Pumpkin fan girls unite!
I would say I am a huge fan of pumpkin and what I call squash back home in Canada. We have all kinds of heritage pumpkin varieties back home around Autumn and I eat my way through the harvest with delight! Here in Australia, I settle for Kent Pumpkin, Butternut and the occasional Acorn or Gem.
I have tried to grow pumpkin in the ‘burbs, unsuccessfully. They need so much room to sprawl. Last year our crop on the new property was already producing, so this year I am hopeful that the young plants starting will produce the same.
We had plenty for our meals, freezer and to gift to family and friends. I hope to do that and sell some this year.
At any rate, we always have so many pumpkins and I have to create something other than pumpkin soup (nothing against this delicious soup btw — it just gets a bit tired after the 5th batch).
So without further ado, I will list some of the meals I have created to inspire your pantry meal planning. I haven’t created recipes yet, I create intuitively in the kitchen with a good amount of experience as a home cook, but if there is something you are really keen to try, for anyone reading this, and you need a bit of a helping hand, reach out and I can put together a recipe for you.
Pumpkin Soup
The classic pumpkin soup that I do is simply pureed pumpkin, onion and garlic with a bit of veg stock and salt. Simple but delicious.
I have also made a Thai version with lemongrass, ginger, coconut milk, red chili oil drizzle.
A “thanksgiving” version or when I am feeling homesick for Canada, I add nutmeg, candied pumpkin seeds with warming spices like cinnamon and clove and add a sprinkle of Persian goat fetta. YUM!
Pumpkin Cake
I searched the internets for a spiced pumpkin cake recipe and this eats like the perfect morning tea cake with cinnamon and warming spices with sultanas and a few home-grown eggs to add body and moisture. Can also be made into muffins.
Pumpkin Scones
Scones are a favorite in our home. You can make them as a savory scone with goats cheese and nuts with rosemary, or as a sweet scone with nut and sugar crumble on top and maybe sultanas or dried apricots through the mix.
Roast Pumpkin
How good is simple oven-roasted pumpkin with rosemary and garlic in the oven. I like to keep the skin on and make decently thick slices.
Pumpkin Curry
We love indian curries! I found a recipe which I have tweaked to make a simple vegetarian curry. You can grate raw pumpkin to get a really smooth texture, but I have also roasted the pumpkin first, then mashed it to create a nice sweetness. It has cumin, coriander, tumeric for the spices along with shredded coconut, ginger, garlic and onion. Simmered with a bit of veg stock or water until cooked and served over rice with homemade paratha flat bread.
Topping for “Shepherds pie” or a GF pie ‘crust’
I eat GF and I try to steer clear of the GF products (there are a lot of unknown nasties and many have corn in them, another thing I try to avoid). So sadly, no pastry topping for me, but a caramelized smashed pumpkin topping for a meat pie is so delicious and way healthier than pastry!