The Crisper Whisperer: Hairy Gourd Bread
[Photographs: Carolyn Cope]
In the Crisper
Featured Veg: Fuzzy squash, aka fuzzy melon, hairy melon, hairy gourd, Mo Qua.
Prep: Peel. Then dice, grate, or slice.
Eat: Raw, pickled, braised, stir-fried, stuffed.
Substitute: Summer squash (cooked) or cucumber (raw).
Whoever named the fuzzy squash has really got some explaining to do. Possibly even a scholarship fund to establish for retributive purposes. Because how can a vegetable be expected to get anywhere in this world with the weight of that name on its shoulders? If you're thinking that "fuzzy squash" may be the least appealing name a person could give to a perfectly lovely food, well, I regret to inform you that it's the second-least appealing name. Second after "hairy gourd," another name for fuzzy squash. Poor dear.
"Anyone want to share my hairy gourd?"
"Um, no. Are you even allowed to ask me that at work?"
Never mind getting ahead. You'll be lucky to keep your job.
Last I checked, peaches are fuzzy too but I guess they were lucky enough to be named by someone with a knack for marketing. Or at least someone whose mom taught her to accentuate the positive. Hairy Gourd Namer's mom, on the other hand, wore a belt when she was eight months pregnant with him. It's little wonder that this versatile summer vegetable is more prevalent in Chinese cuisine, where it goes by the kindler, gentler name Mo Qua. (It's kinder to me at least, since I don't speak Chinese. For all I know it means "Anyone want to share my hairy gourd.")
Except for the fact that it needs to be peeled, fuzzy squash can be prepared in many of the same ways you would use other summer squash. It is especially good in stir-fries and soups. You can stuff it, or you can dice it and use it as an ingredient in stuffing. How's that for adaptable? But because I'm the kind of high-minded person to give an underdog its first fair shake at life, I discovered this week that you can also use it to make a classic spiced quickbread.
This recipe is adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook's cakelike zucchini bread recipe. I've swapped in half whole-wheat flour for an added nutritional boost and changed up the spice mixture because, while we're on the subject of equal rights for foods, cardamom could use a little affirmative action, and cloves really do not deserve the equal representation with cinnamon that the original recipe grants them.
In the spirit of helping to launch this deserving specimen into the world, if you've got a favorite use for your hairy gourd, please share it here. (I don't think I need to ask you directly to use discretion, do I?) Since few of our CSA members know what to do with them, I've got about ten of them left in my own crisper right now, so I will probably try your recipe personally this week.
Hairy Gourd Bread
- makes one loaf -
Adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook
Ingredients
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups peeled, grated raw fuzzy squash (or zucchini or other summer squash)
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup shelled walnuts, chopped (optional)
Butter for greasing the pan
Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and thick, about 5 minutes. Gently squeeze any excess moisture out of the grated squash and fold the squash into the egg mixture.
3. Sift the dry ingredients together. Fold into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the walnuts.
4. Pour the batter into the buttered loaf pan. Bake on the center rack until a cake tester comes out clean, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.
5. Cool slightly, remove from the pan, and cool completely on a rack. (Seriously, do cool it completely before eating. Despite the tempting heady aroma, this isn't one of those situations where baked goods are better warm.)
About the author: Carolyn Cope writes Umami Girl and manages a CSA in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
17 Comments:
This made me laugh. "Mo Qua" actually translates to "hairy gourd" in Chinese as well. My mom used to saute it like zucchini, or use it in Chinese soups.
elaineathon at 11:37AM on 09/08/09
hairy? eeew. sorry I'm turned off.
hungrychristel at 11:43AM on 09/08/09
Interesting use. I like fuzzy melon and use it in soups and curries.
Dcarl1 at 12:11PM on 09/08/09
another great article!
OMG! I am still laughing @ the "want to share my hairy gourd" references.. and I'm sure it will be a phrase that will be used freely around here... its almost up there with the "awesome" quote! :o) In fact, they might possibly be used together... coming soon to a get together near you! LOL!
Seriously though, sounds yummy and I'd actually give it a try considering its not actually a zucchini... you know how I feel about those! LOL!
njscrapdiva at 12:43PM on 09/08/09
I'm starting to catch on that the "Crisper Whisperer" is not entirely suited to those of us in the Northeast...I've never heard of, let alone seen, a "hairy gourd" before (settle down, children), let alone gotten one in my CSA. Where on earth do they grow such a thing?
toad3000 at 2:11PM on 09/08/09
I take that back, seeing as you're in Hoboken. Bizarre. The zucchini recipe was useful, but kohlrabi? Hairy gourd? You guys get some strange stuff from your local farms. :-P
toad3000 at 2:19PM on 09/08/09
@elaineathon Figures! I guess (and am quickly confirming here) that maybe we Americans have a little less tolerance for weird-sounding foods—never mind fuzzy ones.
@toad3000 (and, really, everyone) I'd certainly like to make this column as useful to local eaters as possible, wherever "local" is. My experience with CSAs, famers' markets and home gardens has been that they do often include lots of veggies you wouldn't find in the supermarket, and that this is one of the reasons that people enjoy them.
Kohlrabi in particular was featured because lots of people requested it. But maybe it's just me and the hairy gourd over here in left field? Weigh in, serious local eaters: what do you want to read about in The Crisper Whisperer?
Carolyn Cope at 3:31PM on 09/08/09
oooh! In Vietnamese it's called "Bi". Not sure what it means but my mom always make it into soup. In a large pot, she throws in some chicken, big chunks of ginger, med white onion (cut into quarters), and water to cover everything. She lets it boil until the broth smells great and the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Take out the chicken and cut it into bite size pieces. The broth is then strained and set aside. Peel, remove the seeds, and cut up the melon into slices about 1/3" thick. Now bring the ginger chicken broth back into a boil and throw the chicken pieces and melon in. Add fish sauce to taste - you will add a few table spoons. Cook until the melon is tender. Add fresh chopped cilantro and crushed black pepper to taste. Enjoy! This soup recipe is quite old and rustic and is traditionally served with rice on the side. Really cheap to make and fairly simple. Give it a try. :)
Shr1mpch1p at 7:30PM on 09/08/09
This was a fantastic post. Hilarious. I laughed out loud.
Will definitely try this bread, though perhaps with non-hairy squash.
BigGirlPhoebz at 8:33PM on 09/08/09
@Shr1mpch1p Thank you! Sounds delicious. I will definitely try that this week.
Carolyn Cope at 9:54PM on 09/08/09
Or Dong Gua. I think it means winter melon... better sounding name than all of the above. Chinese think it's Yin - cool. We grew tons of these in Houston, and it's fun to see families try to best each other to see how ginormous they can grow; I think we've gone up to 40 lbs before. My family also likes to cut it up into chunks and soupify it with some salt, it's actually quite soothing.
AND the best thing about it is that it's so hardy and became my version growing up of watermelons and pumpkins. There is something very magical about watching a little melon get bigger and bigger in its melon patch. Also, since it grows so easily, it's so fun to share and we'd always cut big slices to give to neighbors.
P.S. The hairs are kind of prickly. They give your skin an unpleasant numbing sting (which doesn't make sense) so wear gloves or brush off all the hair.
oh, P.S. again - the flowers are sweet. They make excellent soup or steamed-wise and also very fun for little girls to make garlands since it's yellow with curly tendrils and then pretend to be princesses, until your aunt realized your head full of flowers may have potentially been some of the best melons of the crop. :)
briteyellowness at 10:52PM on 09/08/09
@Carolyn Cope I love reading about unusual vegetables and fruits, like the hairy gourd, which I'd never heard of before. As far as what else I'd want to read about, I've gotten all of these from my CSA and would love to have more recipes to use them up: purslane, parsley, collards, beets, endive/escarole, fennel, and lettuce (there's only so much lettuce I can eat in one week's worth of salads). Thanks!
she likes pie at 4:11PM on 09/09/09
@she likes pie Thank you for the feedback! I'll try to feature some of those veggies in the coming weeks.
Carolyn Cope at 5:26PM on 09/09/09
Farmer Rich and I were laughing hysterically. As the grower of your "hairy gourds" thought you like to see one on the vine - just waiting to be harvested for a future delivery. Unless of course, the groundhog doesn't get it first!
see photo @ http://twitpic.com/hp1ar
catalparidge at 10:43PM on 09/14/09
Had me cracking up in my cubicle, too.
I've been getting this hairy gourd from the same CSA and using it like zucchini, but peeling it first, as I was instructed in your garage by a fellow CSA member.
Just last week I sauteed some onions, bell pepper, and peeled hairy gourd (i'm always going to call it this now, thanks!) in olive oil with s&p and nestled the veggies in a crisp tortilla with shredded cheese and some shrimp I sauteed in red enchilada sauce. Hairy gourd & shrimp quesadilla -- delicious!
jbeach at 10:24AM on 09/15/09
@catalparidge I'm so thrilled you're reading this! For farmers, you guys sure do know your way around the internet. :)
@shr1mpch1p I made something very similar to what you described for dinner last night, and it was delicious. Thank you!
@jbeach And now I want that for dinner tonight. Good thing I have all these hairy gourds in my fridge.
Carolyn Cope at 6:38PM on 09/15/09
Miss Hairy appeared in my Chinese stir-fry weeks ago. Yum! ;p
tigerfish at 5:55PM on 09/21/09