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Pepino Chino
Submitted by catahoula_fan on Wed, 2006/09/13 - 14:58.
in
At almost two feet long, this veggie really stuck out in the market and I couldn't resist buying it (4 cordobas). Since my Spanish is barely passable, it took a while for me to get the story on what it is and what one does with it.
The friendly vendor told me "pepino chino" and that it goes in sopa (soup). My Spanish dictionary tells me that pepino means cucumber, but it also tells me that "me importa un pepino" means I don't give a damn, so now I'm really confused. What do cucumbers have to do with attitude?
Anyway, I cut the thing open and found large seeds in a spongy middle. Definitely not something I would eat raw like a cucumber, or throw into a soup. I scooped out the middle (saving seeds, of course), and grated the remaining meat and shell to make my zucchini casserole.
Combine 3 slices bacon (cooked and chopped), 1 cup mushrooms (cooked and chopped), 1/2 cup chopped onions, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 grated pepino chino, 1 1/2 cups crushed crackers, 1 egg, dash or two of garlic salt, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon mix into a casserole dish, top with your favorite cheese (grated). Bake at 350F for 40 minutes.
'Course you could always use 3 medium zucchinis if you can't find pepino chinos. Just remember to really squeeze out all of the juice from the grated zucchini.
LOL. I love attitudes,
it’s absurdities/exaggerations/aggressive anger I dislike.
Adding pepino to the remark stresses the attitude in the remark because of the point you’ve already observed: cucumbers don’t have anything to do with attitude and the remarkee doesn’t give a damn about that either = he/she really ( seriously ) doesn’t give a damn – to the point where saying absurdities has lost its significance.
- yesterday's underdog is today's champion
I am going to tell on
Myself, when I first came to NIC. on an outing I saw the nicests wild cucumbers ever been.....
Come on now let's hear it.....
Who else tried to eat them Pasta things that ya' shower with off the vine?
Lyin' Farmer John Wayne
they do look kinda like those
Fortunately I'd learned of their existence prior to seeing them growing on the vine. "Paste" is the name of the bath sponge, right?
Chinese Stores
This is found in many Chinese stores in Canada. I buy it here to make soup (2 for 5 cords!). It is great tasting.
More info
One of many links from Evergreen Seeds. There are quite a few recipes from my Google search, most are for salads.
I, too, have a mystery
I, too, have a mystery squash and am trying your casserole recipe as we speak. My squash looks like a large white eggplant. It is white and spongy on the inside. My friend, Myers grew it in his "garden" but did not know what it was or how it got there. I am saving the seeds to plant.
I did not have mushrooms so substituted them with artichoke hearts which have been in my cupboard longer than I care to admit!!
I'll let you know in about 40 minutes!!!
The mystery vegetable cookoff
Only on Nicaliving! Go Girl(s)!!
I saw
The same thing over in Italy 2-3 feet long. I was told it more like a squash & they use it in a soup there too.
so
was it good?
Good's a relative term.
While the casserole was good, I think the veggie might be better used in other dishes. The first that comes to mind would be using a marinated watermelon rind recipe for this latest Nicaraguan find.
The rind is edible, I tried it and it's much like a cucumber's. About 1/4 of an inch of meat is usable, so I'm thinking watermelon recipes.
Let me play.
My casserole turned out
My casserole turned out pretty good. Even the husband, who avoids vegetables at all costs, enjoyed it. Next time I think I'll use a little more salt and pepper and also sautee garlic with the onions.
Play?
"catahoula_fan" said: "Let me play."
Don't tell us what you & Roger are fixin' to do.
Just get back in the kitchen and develop them recipes.
Miskito Alan ®