Pumpkin Pot Beef Stew

1 pound lean beef, cut in 1/2 cubes
vegetable oil
6 cups of water
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
3 medium potatoes, diced
1/2 pound carrots
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium - small pumpkin
1 cup green beans
1 cup lima beans
1 cup corn kernels
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Brown beef in a preheated stew pot with a small amount of vegetable oil. Stir occasionally and after meat has browned on all sides then lower the heat, sprinkle in the pepper, Worcestershire Sauce, and add 6 cups of water. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for about 3 hours.

Par boil the potatoes and carrots for about 15 minutes. Drain and add to the cooked beef.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with the 1/2 cup cold water and stir into the beef.

Cut open the pumpkin to create a bowl with lid. Remove the stringy part and seeds. Sprinkle the salt into the cleaned out pumpkin. Place your pumpkin on a cookie sheet.

Preheat your oven to 375*

Add the rest of the vegetables to the beef in your stew pot. Mix well then carefully fill the pumpkin with your stew. Put the lid on the pumpkin and bake for about 2 hours. When the pumpkin is done, the stew

will be ready to serve.

It is fun to scoop out some of the pumpkin as part of your stew.

You can make your stew a day ahead and refrigerate until you are ready to place it in the pumpkin to bake.