Stuffed Marrow

Coming back from a holiday can bring up a variety of emotions.  Stepping into your home for the first time since your break away can be a welcome comfort or a dissatisfied reality check.  I can remember years past when coming home left me feeling unhappy and discontent with my lot, a feeling made all the more unpleasant when compared to the lovely trip I would have just experienced.  As unhappy as those times could be, they were necessary for me to come to discover and realise just what it was that I wanted my life to involve and what kind of home/atmosphere/existence I would always feel happy to come back to.  I feel so lucky that now when I return home from a trip away I am delighted by the sights, sounds and people that I return to.  In its own way, living somewhere else (albeit for a short period of time) allows all the good things in your life to accumulate.  You have an opportunity to slow down, breathe and take stock of where you are, focus on where you want to be and appreciate what you already have.

It is perhaps a bit of an awkward analogy but my little vegetable plot seems to me to offer a fairly good example of my life.  It started off a little overlooked, a bit rough around the edges and in need of some hard work and a little loving.  Pretty soon things began to refresh and renew and, despite my not having a clue about proper gardening (or, indeed, life), and with a little effort and optimism, my garden began to produce a steady, joyful stream of jewels, each one sweeter than the next.  Over time I had started to take this little garden for granted; I expected there to be fresh pickings each and every day.  It wasn’t until my recent holiday away that I realised how much there was going on in that vegetable patch of mine.  How I had come to find great pleasure in the weeding, picking, weaving and pulling that was necessary to bring my garden to fruition.  On my return I looked in on my little veg patch and saw a space overflowing with abundance. Left to its own devices things had grown (and grown!), multiplied and swelled in numbers.  It was a sight to behold and one that made me very happy, as it only confirmed what I had already realised: I have so much in my life that is truly positive and, given the opportunity and the right care, those good things will continue to grow and develop until my garden overflows.  It is a lesson I appreciate learning.

Stuffed Marrow is a classic dish and ideal for using up those rogue courgettes that are left to their own devices (while you go away on holiday) and grow until they are the size of a small house.  They can be a little watery so it is best to really pack them full of stuffing.  This particular combination of spices, quinoa and chickpeas gives the marrow a slightly Middle Eastern leaning which is delicious when served with a little hoummous and some roasted sweet potato. 

You may find that depending on the size of your marrow, you may have a little extra filling left over.  I implore you to save it; it makes for the most delicious salad when eaten cold and is also wonderful when used to stuff pepper halves or mushrooms with.

STUFFED MARROW

Serves 4 – 6 depending on accompaniments

1 large marrow

200g/7oz quinoa

400ml/ 14floz vegetable stock

1 x 240g tin of chickpeas, drained

1 red pepper

1 large onion

2 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra

½ tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp smoked paprika

The finely grated zest of 1 lemon

25g/1oz sultanas

A small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

Begin by finely chopping the onion and the red pepper.  Peel the garlic cloves and crush the garlic into a paste.   Add the quinoa and the stock to a saucepan and cover with its lid.  Bring the stock to the boil, reduce the heat and leave to simmer gently, still covered, until the quinoa has absorbed all of the stock – about 15 minutes.  Once cooked, fluff up the quinoa with a fork and set aside. 

Next, heat the olive oil in a heavy based pan and add the onions, garlic and pepper.   Fry over a gentle heat until the onion starts to soften (about 10 minutes), turn up the heat a little and then add the cumin seeds, cinnamon and paprika.  Stir together and fry the spices for a few minutes before taking off the heat and mixing into the cooked quinoa.  Add the juice and zest of the lemon, chopped parsley, sultanas and chickpeas, season well and then mix together.

Preheat the oven to 200c (180c Fan).  Split the marrow evenly down the centre from top to tail.  Using a spoon, scoop out all of the seeds and pith from the centre of each marrow half so that you are left with a deep well to fill.  Layer a large roasting tray with tin foil (you may need two layers of foil due to the high water content of the marrow) and drizzle a little olive oil over the foil to stop the marrow from sticking.  Place the marrow, skin side down, on to the baking tray and then fill each half with spiced quinoa filling.

Place in the oven and cook for 30 - 40 minutes or until the marrow is cooked through and tender; it is cooked when a skewer slides in with just the hint of resistance.  If you find that the quinoa is beginning to colour too much then cover the marrows in a sheet of tin foil for the remaining cooking time.  Remove from the oven; carefully lift from the roasting tray using the foil as a kind of sling, place on a board or plate, cut into thick wedges and then serve.