Pumpkin Season

[TeeDee]

So Pumpkin Season is upon us - and for many of us that will mean just a waste of a food product - so my challenge to you is to take the Pumpkin and turn it into something tasty. After Halloween unsold pumpkins will just be going to waste and rotting away as discarded.
Get Creative.


As a starter - here is my effort.


American style T-H-I-C-K Pumpkin Flour Pancakes ( enhanced with cinnamon and some bitter chocolate nibs ) with Clotted cream , Blackberries, a sweetened compote of Yellow gage and a rose hip syrup reduction and topped off with a Fig!

I also roasted the Pumpkin seeds themselves and threw a few on -these straight from the pan, nice and toasted are amazing in themselves - if you do nothing else - ROAST THE SEEDS.

 

[TeeDee]

I turned the Pumpkin into Pumpkin flour by way of the Oven ( turn it into smush ) then via the Dehydrator ( although you could use an oven ) and turn it into Pumpkin Flour.

 

[FerlasDave]

We don’t celebrate Halloween at all, but we do enjoy the seasonal benefits of cheap pumpkins. We buy a couple, cool the flesh and blend it into a pulp. It’s perfect for pumkin soup or my personal favourite pumpkin pie!

 

[Kadushu]

I'm not keen on the flavour of pumpkin by itself (squashes such as butternut or red kuri are different matter!) but it's quite nice grated and encorporated into a cake.

 

[TeeDee]

We don’t celebrate Halloween at all, but we do enjoy the seasonal benefits of cheap pumpkins. We buy a couple, cool the flesh and blend it into a pulp. It’s perfect for pumkin soup or my personal favourite pumpkin pie!

Good.

I will wait for the Photos to appear then.

 

[TeeDee]

I'm not keen on the flavour of pumpkin by itself (squashes such as butternut or red kuri are different matter!) but it's quite nice grated and encorporated into a cake.

Its pretty versatile to be fair.

I've just knocked up a 'Thing' - Baked griddled Bumpkin , finely diced Carrot and home made Chorizo ( a glorious learning experience in itself ) , generously mixed with that spicy mexicana cheese. All in some short crust pastry. Wonderful.

Sweet or Savoury , Pumpkin is the Bi-curious veg that swings boths ways.

 

[Robson Valley]

First, 1C water and 1/4C salt. Soak the seed (and the slimy orange fiber) for 3-4 hours. Spread on a sheet pan and into a 350F oven for 8-10 minutes to roast. The fiber has such a high water % that it shrivels up to nothing and it's edible, anyway.

The day after Hallowe'en, cut off the face of the pumpkins and toss those, they go moldy so fast.
Cut the rest into big slabs and cross-score deeply with a sharp knife. Rub in softened butter, add lots of brown sugar, some ground cinnamon and a scrape of nutmeg. Roast on a sheet at 350F for (probably) 45 minutes until soft/cooked.

At least 10 years of kid testing and kid approvals. Was always the ritual for the day after.

 

[Toddy]

The only ones I tried cooking were tasteless things. So I generally don't bother buying them.
I still carve a neep for a Hallowe'en lantern instead
The pumpkins always look so cheery, interesting, inviting somehow. Then the reality of the watery mush kind of spoils it all.

I think I might expend £1.49 in Tesco and give Robson Valley's idea a go though

 

[TeeDee]

So this is the " Thing " and the photo doesn't do the taste of it justice - Its gorgeous ( even if I do say so myself )

I've just knocked up a 'Thing' - Baked griddled Bumpkin , finely diced Carrot and home made Chorizo ( a glorious learning experience in itself ) , generously mixed with that spicy mexicana cheese. All in some short crust pastry. Wonderful.

 

[Robson Valley]

We have many different varieties, right down to your choice of size and shape.
Usually, the canned pumpkin pure' that I would buy in the store for pie making is a named, much sweeter variety (on the label!) and it is not any of the Hallowe'en varieties.
That's why my compensation is with the brown sugar.

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Yeeees foodie post!

Looks awesome. It's funny you mention the seeds, I've just tried toasted sunflower seeds tonight after a recommendation from a friend, mixed after heating with a little salt and curry powder they are wonderful, are the pumpkin seeds anything like similar?

I've never made anything with a Halloween pumpkin before. But I have done several roasted and stuffed butternut squash dishes, if I get the opportunity I'll try and knock something up with a foraged twist.

 

[TeeDee]

Yeeees foodie post!

Looks awesome. It's funny you mention the seeds, I've just tried toasted sunflower seeds tonight after a recommendation from a friend, mixed after heating with a little salt and curry powder they are wonderful, are the pumpkin seeds anything like similar?

I've never made anything with a Halloween pumpkin before. But I have done several roasted and stuffed butternut squash dishes, if I get the opportunity I'll try and knock something up with a foraged twist.

Top man!


Its all about having a go.

 

[Robson Valley]

Pumpkin seed shell is thin enough that you can eat the whole thing (to get more outside salt, too.)
If you are lethargic enough, we can buy, +/-salt, roasted and shelled pumpkin seed by the kg.
Tastes like the inside of a pumpkin smells.

 

[British Red]

my challenge to you is to take the Pumpkin and turn it into something tasty.

I give you Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Soup

Substitute chilli & cumin for a spicy variant

 

[Tengu]

Ive never really liked the things, -though I did try turning one into chutney one year.

But I may carve a pumpkin for class next week; our wonderful new premises is so drab and uninhabited in spite of all the books on the shelves (and me and others have donated any suitable we find)

Maybe a neep? They are at least edible.

 

[Robson Valley]

Tengu, you really need some bushcraft experience with the Trinity = corn, beans and squash. Pumpkins are just one of the latter. Try my quick slab roast method.

 

[TeeDee]

Still trying to learn / convince myself how to cook and trying to suggest ideas to eliminate food waste around Pumpkins at this time of year.

So these are either Gyoza or possibly Pierogi (?) - but I do know they are stuffed with Sumac and chilli spiced pumpkin puree with Chorizo & Ricotta. Topped off with some basil oil and ground toasted pumpkin seeds.

The ' dumpling ' maker ensures they look half decent but need to get the dough mix correct.

The dumpling maker is quite a good bit of ( cheap ) kit for the Picnic/BBQ dept as one could premake the 'dumplings' ahead of time.

Anyhooooo - I'm back off to the mulberry bush to dream of big orange headed pumpkin plants....

 

[FerlasDave]

Good.

I will wait for the Photos to appear then.

Here you go… The first of this years pumpkin pies!

 

[Robson Valley]

How I do like real pumpkin pie. While I'm looking for a fork, would you please put 1/4 of that pie on my plate, thanks.

Got away from the office, kids are home from school, ready to start fanning the fridge door.
Pumpkin slab baking was borne of some desperation to do something, anything FAST and tasty, with last night's pumpkins. I think the simple fixings and the aromatic results convinced us all to do it again and every year, November 01.

 

[Tony]

Heck, that food looks Yummy!

We've got a dozen pumpkin pies in the freezer and given away half a dozen. Grown our own pumpkins this year, 30-40lb a piece, kids have gone and selected the one they want and then got stuck in.

We've still got a couple so I'm watching this thread with interest!

I think next year we'll grow some of the fleshier/different varieties.
Saying all that, Shelly does all the growing so I can't really lay claim to anything