Let’s Talk Food: Pumpkins! Pumpkins! Pumpkins!

Pumpkins! Pumpkins! Pumpkins! It’s about that time of year when we find huge cardboard crates of pumpkins adorning the entrances of every grocery store. As much as we love to carve their beautiful firm fleshes with our favorite spooky and silly caricature’s it always seems too soon to do so in Texas. The heat we retain through October presents a problem in preservation. So let’s explore some facts, tips, tricks and alternative uses for fall’s favorite fruit of the season.

Once you have selected the perfect pumpkin and the time has come to carve it, start by scooping out those delicious highly prized and nutritious seeds. Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc a good source of vitamin E and diverse antioxidant support. Whole roasted, unshelled pumpkin seeds contain about 10 milligrams of zinc per 3.5 ounces, and shelled roasted pumpkin seeds contain about 7-8 milligrams. Typically, vegetables that grow in direct soil are special sources of mineral nutrients, and pumpkin (and their seeds) are no exception. Pumpkin seeds are also a very good source of the minerals phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, and copper.

Furthermore, preliminary research has shown ground pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seed extracts, and pumpkin seed oil may help improve insulin regulation for diabetic’s and may contribute to the prevention of negative consequences of diabetes on kidney function. So keep, roast and eat those seeds! They can be roasted plain, salted, seasoned with just about anything, added to salads, pasta dishes, sauces, even snuck into your favorite brownie or cookie recipe.

Next is the pumpkin “meat”. We cannot consume the carving pumpkins within the cardboard crates but varieties found in the produce section of the grocery store or at local farmers markets have a plethora of possibilities. Sugar pumpkins (also known as pie pumpkins) have a sweet, tender flesh that’s made for cooking. This pumpkin variety is a member of the gourd family. You want to choose pumpkins with a deep-orange color, smooth, firm exteriors, which are heavy for their size, without cracks or soft spots, they can be stored in a pantry for up to a month or prepped and frozen for another day.

If you’ve got ‘em take the kiddos with you to select the perfect pumpkins and share this information, letting them be the “official pumpkin pickers”. They will retain this education, learn about vegetables, be more interested in eating it and feel pride in picking the perfect pumpkin. My son even goes as far as breaking out his magnifying glass to make sure there are no soft spots, cracks or blemishes.

Sugar pumpkins are great cubed and roasted with olive oil and herbs such as sage or rosemary to be serve as a side dish, or shredded and tossed with pasta and creamy goat cheese for a main dish. Puree sugar pumpkin for a gratin, or to use in a traditional pie. Sugar pumpkin can be substituted in just about any butternut squash recipe.

Have you considered pumpkin pesto? Finding complimentary fruits, vegetables and nuts to accompany pumpkin is not difficult. Diced apple, purple potatoes, sweet onion, fresh thyme, cinnamon for example can be pureed into soup, served as a colorful side dishes or transformed into cheesecake, blondies, Bundt cakes and more.

As recently as a week ago I added left over pureed pumpkin to my French toast batter, as my son cannot seem to eat enough French toast. It doesn’t even need a recipe. Simply add cooked pureed pumpkin to your standard batter or pancake recipe increasing or decreasing amount based on your preferred strength of flavor. Extracts such as vanilla, almond, and even orange lend an extra element to your breakfast and dessert concoctions.

Try exchanging sweet potatoes, baking potatoes, and other firm squashes out for sugar pumpkins in your current recipes, if for nothing else to add to your arsenal of kitchen skills, food experience and just in case you ever appear on Chopped with this in your mystery basket.

Now back to the carved pumpkin. You’ve cut an access point, scooped out the nutritious seeds and carved your funky face on the front, now how do you extend its porch life?  Start by cutting the bottom in lieu of the top to keep moisture in the pumpkin longer. With this approach you can use an LED light instead of a candle to aide in its lifespan.

Always soak your cleaned pumpkin for a couple of hours in a bleach/water solution, 1 tsp bleach to 1 gallon of water or have the kids give your new pumpkin mascot a bath of warm, soapy water to reduce the spread of mold into the pumpkin; drying thoroughly when finished. If you’re set on the traditional candle approach sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves on the inside of your pumpkin so it doubles as an air freshener. Lastly, rub veggie or coconut oil on all the edges where you carved it to

preserve the pumpkin. You can put the jack-o-lantern in a plastic bag and put in the fridge when you’re not using it. Now you know pumpkin!

Seeds

Kosher Salt

Olive oil

Soak your pumpkin seeds fresh out of the gourd in water for a couple hours to separate the residual pumpkin. Rinse in colander. For every 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt for every half cup of pumpkin seeds. Add more salt if you would like your seeds to be saltier.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Once drained, pat dry and toss in oil; just enough to coat. Using a parchment lined sheet pan, spread the seeds out in a single layer. At this point you can add any spice you like such as chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, or dried herbs. Bake on the top rack for approximately 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the pumpkin seeds so they don’t burn. I recommend a gentle shake half way through to prevent sticking, burning and aide in even toasting. When lightly browned, remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a rack. Let the pumpkin seeds cool all the way down before eating. Store in the freezer or cool dry place like the pantry.

2½ cups all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 Cups pureed pumpkin
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. line a sheet pan with parchment paper, with enough to hang over the sides; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and salt; set aside.

3. in a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and both sugars until completely smooth and no lumps remain. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk to incorporate, making sure the egg has been completely mixed in. Add the pumpkin and again whisk to fully incorporate. Add the flour mixture to the batter and, using a rubber spatula, fold the mixture until combined and no pockets of flour remain. Fold in the butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips and pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.

4. Bake until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely, then use the parchment handles to lift the bars out of the pan and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Source: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/pumpkin-blondies/

2 oz Whole Butter

1 oz sweet onion, small diced

½ peeled, seeded sugar pumpkin

2 C. Chicken Stock (substitute vegetable stock for vegetarian)

1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled & diced

3 oz Heavy Cream

Kosher Salt as needed

1 oz fresh minced ginger

Tie a cheesecloth sack of ¼ tsp whole allspice, 1/2 cinnamon stick, ¼ tsp whole clove (optional)

½ tsp ground white pepper

Sweat onion in butter till soft, do not brown. Add diced pumpkin sauté for 2 minutes, do not brown. Add ginger, sauté for 1 min to release oils, then add stock to cover veggies by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer and add spice sack. Add apple last. Simmer till all veg is tender. Taste, season and adjust as needed. Puree and serve with a drizzle of crème fraiche.

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