Turn an ordinary pumpkin into something delicious
Mara McLaurin
Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: Features
Cinderella turned her pumpkin into a golden carriage; I'm turning my pumpkin into a simple curry pumpkin soup with roasted pumpkin seeds.
When the leaves start turning shades of brown, yellow and red, many fruits and vegetables are ripe and ready for eating including apples, pears, beets, potatoes, eggplants, and of course, squash.
On a trip to the Piedmont Farmers Market a few weeks ago, all of these fruits and vegetables were on display. Being that is was only days before Halloween, I decided to purchase a small sugar pumpkin, or pie pumpkin, as they were labeled at the market for just two bucks.
Sugar pumpkins, unlike the kinds of pumpkin that many use to carving for jack-o-lanterns are smaller, sweeter, and less grainy in texture, making them far more suitable for cooking.
I wanted to prepare the pumpkins so that later in the week I could throw together and great a tasty soup that I could re-heat and eat throughout the week of busy schoolwork.
Preparing and making the whole meal prove far less difficult then expected; my first step was making my fresh pumpkins into puree.
10 Steps to Fresh Pumpkin Puree
Cut the pumpkin in half. A serrated knife and a sawing motion works best - a smooth knife is more likely to slip and hurt you
Scrape the insides out. You want to get out that stringy, stuff that coats the inside surface. A heavy ice cream scoop works great for this.
Save the seeds for roasting
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the cut surface of the pumpkin halves with vegetable oil.
Place pumpkin halves cut side done in a roasting pan or think cookie sheet. Add 1 cup of water to the pan.
Place the pumpkin in the preheated oven and bake for 60 to 80 minutes. The pumpkin should be baked until the flesh is very tender. Poke with a fork to check for doneness.
When the pumpkin has cooked it will be very tenderness to the touch of the fork, remove Allow to cool
When the leaves start turning shades of brown, yellow and red, many fruits and vegetables are ripe and ready for eating including apples, pears, beets, potatoes, eggplants, and of course, squash.
On a trip to the Piedmont Farmers Market a few weeks ago, all of these fruits and vegetables were on display. Being that is was only days before Halloween, I decided to purchase a small sugar pumpkin, or pie pumpkin, as they were labeled at the market for just two bucks.
Sugar pumpkins, unlike the kinds of pumpkin that many use to carving for jack-o-lanterns are smaller, sweeter, and less grainy in texture, making them far more suitable for cooking.
I wanted to prepare the pumpkins so that later in the week I could throw together and great a tasty soup that I could re-heat and eat throughout the week of busy schoolwork.
Preparing and making the whole meal prove far less difficult then expected; my first step was making my fresh pumpkins into puree.
10 Steps to Fresh Pumpkin Puree
Cut the pumpkin in half. A serrated knife and a sawing motion works best - a smooth knife is more likely to slip and hurt you
Scrape the insides out. You want to get out that stringy, stuff that coats the inside surface. A heavy ice cream scoop works great for this.
Save the seeds for roasting
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the cut surface of the pumpkin halves with vegetable oil.
Place pumpkin halves cut side done in a roasting pan or think cookie sheet. Add 1 cup of water to the pan.
Place the pumpkin in the preheated oven and bake for 60 to 80 minutes. The pumpkin should be baked until the flesh is very tender. Poke with a fork to check for doneness.
When the pumpkin has cooked it will be very tenderness to the touch of the fork, remove Allow to cool
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