PUMPKINS- MORE THAN A FUNNY FACE
Poor pumpkins have gotten bad PR as a nutritional food for years because they’re more than just a funny face or decoration. Native to North America, loaded with a variety of nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, they have been a recognized food source for over 7,000 years. Sadly, though now grown globally, they are used as animal fodder in most countries and in their native land relegated to pie filling served around one holiday per year.
Pumpkin seeds, roasted, have fared better as snacks and ingredients for salads. They’re known as Pepitas, because they are, botanically, the seed of the pepo berry. That’s right folks, pumpkins are really berries and, another surprise, because they’re planted in spring, considered the last of the summer crops, not the first of fall.
Nutritionally and in culinary uses, pumpkins, though slightly higher in fiber, are interchangeable with the other fall-winter squash produce, acorn, Hubbard, butternut etc. They can be cooked in any recipe, using the same directions, and served at any part of a meal the others can, which means in dishes throughout a meal. The single deciding factor in choosing squash for specific dishes is the thickness of the rind. Those with harder skin, such as acorn or pumpkin, can be halved or hollowed and baked ‘in shell’ with or without content, and the cooked pulp scooped out. The ones with thin skin, like butternut or Hubbard, are easier peeled, cut in chunks and boiled then mashed, or roasted.
To choose pumpkin, or any squash, pick the heaviest for its size and the one with the deepest color. It will have the most beta-carotene. Kept in a cool, dry place, a pumpkin will hold for a few weeks, but once cut, should be covered, chilled and used within a day or so. Don’t over worry about removing the strings when cleaning raw squash. Once the squash is cooked they can be ‘raked’ out with a fork, or will simply stick to the beaters during blending.
To roast a whole pumpkin, pierce in several places to let the steam escape, otherwise cut it in half or wedges and cook, skin side up in ½ inch water at 400 deg. for 45-60 min. Beware of the steam when cutting open. To cook any squash quickly, peel, seed and grate the raw meat, then sauté or boil.
Interestingly, with the exception of pumpkin pie and seasonal presentations, squash dishes, though popular, aren’t generally featured in restaurants. This makes them an open field for the home cook o score. Learning a few delicious, appetizing recipes can make you a star. Here are 18 recipes, for all courses, sure to get you raves, and if you want to see more check out my posts for Oct. 8, 2012, Oct. 28, 2014, Oct. 22, 2015, Oct. 29, 2015, Oct. 6, 2016, Oct. 13, 2016, Nov. 1, 2018, Nov. 8, 2018 Oct. 24, 2019, Oct. 31, 2019 . If you want to make yummy pumpkin ice cream ir frozen yogurt, visit the postings for July 30, 2020 and Aug.13. 2020.
RECIPES
Starters
Pumpkin Crisps are an elegant garnish for any squash dish. Using a potato peeler, slice off strips from a wedge of raw pumpkin. Fry in ½ cup oil until crisp, drain on paper towels and sprinkle over serving.
Roasted Pumpkin Soup: Serves 6-8
3 ½ lb. pumpkin
2 Tbs. oil+ 4 Tbs.
2 onions—chopped
2 garlic cloves – chopped
3 in. piece of grated fresh ginger root
1 tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. turmeric
Salt and pepper
1 qt. vegetable or chicken stock
Fresh cilantro for garnish
Prick pumpkin all over and rub with 2 Tbs. oil, or cut it in wedges and brush with oil. Roast in a 400 deg. oven for 45 min. until tender. Meanwhile, sauté onion, garlic and ginger 4-5 min. in the 4 Tbs. oil; add the other seasonings for 2 min. When pumpkin is cooked and cool, scoop out the flesh and add it and the broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 min. Puree the soup, test seasoning and reheat to serve with cilantro and other garnishes below.
Harvest Bread; Yield 1 loaf
¼ cup butter
1 cup sugar
¼ cup egg substitute
(1) 15oz.can pumpkin
1 banana mashed
1 cup flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup buttermilk
1 tsp. EACH baking soda and cinnamon
½ tsp. EACH nutmeg and salt
¼ tsp. Each ginger and cloves
6 oz. chopped walnuts
3/4cup chocolate chips
Cream the butter and sugar until light, beat in the egg, pumpkin, banana and buttermilk. Still beating add the flours, spices baking soda and salt. Stir in the chocolate and nuts. Pour into a lightly greased1 lb. loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven until golden and top springs back. Serve with Ice cream, whipped cream or other topping.
Pumpkin Ravioli: Serves 4
1 lb. pumpkin cooked and mashed until smooth
½ tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. butter
24 wonton wrappers
Mix pumpkin with the cinnamon. Lay out the wrappers on a flat surface and place 1 tsp. of the squash mix. In the center of each; top with another wrapper and dampen the edges with water and press to seal. Alternately, place ½ tsp. filling in the center and fold the wrapper over to form a triangle.
Bring 4 qts. salted water to a boil and cook the ravioli, a few at a time, until they float. Remove and drain on a plate. Melt the butter, pour over the ravioli and rewarm in a microwave before serving. Garnish with parsley and/or Parmesan.
Spinach Ravioli: Serves 4 This dish is especially good when served combined with the squash ravioli in equal amount. With or without meat the combination makes a full entrée.
(1) 10 oz. package of chopped spinach- thawed and drained
1 cup ricotta or cream cheese
½ tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbs. butter
24 wonton wrappers
Repeat the process as directed above, substituting the spinach, mixed with the cheese and nutmeg for the ingredients in the squash recipe. Serve on the same plate with the squash ravioli using the full 4 Tb. butter as a sauce.
Entrees
Stew in a Pumpkin: Serves 6
This is a favorite recipe of mine, and one I’ve also featured in a post on reasonably priced dinners. It’s great for a weekend or a dinner party at this season. Can also be made and served individually in small pumpkins.
3 Tbs. butter
2 lbs. beef cubed—well trimmed pork can also be used
3 Tbs. cornstarch
2 large onions diced
3 tomatoes chopped
2 Tbs. butter
¼ tsp. EACH salt and pepper
3 cups beef stock
½ lb. prunes
½ lb. dried apricots
3 sweet potatoes sliced
(2) 10 oz. packages corn –thawed and drained
1 pumpkin, top cut off and reserved, cleaned of pulp and seeds.
Melt 3 Tbs. butter in a Dutch oven. Roll the meat in the cornstarch and brown. Set aside. Melt 2 Tbs. butter in a separate pan and sauté vegetables until tender. Add to meat with juices. Add all remaining ingredients except pumpkin cover and simmer 1 hr. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Ladle stew into the pumpkin; set in a roasting pan with 1 inch of water, and bake for 1 hr. Carefully transfer pumpkin from the pan to a serving dish and replace its top as a lid for garnish. Serve at once scooping out some of the pumpkin meat as you ladle out the portions.
NOTE: I save clean-up by sautéing the vegetables in the Dutch oven first and then browning the meat. It’s one less pot. Also if you have it on hand, replace one cup of stock with beer. It deepens the flavor.
Pozole: Serves 6*
4 cups delicata squash or small pumpkins -peeled, seeded cubed
½ lb. ground beef or sausage.
2 large onions diced
1 Tbs. oil
2 cloves garlic- mashed
(1) 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 cups coarsely chopped bell peppers-any color
(1) 29 oz. can hominy- white or yellow
3 Tbs. minced chipotles in adobo sauce
2 tsp. lime juice
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbs. dried oregano or sage
Sauté the onions in the oil until soft and golden; add the garlic and ½ the salt and cook 2 min. . Add the tomatoes and pumpkin and simmer 10 min. Add the bell peppers, cover and cook 15 min. until the pumpkin is soft. Stir in the other ingredients and heat through, about 5 min. Garnish with choice of: Jack cheese, crushed tortilla chips, shredded lettuce, fresh herbs or lime wedges. Serve warm.
* Adapted from The Moosewood Restaurant New Classic Cookbook
Sides
Roasted, Curried Pumpkin: Serves 6-8*
2 lb. pumpkin- peeled and cut in ½ inch cubes
2 Tbs. curry powder
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds –see directions above for Butternut-Cider Soup
Toss the pumpkin with the oil, curry powder and salt and pepper to taste . Spread on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 350 deg. oven until soft and brown, about 30 min. Serve hot with the seeds scattered over.
* From 500 3 INGREDIENT Recipes by Robert and Carol Hildebrand
Pumpkin Risotto: Serves 4
2 cups cooked pumpkin- cubed
1 small onion
2 tsp. oil
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 ¼ cups Arborio rice
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ tsp. black pepper
3 Tbs. grated Parmesan
Bring the broth to a simmer. In a separate pot, sauté the onion in the oil until soft; add the pumpkin and mash then add the rice and 1 cup broth. Simmer until broth is absorbed and repeat until all the broth is used up and the rice is tender but still firm, about 20 min. Stir in the other ingredients and serve hot garnished with more parsley and cheese.
Squash Crisp: Serves 4 From Homemade Magazine- Can double as turkey dressing
2 lb. butternut squash- peeled, seeded and in 1 inch cubes
4 Tbs. butter divided
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups toasted bread cubes- stuffing mix is good
1 tsp. crushed dried rosemary
¼ cup chopped walnuts
Salt and pepper
Simmer the squash in water until tender, about 7 min., drain and toss in a 3 quart casserole dish with 1 Tbs. butter and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté onion in remaining butter until tender, about 5 min. Add bread and rosemary and cook about 2 min. more tossing to coat bread with butter. Stir in walnuts and spoon over squash. Bake in a 400 deg. oven until bread is browned. Toss before serving.
Quick Side Dishes or Desserts: from Try-Foods Inc.
2 midget pumpkin-halved lengthwise and seeded
1 cup applesauce
1 Tbs. maple syrup
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
½ tsp. cinnamon
Place pumpkin, cut side down, in a microwave safe dish, cover microwave on high 6-9min. until tender. Combine other ingredients in a bowl and spoon into pumpkin cavities and microwave on high 3 min. until heated through. Serve hot.
Savory Stuffed Pumpkin:
2 Recipes– Adapted from Try-Foods Int. Inc. recipesThese recipes are for the small individual pumpkins, sometimes called decorative, about the size of acorn squash. If you can’t find them substitute acorn squash.
Cut the pumpkins lengthwise in half and seed. Place halves cut side down in a pan with 1 inch water. Cover and bake at 350 deg. for 45 min. Drain and return to dish cut side up. Fill with one of the following.
NOTE: Pumpkin and squash halves can also be cooked in a microwave. Place them cut side down in a safe dish, covered and cook on high for 6-9 min. I prefer the oven because the shell remains firmer and holds its shape better.
Apple Stuffing:
Serves 4
2 pumpkins-halved lengthwise and seeded
2 medium apples, peeled and diced
2 Tbs. butter
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup apple juice
2 Tbs. brown sugar
½ tsp. nutmeg
Salt
Sauté all ingredients in butter for 5 min. Spoon into squash, return to oven and bake 15 min. more or until apples are tender.
Pumpkin Fruit Cups:
Serves 6
3 pumpkins-halved lengthwise and seeded
1 large cooking apple-peeled, cored and diced
3 Tbs. raspberry jam
1 Tbs. honey
4 tsp. butter
1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
Heat jam, honey and butter until bubbly, add cranberries and cook until they pop. Add apples and spoon into pumpkin. Bake at 375 deg. 15 min. Serve hot.
Desserts
First, since pie is the primary use of pumpkin, I’ll offer some variations to the usual presentation. Fun fact here, the colonists cut the top off the pumpkin, removed the seeds and strings and filled the cavity with milk, spices and sugar. Replacing the top, they baked the pumpkin until the flesh was soft and spooned it into bowls with the liquid like mashed potatoes and gravy. As for today’s custard pie recipes, I don’t think one can go wrong with Libby’s printed on their pumpkin cans. My personal touch is to cover the top with meringue and brown it in the oven.
Meringue topping
Beat 2 egg whites until soft peaks form; add a drop of cider vinegar and continue beating gradually adding ¼ cup sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form. Casually spread the meringue over the top of the cooled pie and place in a 300 deg. oven for 20 min. until the top browns slightly.
Other toppings for the traditionalists who simply want to upgrade the custard pie:
*Nut Topping: Mix 2/3 cup pecans or walnuts+ 2/3 cup brown sugar + 3 Tbs. butter. Sprinkle over pi. Place in a 425 deg. oven until it begins to melt. Spoon over pie.
*Eggnog Cream: Reduce 2 cups commercial eggnog over low heat, by half about 20-25min. Chill well and spoon over pie before serving or pass on the side.
Pumpkin also makes a wonderful cheesecake and there are a lot of pumpkin cheesecake recipes in books, magazines and on the web, especially at this time of year, too many to pick one for this article. My personal favorite is Kraft’s Philadelphia Cream Cheese Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake. Find it on their web site.
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie– This is a great pie for anyone who doesn’t like the more intense flavor of pumpkin custard or to serve in warm weather.
1 baked pie shell- this is especially good with cinnamon and sugar and/or ground nuts added into the dough
1Tbs. gelatin softened in ¼ cup cold water
1 ½ cups cooked pumpkin
½ cup sugar
¾ tsp. salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
2 eggs-separated
1 cup milk
¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts, pecans or Brazil nuts for garnish
Beat the egg yolks slightly; combine with the seasonings milk and pumpkin inch and cook over boiling water stirring constantly 5 min. Add the gelatin and stir until dissolved. Chill until slightly thickened. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks then add the sugar, beat to stiff peaks and fold into the pumpkin mixture. Pour into the baked shell, garnish with the nuts and chill until firm. Serve cold.
Pumpkin Tiramisu: Serves 10-12
1 ½ cups whipping cream
¾ cup sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
15oz. can pumpkin
¾ tsp. pumpkin pie spices
3 oz. pkg. ladyfingers halved
¼ cup rum
2 oz. amaretto cookies -crushed
Beat the first 2 ingredients until stiff, beat in the next 3 until smooth. Line a 9 inch springform pan with half of the halved ladyfingers, squeezed together so no spaces remain. Sprinkle with 2Tbs. rum. Cover the ladyfingers with half the filling and top with the rest of the ladyfingers and 2 Tbs. rum. Spread the rest of the filling on top and Sprinkle with crushed cookies. Chill overnight.
Pumpkin Crumble: Serves 18-20
1 box plain yellow cake mix
1 stick butter or margarine at room temp. + 4 Tbs. chilled
4 eggs
(2) 15 oz. cans pumpkin
(1) 5 oz. can evaporated milk
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 Tbs. Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix –See blend recipe below*
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Whipped cream for topping
Grease and flour a 13X9 inch baking pan. Reserve 1 cup of the cake mix and blend the rest on low speed, with 1 egg and the stick butter until combined. Press into the bottom and slightly up sides of the pan. Using same bowl and beaters, combine the pumpkin, 1 cup sugar, spices, milk and remaining eggs and beat until lighter in color and texture, about 2 min. Pour into prepared pan. With clean bowl and beaters, on low speed, beat the reserved cake mix, sugar and butter until crumbly; stir in the nuts and sprinkle it over the custard. Bake in a 350 deg. preheated oven 70-75 min. Center should still jiggle, but nuts should have browned. Cook 20 min. on a wire rack. Serve topped with whipped cream. Cake can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
* Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix:
1 cup sugar-preferably bar or super-fine sugar
½ tsp. EACH salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice
Stir everything together in a glass jar . Screw on the lid and shake well and put in a cool dark place for several days to incorporate the flavors, shaking every day or so to keep them blended. This can be adjusted to suit personal preference.
