STUFFED GOLDEN NUGGET PUMPKINS WITH LEEK, MUSHROOM & CHEVRE

Welcome autumn with these delicious, wholesome pumpkins filled with the warm flavours of leek, mushrooms and nutmeg along with a lovely lift from the tang of goats yoghurt and chevre.

serves 4 as a main, or 8 as a side dish

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing

1 leek, dark green top removed, white and light green section, finely chopped

200g Mushroom Forestry mixed mushrooms

Sea salt flakes

Black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Juice and finely grated zest of ½ lemon

125ml vegetable or chicken stock

125ml Blue Bay goat yoghurt

2 Golden Nugget pumpkins, about 600g each

2 thick slices of stale bread (about 90g), crust removed, toasted then torn into pieces (about 2cm-3cm)

90g Blue Bay goat chevre

Pre-heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Have ready a roasting or baking dish large enough for pumpkins to sit side by side.

Heat the olive in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the leek, cover with lid or piece of baking paper and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened and lightly golden. Stir in the mushrooms and a generous pinch of sea salt then cook for about 8 minutes, without a lid, until mushrooms have softened and any cooking liquid has reduced. Stir in the parsley, nutmeg, lemon juice and zest, then add stock and yoghurt to combine well and just warm through to a low simmer. Check seasoning, adding extra salt and pepper, if needed. Remove from heat and set aside.

In the meantime, for each pumpkin, cut about 5cm all the way round the stem to remove the top (this will become a lid later) and create a hole. Using a dessert spoon scrape out the seeds and stringy pulp from inside and discard.

Divide and spoon a third of the mushroom mixture into the pumpkin cavities, then a layer of bread and cheese. Repeat the layering two more times until all ingredients are used finishing with a layer of cheese. Avoid squishing the contents down and overfilling as it’ll expand during baking. Replace the stem lid. Transfer to the roasting dish.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the skin is dark golden brown, the pumpkins are tender when gently pushed and the top has popped up with the mixture underneath bubbling (it maybe overflowing if it had been over-filled). If unsure, pierce the side of the pumpkin with a skewer into the centre, when ready, the flesh should be tender and the inside filling very hot. Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes.

To serve, remove the top and cut the pumpkins in half, then into wedges to suit.

Serving suggestion:

Serve with a salad of peppery greens, like rocket or watercress, or try a bitter leaf like radicchio.

Recipe by Fiona Hammond, March 2025