Saturday, December 26, 2009

Macro Monday" Pumpkin flower




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Looks like Sam had some luck with his pumpkin plant though he grew it too late. We found this half pumpkin half flower and Sam was happy that it was producing a fruit.
We are not exactly excited because we don't eat pumpkin. Many friends don't understand why.
You see, Mum and Dad grew up as kids and teenagers during the Second World War when the Japanese plundered Borneo. Import of rice and other food ceased, and the poor people depended on root vegetables and pumpkins to survive. Dad said they ate so much of the boiled thing without any salt or oil. They were so scared of them. Hence, they never served it to us.
When I was in primary school, Dad would drive us pass a small river where there were barges laden with pumpkins. Dad told me that the pumpkins were for pigs. This "Pumpkins were for pigs" were so ingrained in me that though I am past half a century, I would still not touch pumpkin.
Once, my American neighbour gave me a pumpkin pie. I thought the water engineer and the kids would eat it, but they didn't. It remained in the fridge till it got mouldy. When I mentioned this to my friends, they LOL and asked why I didn't give it to them.
The water engineer grew up in a small town where people have a small garden. Friends and relatives gave him pumpkins, and I didn't cook ithem At first, I just left them in the pantry until they rotted. The water engineer asked why I didn't cook them. Later, I gave them to my friends. Some cooked and gave me some, again they sat in the fridge making pencillin.
The funniest anecdote in the family would be when Mum and Dad went to Christchurch, New Zealand to visit my Kiwi sister in law for the first time. For the Kiwis, a roast leg of lamb if often accompanied by roast kumara and pumpkin. That is supposedly one of the best dish you can serve. Mum and Dad did not eat the pumpkin wondering why Karenserved them such a lowly vegetable. Karen thought she didn't cook well. Years later, when I came to NZ, I cleared this misunderstanding.

5 comments:

Reader Wil said...

I think your story is very funny and you made me smile. Thank you!

I love all kind of food if clean and cooked well with spices . In the concentration camp we had a spoonful of dirty cooked rice full of maggots, which we had to fish out of the rice on top of it we got a ladle of watery vegetables. That was our food for one day. The only dog we had in the camp was killed and cooked for all the 3700 prisoners .In Holland I ate once pumkin soup which was delicious with the right ingredients.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Hi Ann; It is interesting how some experiences can keep you from eating a certain food. I cook Pumpkin soup in winter or pumpkin mash or roasted. Most people enjoy Pumpkin soup because when cooked well it is delicious. When I grew up nobody ate Pumpkin in Switzerland it was for the domestic animals. I had dislikes when I was a child. I did not like Peanuts,the taste of coconuts or tomatoes. Now I eat most things as long as it is not from an animal.
At this time of year it is always humid and hot in this area, the Goldcoast. It is so good of you to bring the rain. I live in the Currumbin Valley. Enjoy your holiday.
( The wall looks very interesting one wonders who had the ideas and who made it?)

Dave said...

Hi Ann. Yes, Jill and I both like pumpkin soup - almost a delicasy when Jill makes it - and we both eat roasted pumpkin, but prefer the dry variety called squash - Dave

Unknown said...

Nice post. Merry belated Christmas and have a fab New Year, enjoy all the holidays. I am so lazy..in every aspect, home, work everything..it will be some time I think before I start posting :)

Jama said...

My grandparent and parent lived through the WW1 and they ate tapioca instead of rice, but we are still served tapioca once in a while, as a desert of course. I don't eat pumpkin, because I just don't like the taste.