Shark Fin Melon recipe please?

[elsie]

Hi, I've still got 3 of these in my cupboard from 2011, but haven't found a recipe that works for us, which is why they've sat in storage for so long. So, before I give them away, I had another google, and found one to make a jam, which I thought I'd try with half of a melon, and wonder if anyone has a must try recipe for the other half?

[elsie]

[pumkinlover]

I'm afraid I just make soup. I have added carrot and the usual buillion powder.
I've not found it the most flavoursome of the squashes, but hopefully someone will come forward with a good recipe as I have about 10!

[elsie]

Well, they're easy to grow, produce a good crop, don't cross with any of the other squash, and apparently there are heath benefits too, so there had to be a downside! I'm going to try making the jam this weekend, and I'll let you know how it goes.

[pumkinlover]

We are eating squash jam, with ginger in it is nice.
Anyone else got a good recipe? I could do with making more soup!

[lottie lou]

Its good for poor mans shark fin soup.  Don't forget oriental soups are normally served with the main meal to wet the palate.  I make mine by using a good chicken stock, slices of ginger (which can be removed easily) a bit of sliced chicken etc.   You could put in chinese mushrooms, goji berries etc to give interest.  You can bake the melon for a while and shred it by running a fork along the flesh to shred it and make the sharks fin or just cut up and it sort of shreds up whilst cooking.  The Chinese veg shops sell it in slices and quite pricey it is too.

[pumkinlover]

Thank you for that information lottie lou, I did not know that about oriental soups, so it does put a different perspective.
I hadn't thought about adding chicken but there is a cockeral in the freezer and chicken soup is supposed to be good for colds,  so might use it for that.
How much do they sell for I have about 10 and I think there is a chinese shop in town.
I feel a "Dellboy" moment coming on!!
(must save the seeds though for the seed swop people still waiting from last year  )

[lottie lou]

What a shame I didn't know you were still waiting on shark fin seeds.  I have/had loads of them.  If I had known.....

Don't know what the shops buy them for although I did enquire at the stall in the market about how much they would pay for my pumpkins.  Was advised max. 40p/lb.  Worked it out my 16lb pumpkin would not even cover the love and work going into growing it and don't forget, when you have humped them to the shop you may be told they don't need any but will take them off your hands to save you humping them home.......  One heck of a difference between buying and selling price.

[pumkinlover]

Thanks for the offer, I promised them for the seed swop, unfortuantly not realising that they have to mature in the plant.

As lots of other things failed, I feel rather bad that no-one got those either.

[Vinlander]

Its good for poor mans shark fin soup.  Don't forget oriental soups are normally served with the main meal to wet the palate.  I make mine by using a good chicken stock, slices of ginger (which can be removed easily) a bit of sliced chicken etc.   You could put in chinese mushrooms, goji berries etc to give interest.  You can bake the melon for a while and shred it by running a fork along the flesh to shred it and make the sharks fin or just cut up and it sort of shreds up whilst cooking.  The Chinese veg shops sell it in slices and quite pricey it is too.

They add the kind of silky texture to soups that oriental noodles give  - though much less filling/satisfying - I must try adding a half portion of buckwheat noodles next time to maybe achieve more of that ramen satisfaction factor with less noodles (they are expensive!).

Cheers.

[elsie]

So, an update on the "jam", it was a hit, hooray 
I found a recipe for Dulce Di Cidre/Cabello De Angel which is a popular Mexican? jam/filling.
The first recipe I came across was a disaster, I think something must have been lost in translation, so I found a use for the other half of the squash after all  So after reading through a couple more translated recipes, this is what I did:
Cook large chunks of the squash with skin on in some water in a pan, or whole in the oven. When cool, remove the flesh from the skin and squeeze to remove some of the juices, then weigh. Place in a pan, and add up to the same weight in sugar (I used two thirds, and still found it very sweet, might try half next time) a cinnamon stick and/or the juice and zest of a lemon. Cook over a low heat, stirring frequently, until the squash is translucent.
That's basically it. The mixture is soft with a nice, firm texture. I rolled some up in a sheet of puff pastry and cut it into whirls, and they barely lasted long enough to cool. I'm going to cook up another batch with my remaining two melons, and freeze it in portions.
I'm really glad that I've found a use for these that my family loves. Given the weather this year, I think I will plant a couple of these, as they are so easy to grow. If any one else wants to give them a whirl and needs seed, I have plenty 

[goodlife]

Can you actually taste the melon in the jam at all or is it just the lemon and spice?

[elsie]

Yes you can, it doesn't have a strong flavour, but it is definately "there". Not like strawberry, or raspberry though, but it is the texture that is most noticeable, as it isn't mushy.

[lottie lou]

Like the sound of your whirls, will give it a bash as I am the only one in the house that likes shark fin melon soup.

[elsie]

I hope that you like them too. Let me know what you think 

[irridium]

i've grown these in 2011 and found that yes, they're super easy to grow/prolific but they were v. bland. made them into a trad. chinese soup with berries, bark, root and a pork shoulder (cooked for 3 hrs!)and whilst it was a "cooling" dish, i didn't think it was that tasty. So, all in all, I did have 3 spare in my larder but they went to good homes thereafter. Found that they're a bit like courgette, quite watery but with less flavour. So that's the best way to eat them as a sub for them and eat them in stir fries/spicy oriental/garlicky  (med) dishes.

[pumkinlover]

They make a nice substitute for ginger and marrow jam.
I use it instead of syrup in my porridge and to spice up my boring healthy low fat yoghurt