Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater, had a wife but could not keep her. Put her in a pumpkin shell and there he kept her very well.
– Nursery Rhyme
There’s something both amusing and nostalgic about the site of plump orange pumpkins in October. As memories of past Halloweens and Thanksgivings return, pumpkins are usually center stage. For centuries, Europeans carved all kinds of vegetables – beets, turnips, potatoes – and placed them in windows to ward off evil spirits. Wide and mighty in stature, pumpkins are more cavity than pulp and, in America, they have become the perfect orbs for carving jack-o-lanterns.
A pumpkin is actually a gourd and belongs to the same food family (cucurbits) as watermelons, cucumbers and squashes. That’s easy to understand considering their common vines, shapes and seeds. Once used as a cure for snake bites and removing freckles (don’t bet on either!), pumpkins are high in potassium, Vitamin A and fiber. Like corn, pumpkins became a staple in the diets of the early pilgrims once they learned from their Native American friends how to cook and eat them. While Native American cooks cut strips of pumpkin to roast over the open fire, the new Americans filled the cavities of small pumpkins with honey, milk and spices to add flavor, then baked them in hot ashes. Voila, the original pumpkin pie!
All pumpkins are edible but many of the pumpkins we buy for ornamental purposes are not ideal for cooking because they are grown more for shell size and cavity space than for taste. Sugar pumpkins are great for recipes as they have a sweet, dense bright-orange pulp. If you plan to use your pumpkin for cooking, be sure to ask your grocer or farmer to point out the best ones.
While I’m not a personal fan of pumpkin pie, I can’t get enough of hot pumpkin bread lathered with cream cheese this time of year. It’s great for breakfast-on-the-run or as a simple dessert. The attached recipe is easy and will make enough for you to share a loaf with a good neighbor, a child’s teacher or your co-workers.
Jacqui’s Pumpkin Bread: makes 2 loaves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3-1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour, plus some for flouring loaf pans
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 15-oz can (1-1/2 cups) unsweetened pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup raisins
o Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9″ X 5″ loaf pans and dust pans with flour.
o In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
o In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until blended and fluffy. Add milk, pumpkin and eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Mix in dry ingredients in increments until well blended. Fold in raisins and nuts.
o Pour batter in prepared pans. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.
Serve hot with butter or cream cheese. Yum!
Roasted pumpkin seeds – called “pepitas,” whether they’re the full seed or just the seed’s meat – are easy to make after that jack-o-lantern has taken its last bow and exited from the front porch. The kids will love making and eating them, following these easy steps:
* Scoop out the seeds; wash them in cold water, discarding all pulp.
* Spread seeds on a cookie sheet and sprinkle generously with coarse salt. To enhance browning, toss with a small amount of oil.
* Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until seeds are crisp and lightly browned.
* Check seeds two to three times during baking and stir to cook evenly.
* Check a sample seed by cooling and tasting. When the insides are dry, they’re done.
* Cool and serve. For extra flavor, I like to sprinkle the seeds with garlic salt, chili powder or other seasonings. Store in an airtight container for up to three days.
Keeping it in the family, this is as good a time as any to mention the pumpkin’s more commonplace cousins – the squashes. There are copious varieties – zucchini, winter, crookneck, spaghetti, butternut, banana to name a few – but my seasonal favorites are the acorn and butternut squashes. The dark green acorn squash is easy to identify because of its shape. Its hard shell can be a challenge to cut into but it’s worth the effort. Baked Acorn Squash has a delightful nutty flavor, especially when basted with honey or maple syrup. And, rich Butternut Squash Soup, accompanied by paninis or grilled cheese sandwiches, makes for a heartwarming autumn meal and an annual homage to the cooler season. For epicurean fun, serve individual portions of the soup in small pumpkin shells that have been emptied, washed, sprayed with cooking oil and baked (325-degree oven until just softened). To take your squash eating adventure to new heights, try Butternut Squash Risotto. These recipes are below.
Let’s give thanks to the amazing fall season and the bountiful harvests of vegetables and fruits in every color, shape and flavor. May the epicurean in you see this time as a “Treat-or-Treat” season for cooking!
P.S. By the way, if you’ve got a wonderful recipe that will change my mind about pumpkin pie, I’d love to hear from you at jlovemarshall@yahoo.com
Baked Acorn Squash: serves 2 – 4
2 large acorn squash
4 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
honey or maple syrup
1 tsp. nutmeg
Salt and pepper
o Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
o Cut squash into 4 halves; remove seeds and rinse.
o Brush each half with 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine.
o Place halves on baking sheet; season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.
o Baste each half with the honey or syrup and return to oven; bake 30-40 minutes more until tender but not mushy, basting intermittently.
o Remove from oven and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve immediately.
o Note: The cavity of the squash may be used to serve another baked vegetable e.g. carrots, peas, baby onions, etc.
Butternut Squash Soup: serves 8
1 2 1/2 – 3 pound butternut squash
1 Tbsp. olive oil
6-8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 onions, chopped
2 quarts vegetable stock
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
1 pint crËme fraiche
o Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
o Halve the squash, reserving seeds. Brush the halves with 1 Tbsp. oil and place, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Roast at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until soft when pierced.
o Cook garlic and seeds in a small saucepan of water, boil and simmer for 30 min. Strain and set aside.
o SautÈ onions in a large stockpot with the remaining olive oil until opaque. Extract squash pulp and add to pot, along with the strained garlic/seed broth and enough vegetable broth to equal 2 quarts. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
o Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add ginger and wine; simmer
5-7 minutes more.
o Puree mixture in small batches in a blender or with an immersion whisk. Add additional broth as needed to reach desire consistency and season more if necessary. Whisk in cream and serve hot with a dollop of crËme fraiche on top of each bowl.
Butternut Squash Risotto: serve 4 – 6
1 medium butternut squash
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 – 6 shallots (depending on size), peeled and chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Freshly-grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped and extra sprigs for garnish
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus some for topping
o Cut squash into halves, then into eighths. Remove seed, rinse. Steam squash in a steamer basket over boiling water until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Let cool.
o Scoop flesh into a medium bowl and mash lightly with a fork. Discard skins.
o Add stock to a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.
o In another large saucepan, melt 1 Tbsp. butter, then add oil and shallots. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add rice, stirring for 5 minutes more.
o Add wine to rice mixture and cook, stirring, until wine is almost fully absorbed. Stir in the squash and 1 cup of the stock, cooking at a simmer and stirring until liquid is almost completely absorbed. Continue stirring in the stock, a cup at a time, until rice is firm and creamy but not hard to the bite, 15-20 minutes. Add nutmeg; season with salt and pepper.
o Stir in the remaining butter and the parmesan cheese; add the rosemary.
o Serve in shallow bowls. Garnish with rosemary. Offer additional parmesan cheese for topping.
–Jacqui Love Marshall lives in Danville with her vintage-car-loving husband, two pugs and binders of recipes.
