Pumpkin Stew

Ingredients

 * 2 lb Beef stew meat,- cut in 1 1/2-in. cubes
 * 1 lg Onion; chopped
 * 2 garlic cloves; minced
 * 3 tb oil
 * 2 lg tomatoes; chopped
 * 1 lg Green bell pepper; chopped
 * salt, pepper
 * 1 ts Sugar
 * 1 c Dried apricots
 * 3 White potatoes,- peeled and diced
 * 3 Sweet potatoes,- peeled and diced
 * 2 c beef broth
 * 1 md pumpkin
 * butter or margarine; melted
 * 1/4 c Dry sherry
 * 1 cn Whole kernel corn (1 lb), drained

Directions
and broth. Cover and simmer 1 hour.
 * 1) Trim any excess fat from Beef and cook with Onion and garlic in oil until meat is browned.
 * 2) Add tomatoes, green pepper, 1 tablespoon salt,1/2 teaspoon pepper, Sugar, apricots, white potatoes, sweet potatoes
 * 1) Meanwhile, cut top off pumpkin and discard.
 * 2) Scoop out seeds and stringy membrane.
 * 3) Brush inside of pumpkin with butter and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
 * 4) Stir sherry and corn into stew and spoon into pumpkin shell.
 * 5) Place shell in shallow pan and bake at 325F 1 hour, or until pumpkin meat is tender.
 * 6) Place pumpkin in large bowl and ladle out stew, scooping out some of pumpkin with each stew serving.