We may well have had the smallest pumpkin patch in Quebec
last fall … but even so, its productivity overwhelmed us.
We’d never grown the crop before and hadn’t expected the
vines to proliferate so generously.
We were pleased with our success but at the same time in a
quandary as to what could be done with our healthy harvest.
How were two stomachs going to dispose of 21 “symbols of
harvest” before the first frost? Making one jack-o’-lantern
and giving three pumpkins to each of our two neighbors
still left us with 14 offspring … not enough to set up a
stall in the market, but far too many to convert into pies.
To the rescue (for the thousand-and-first time) our French
neighbor! … who informed us that in the old country
pumpkins are used to create delicate soufflés,
hearty soups, intriguing main or side dishes, and an endless
variety of desserts. Sure enough. With just a little
effort, we soon found more pumpkin recipes from all over
the world than we were able to try with only 14 of the
delicious gourds.
Cooking with pumpkin is as rich in its challenge to creative cooks as pumpkin pulp is rich in vitamin A. Being rather bland, the pulp lends itself
beautifully to stuffings, spice mixtures, and imaginative
combinations. One pound serves two people generously.
To steam pumpkin, clean and peel the fruit and cut it into
small pieces. Cook the chunks in a covered pan, along with
a small amount of water, until they’re tender … 25-35
minutes. Serve the dish with butter and a dash of nutmeg,
or mashed in place of potatoes.
To bake one of the gourds, slice it in half or cut a lid
from its top, and clean out the inner seeds and pulp. Brush
the inside with butter and sprinkle it with brown sugar or
pumpkin spices. Set the golden globe in a 350° oven
until it’s tender … about an hour if the fruit is whole,
less if it’s cut in small pieces.
Pumpkins can be used interchangeably in recipes which call
for winter squash. Here are just a few of the many other
possible ways to prepare this truly international
comestible (all recipes serve six):
Sopa De Abobora
(Brazil)
Puree 1 1/2 cups of cooked pumpkin, place the pulp in the top of a double boiler and add:
3 cups bouillon
1/4 cup minced green pepper
1/4 cup minced onion
1 tsp. basil or chervil
dash of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the mixture over water until it boils. Combine and add:
1 -1 /2 cups heavy cream
3 egg yolks
Cook and stir the dish briefly until the desired thickness is reached. Serve it hot with croutons or fresh parsley garnish.
Jack-On-The-Table
Cut a lid from the top of a pumpkin and remove the seeds and strings as you would for a jack-o’-lantern. Brush the inside of the cavity with butter, replace the cover and bake the gourd at 350° for 40 minutes.
Baste the inside of the pumpkin with one-half of this warm mixture:
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup apple juice
1/2 tsp. fresh-ground nutmeg
Bake the “Jack” 40 minutes more, or until it’s tender. Then place the pumpkin on the table and scoop out servings from the inside or cut the wall into wedges. Top each portion with some of the remaining warm butter mixture.
Calabaza con Arroz
(pumpkin with rice)
2 cups cooked pumpkin (mashed)
1 1/4 cups cooked rice
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. salt
Cook and stir these ingredients over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes.
Tumpa meo Protein
(Swedish pumpkin with protein)
Preheat the oven to 450°. Grease a baking dish and sprinkle it with fine
crumbs.
Combine:
2 cups cooked pumpkin (mashed)
2 cups cottage cheese
2/3 cup honey
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. cardamon
1/2 tsp. each of clove, mace and ginger
Put these ingredients in the prepared dish and bake them 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325° and cook the pumpkin 40 to 50 minutes longer until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Pickled Pumpkin
Peel and cut into one-inch cubes:
4 cups pumpkin pieces
Bring to a boil:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cinnamon stick, crushed
6 whole cloves
2 tsp. fresh-grated ginger
Add the pumpkin and cook the mixture slowly until it’s tender … about 45
minutes. Pour the pickle into a quart Mason jar, covet it tightly and
refrigerate the mixture.
Halloween Ice Cream
Cook and stir over gentle heat until well blended and hot but not boiling:
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
Combine:
1 cup cooked pumpkin (mashed)
1/4 tsp. each of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt
Stir the milk and honey into the pumpkin and chill the mixture. Fold in:
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
Freeze the ice cream until it’s solid.
Kabak Tatlisi
(Turkish Pumpkin Dessert)
Peel, clean and cube a small pumpkin. Sprinkle it with 1 1/2 cups of brown
sugar ( or honey) and steam it gently in a small amount of water. Garnish the
dessert with a scoop of plain yogurt and chopped or ground walnuts.
