Pumpkin

Well, squash season is here, Halloween is approaching, and pumpkins are beginning to appear all around! 

I love pumpkin! 

Here are some recipe and cooking ideas featuring pumpkins.

• Pumpkins are great fun to carve, stencil, decorate, or paint for Halloween. The big pumpkins that are sold for decorating purposes are not great for eating. The flesh is much too tough and stringy, but the seeds are perfectly fine for roasting and eating.
• The tiny pumpkins sold under names such as "pie pumpkins" and "sugar pumpkins" are good for eating. The flesh is much softer and smoother, and can be prepared just like any other squash. Fresh, cooked pumpkin can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes.
• Pumpkin can be microwaved, baked, boiled, broiled, grilled, steamed, fried, or sauteed. It can be chopped and incorporated into a variety of casseroles, soups, and stir-fries. It can also be used in sauces, gnocchi, risottos, and quiches.
• Cooked and pureed pumpkin is equivalent to canned pumpkin puree (pure canned pumpkin that is, some canned pumpkin contains other squashes or spices as well). It is a bit more work to use fresh pumpkin rather than just opening a can, but for some recipes the fresh taste is completely worth it.
• Pumpkin puree is excellent in a variety of baked goods. It adds nutrients and keeps things moist without lending a strong flavour. Pumpkin puree can be used in breads, muffins, cookies, cakes, biscuits, squares, pies, and loaves.
• Fresh pumpkins may be stored in a cool, dry place for a month or two. Cooked, pureed pumpkin can be frozen in airtight containers for future use.
• Pumpkin goes extremely well with raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, herbs, and spices.
• My favourite ways to use pumpkin are: pumpkin chocolate chip loaf, pumpkin pie squares, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and pumpkin with pasta.

PHOTO CREDIT: "untitled." http://mommygoesgreen.com/2009/10/pumpkin-recycling/. Pumpkin Recycling, n.d. Monday, October 3, 2011