Anyone know the name of what these are?

[coulis-o]

I am now an agency chef and am in-between jobs at the moment. Had to leave the 4 star hotel with 1 Rosette I worked at recently for 2 years. 

Now I am in-between jobs. Have been working for Cloverleaf Restaurants company for nearly a month now while my agency has been looking for something better for me.

Am due to start in a new place of employment soon as next week with a head chef I have worked with before, who I found out is known to the agency I got in contact with.

While at the job I am working temporarily now, I found it interesting that they display these things on and in front of the Carvery





 I questioned the head chef about them and to what they are but got a vague answer. he did mention though that they are akin to the pumpkin family and that he dried them out in an airing cupboard for 3 months.

 

[iplaywithfire]

They're gourds of some sort, to be sure.  Most of the dried gourds I have seen have held their initial shape very well, but those look like they have shriveled quite a bit, which I have not seen, so I do not know, precisely.  It looks as though there are several varieties.  Perhaps assorted decorative gourds. 

 

[chefbazookas]

I believe they're called Winged Gourds.  These appear to be dried since they're brown, but when fresh they'd likely be two-toned (some green on the bottom and yellow or orange on the top) and/or variegated.

They're gorgeous for table and general decor in the fall. 

 

[chefedb]

They are indeed Gourds, I as well as others use them for buffet table decorations in the fall time of year. You can polly urathane or shellac  them and they will last much longer. But beware if one gets a hole in it or a cut they really emit a terrible odor.

 

[coulis-o]

thank you both to iplaywithfire and chefbazookas for the information and great picture of Gourds with all their colours, much appreciated /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif

they look like colourful Butternut squash, but maybe don't offer any nutritional value as such.