Monday, October 17, 2011

punkin.



What do I do with this thing? (the big fellow, not the lil'uns, I know they're just for looking at)
It came with our organic veg box and so far the most appealing suggestion has been 'compost it.' Ammie and I had a pretty good game of football going with it for a while, until I stubbed my toe. I've tried risotto, pie and soup and they're all gross. I think the problem may be that I just don't like pumpkin. 
 
 

What can I do with it? I refuse to believe that there's a vegetable that I don't like, I just need to find the right way to cook it. And I just don't buy carving, it screams of finger loss.

40 comments:

  1. things involving Pumpkin + sherry get my vote:

    http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/recipes/pumpkin

    (there's a nice-looking soup at #6 I was just eyeing up)

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  2. You could try Pumpkin Talkari (Trinidadian stewed pumpkin - some add sugar to that recipe, it depends how sweet your pumpkin is to begin with).

    Best eaten with sada roti (or whatever flatbread you can find) and a cold Carib.

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  3. Pumpkin bread or muffins? If you like banana bread you might like it...

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  4. pumpkin bread

    also if you roast the pumpkin seeds with salt & butter, or cinimon & sugar & butter for about 10 minutes they are yummm

    I second the pumpkin sherry soup vote.

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  5. You cut it in slices or whatever bits it turns out and mix them in a big bowl with lots of olive oil, garlic, rosemary and whatever herbs and spices you like and then you roast the lot in the oven until they are a bit crispy, like potato wedges. Yummy.

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  6. I second the roasting - I cube it, toss it in dukkah and cumin throw in some red onion and pine nuts with olive oil then roast til it's soft. Use in cous cous or cold in salad :)

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  7. We went to a Canadian thanksgiving the other week and ate little roasted squashes like those stuffed with wild rice and diced onions. So delicious. Even my squash-hating man devoured it! I'll try get the recipe off my friend for you. What organic box company do you use (I'm in Glasgow too)?

    This looks pretty good too: http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/10/unflinchingly-good-things/

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  8. I love pumpkin muffins - I went through a stage where I was bit obsessed with them and cooked them every week. Now I am a bit pumpkined out.

    You could try roast cubes of pumpkin and thickly sliced mushrooms with garlic and olive oil, then toss through pasta with some baby spinach and pecorino.

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  9. you don't like pumpkin pie? holy shit. that sucks for you...it's delish...I'd eat it for breakfast lunch AND dessert everyday if I could.

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  10. Hmm. Everyone else is being all helpful and sensible with their ideas for actually *eating* the pumpkin. My first reaction was, "if you don't want to carve it - PAINT IT!". Clearly I am a child when it comes to Halloween.

    I guess you could do both - scoop out the insides but leave the outer shell intact? If you do a search on Pinterest for painted pumpkins there are lots of cool ideas - this one in particular made me think of you (stripes!)

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  11. try this: http://norfolkkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-and-maple-spread.html I have their book and this spread is awesome on its own, in a tart or in muffins. Not so much a veggie goodness recipe though :) Failing that, give it to the babies.

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  12. Pumpkin bread is delicious. Straight out of the oven with lashings of butter. The other way I like it is roasted alongside a joint of meat. Simple things in life are the best!

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  13. I am not a big fan of pumpkin, even though my parents grow them every year (for a local giant pumpkin competition) we never really ate them. However I discovered i like pumpkin when it is in soup. How about pumpkin, sweet potato, garlic, parsnip and onion soup. Yum!

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  14. Another vote for Muffins!

    Or as F likes to call them simply, Muff!

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  15. I made pumpkin whoopie pies a couple of years ago with a marscapone icing filling. They went down quite well at a party.

    Also husband makes pumpkin soup.

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  16. Pumpkin hides well in macaroni and cheese. http://www.momtastic.com/cooking-recipes/dinner/106613-pumpkin-macaroni-and-cheese You won't even taste it. You can even add more than a half-cup.

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  17. Pretty sure @mysparethoughts had pumpkin tortelloni when we met for lunch yesterday? She *may* be able to enlighten you as to what's in it?

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  18. Pumpkin Curry Soup!

    A winter favorite in my family. Happy to provide the recipe if you are interested.

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  19. Well, you could make candied pumpkin, the mexican way. It does not look pretty, but it is delicious. Truly delicious. Specially if you are into sweet tastes combined with cinammon and citrus. Here is a recipe, we used to make it at home, after carving of course. Oh and don't forget to separate the seeds and roast them,they make a healthy and tasty snack.

    http://www.hispanickitchen.com/page/dulce-de-calabaza

    Otherwise I would say pumpkin cake or bread or wait, these pumpkin banana cookies (that are on my should try to do this list):

    http://if-madewithlove.blogspot.com/2011/07/pumpkin-goes-bananas-in-oven.html

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  20. Roast the seeds with butter and salt. Sooo very tasty :) Just make sure you wipe them down as much as possible with paper towels, toss with melted butter and salt, and then roast on a sheet pan at 300ºF until brown and crispy, about an hour.

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  21. When I was a kid & carved pumpkins we always used to roast the seeds. You just need to separate the seeds from the inside goop, put them on a cookie sheet, add a little salt & pepper & put them in the oven under the broiler. Just make sure you watch them, because there's not much time between when they're nice & toasty brown & when they're burnt & black.

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  22. Pumpkin oatmeal muffins! I don't like pumpkin in most formats, either (too mushy), but these are amazing. Try one that is not too sweet, and replace most of the oil with yogurt. There are a bunch of recipes online depending on how healthy you want to be ;).

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  23. But if you get some tiny knives, you know, specially for carving, then it isn't dangerous, really.

    Except for the fire part.

    (Sorry. Carving is my favorite.)

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  24. cut up into bits, cover in salt, oil, a tiny dash of cumin and drizzle in maple syrup, roast until going slightly black around the edges. *drool*

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  25. I really liked pumpkin muffins with orange-honey butter. And curried pumpkin chunks.

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  26. roast the seeds then make pumpkin pancakes

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  27. Pumpkin-cayenne biscuits: http://www.countryliving.com/recipefinder/pumpkin-biscuits-3261.

    You hardly taste the pumpkin, and they are the best darn biscuits around.

    You will still be swimming in pumpkin goop though (those suckers have a lot of meat). Compost the rest and don't look back.

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  28. oh god yes, pumpkin flesh itself is disgusting. The seeds are awesome on the other hand - I'm with whoever said roast them, with a bit of oil and salt. In addition, carve the heck out of it, but with COOKIE CUTTERS, not knives. Just clean out the pumpkin, hammer a cookie cutter in and pop it back out and you have an instant kid-friendly lamp.

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  29. pumpkin bread is always good! i hate everything else pumpkin - the pies, the soups all of it- but i loooovvveee it - its like a whole different pumpkin taste

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  30. If you don't like carving how about drawing your face on in with marker pen. Or glow in the dark stickers.

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  31. http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/fall/autumn-supper-savory-stuffed-pumpkin-099843

    This isn't the recipe my friends make, because theirs has sausage and rice in it too, and a lot of cream, but it turns out very lovely, and not at all gross. Plus if you don't like pumpkin that much, you can just concentrate on the stuffing.

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  32. Pumpkin soup. Chop it up, discard seeds and skin and microwave til soften.

    In a large pot add a little oil and two chopped onions, then add stock and pumpkin, salt and pepper.

    Blend til smooth, and serve with a swirl of sour cream and chopped chives sprinkled on top. Awesome autumn food, and that pumpkin should allow for two lots of soup.

    Julie

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  33. I wish I knew what to do with it. Last year I insisted on buying a pumpkin and was adamant I would make a delicious pumpkin pie. But the thing smelt so darn bad I had to leave it for hubby to dispose of. Yuk. x
    www.helen-limbrick.blogspot.com

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  34. Isaiah’s Pumpkin Muffins With Crumble Topping on the New York Times website Sooooo good!

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  35. Pumpkin and chilli soup, mmm yum!

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  36. stuffed pasta... like ravioli?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pumpkinravioliwithsa_71558

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  37. This is something I just stumbled across that dose use the pumpkin to cook and dose not really involve eating it... http://eatlikeagirl.com/2011/10/31/recipe-for-halloween-stuffed-munchkins-aka-a-little-orange-hug/

    Good Luck!

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  38. Roast, scrape out the flesh, puree...dump it in a mixer with lots of condensed milk, eggs, vanilla, and maple syrup. (If you want, you can taste it before you put the eggs in to make sure you got it sweet enough.) Whirl it up. Pour it into a delicious pie crust, doesn't matter if you got it frozen in the store. Bake. Enjoy!

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play nice.