Orange Favourites

by Julia Recker
At the weekends I work at a market stall here in town, selling wonderful antipasti delicacies, from self-made goats cheese and pasta to garlicy olives and artichokes – high quality products and super tasty. However, the neighbouring stand always catches my attention: fruit and vegetables all over the place. Eye candy and fantastic inspiration. Today I spotted these perfect individually shaped mangoes and pumpkins, frequently checking if they were still available. I didn’t want to miss the chance to bring some of these beauties home with me. I think I was mainly attracted to them due to the bright orange color, highlights of my grey and cloudy morning. But pumpkin – mango; this combination felt familiar to me.
A couple of weeks ago, when I was still living in Heidelberg, I was lucky to enjoy one of my roommates curries. He is truly the king of curries, always combining hand-selected ingredients and creating wonderful dishes. It was funny observing him in the kitchen, so different from my style of cooking but so inspiring and lovable. I usually go to the supermarket and let my creativity run free. He, instead, planned detailed in advance which ingredients to incorporate in which proportions. Then he went to get the groceries. He always impressed me with innovative and colorful plates – pure pleasure. So one day he combined mango and pumpkin in a creamy curry, perfect match. I will share his recipe here with you one day but today I created a different meal with the same main actors.

Spicy Pumpkin Gnocchi 

serves 1 

2 tbsp coconut oil
2 baby pumpkins (hokkaido)
1 small mango
1 garlic clove 
50 g pine nuts
1 small chili
1 tsp dried lemon verbena
180 g fresh gnocchi 
salt

First wash and cut the pumpkin into pieces. Meld coconut oil in a frying pan and roast pumpkin for some minutes. Add some salt and stir every now and then. Peel the garlic and cut garlic and chili into thin slices. Add garlic, chili, pine nuts and lemon verbena to the pan and distribute evenly. Cut the mango into cubes and add to the pan. Roast for some more minutes until the pumpkin turns golden. Set aside.
In another pan roast the gnocchi in coconut oil for 3 minutes until warm and golden.

 

 

 

 

Combine everything and decorate with herbs from the garden – I found lavender.
Enjoy whilst warm.
Stay healthy!
 
                                                                                                                                             Johanna

 

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