will fit inside when the lid is on.

Francis yes I was in fact wondering if the pods were edible but I gathered by your answer that you can eat them. I have one of those metal steamers you can fit in a pot and I have been putting to good use this summer.