Pumpkin Stew

My sister made this delicious pumpkin stew the last time I was in town.  It isn’t a quick recipe but doesn’t require a lot of attention while simmering.  Plus, it was so beautiful being served directly from a pumpkin.  Tasted just like autumn.

Ingredients:

2 pounds stew beef, chopped to 1 inch pieces
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 cup water
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion chopped
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped (or use two fresh tomatoes, skinned and chopped)
2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
1 large pumpkin


Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Put in beef and cook until browned evenly.  Mix in the water, potatoes, carrots, pepper, garlic, onion, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer about two hours.


Preheat the oven to 325F.  Cut off the top of the pumpkin and remove seeds and pulp.  Place the pumpkin in a heavy baking pan and fill pumpkin with the beef stew.  Brush outside of the pumpkin with remaining oil.


Bake for two hours or until insides of pumpkin are tender (do not overbake).  Serve stew in pumpkin, scraping out pumpkin meat with each serving.