All things pumpkin!

oh bethie, go out and find some dishes with pumpkin to taste!

Look for it in middle eastern food.

but what does it taste like
does it have the same texture as something like a butternut squash
does it absorb other flavours, or is it's own flavour very strong

?

well, it's a little less dense than butternut (I think) and has more of it's own flavor. Even still, it does absorb some of the flavors in the dish with it. I think maybe it tastes most like acorn squash.....?

People use it with swet flavors, as in the traditional pie. But, it also blends well with apples, raisins, cranberries, currants, etc. I tend to like it more curried or at least savory. My favorite things to use with pumpkin are onion/garlic/rosemary/mace.

so, I'm baking a version of the recipe osso posted, I'll let you know how it comes out.

Thanks, k. That helps. It was probably just the pie I didn't like - not the pumpkin. I'll see if I can find a little one to work with next weekend.

Ul's gnocchi or your trattoria's gnocchi with sage butter sauce are probably more savory than sweet too...

I've had pumpkin soup a few times. I think with onion...
I like it, but I wouldn't (probably) have second helpings.

I want to try that vegetable fricasee recipe on the Traditional Home November recipe list... it's by the same french chef..


Philippe Bertineau's Vegetable Fricassée

3/4 pound parsnips or salsify, peeled and cut
      in 1-inch pieces
3/4 pound baby brussels sprouts (or brussels
      sprouts, halved)
3/4 pound Hokkaido or butternut squash,
     peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into
     1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons snipped fresh sage
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
2 medium Fuji apples, cored and cut in
     1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons cognac (optional)
1 cup canned or rehydrated dried
     roasted, peeled chestnuts
Salt and ground white pepper
Fried Sage Leaves (see recipe)

    In Dutch oven cook parsnips or salsify and brussels sprouts in boiling, lightly salted water for 10 minutes or until tender; drain. Return to Dutch oven.
    Meanwhile, in large skillet cook Hokkaido or butternut squash, sage, and garlic in 2 tablespoons hot butter over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add apples and cook 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Add cognac. With long match, light cognac. Allow flame to die off. Add apple mixture to Dutch oven along with chestnuts and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until butter melts. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Garnish vegetable mixture with Fried Sage Leaves. Makes 8 to 12 servings.
    Fried Sage Leaves: To fry sage leaves, add 8 to 10 whole fresh sage leaves to deep, hot oil (300?.) and fry for 2 minutes or until crispy and translucent. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels; season lightly with salt.

I should add that I have childhood memories of despising parsnips and brussel sprouts. And turnips. And, if I ever was near them, rutabagas. But I remember parsnips as gag city, and brussel sprouts as completely awful.

Hmm, but in my early adult life I decided brussel sprouts were cute.. and cut them up raw into salads. Asthetic concerns winning...
And, since I don't cook them forever until slimehood, they are no longer terrible when cooked, to me.

I still haven't had parsnips as an adult. Maybe now's the time, if I can find them at the market.

I make a mean roasted pumpkin soup and will occasionally toss in an apple or sweet potato and always lots of onion. It's a little sweet, but not fruity-sweet.

And, the pumpkin gnocchi had a good amount of mace which is definitely sweetish. But, just vaguely. I love mace.

I've learned to love brussel sprouts too. The colors inside their leaves are gorgeous. I have caught myself staring at the outer leaves all lying about in the sink - a beautiful soft green and creamy white.

So, the recipe - I changed it a lot. It was good, but the recipe that osso posted was for pumpkins smaller than 5" in height and width. I used 6-7" pumpkins and it was too pumpkiny.

I used cubed rosemary bread, put the olive oil IN the pumpkins, put a pinch of shredded sage, toasted pine nuts into each pumpkin pot, used turkey gravy and water instead of milk, and added parma shavings at the end instead of making the parma sauce. It was pretty good.

But not to die for, right?''

I need to get back with roasting.

A while ago I threw in some cubed squash, probably banana squash, with my red potato cuts roasting on a tray... and they were delicious. Added the leftovers to soup, delicious.

Tried it again, not so good.

hmmmph.
Maybe the second time I didn't roast them, and just added the cuts to soup. Don't remember now.

Funny how that works, eh? I always do better first off. It the same with art as it is with cooking.

I think the pumpkin dish I tried tonight could be awsome if I could get the right proportions. Maybe almonds instead of pine nuts, maybe more sage, maybe a little mace......

Roasted. hmmmmmm
I love most veggies roasted.
Maybe I should roast some pumpkin - and then mix it up a bit. Try it with different seasonings/toppings.
That's probably a good way to start.

I'm trusting littlemissk here. I'd never liked sweet potato/yam til she made a wonderful potato salad-y thing with chipotle. littlemissk is a good cook. Has good instincts.

yikes.

Anyway, use a strong sauce with the pumpkin at first, but taste a bit of it roasted, sans sauce to see what the flavor is. You like curry right? It's good with just about any curry.

A pumpkin thread wouldn't be complete without at least one recipe for pumpkin fritters. Here's one I use when I have the boys over on Halloween....

2 cups cooked mashed pumpkins
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
oil (for frying)
cinnamon sugar

1. Combine pumpkin and egg, stir in flour, cinnamon, baking powder, sugar, salt and juice.
2. Heat oil in a shallow pan and drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil, fry till golden then turn and do other side, drain on paper towels and serve hot sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

A little ice cream on the side and you got yourself a hell of a party.

Gus, will you marry me?

Nah, that would ruin our relationship.

great point.

Reminds me of sweet potato fritters...
I had a thread on those at abuzz. I had finally gotten the recipe from the restaurant, but the recipe was for hundreds, or at least dozens and dozens. Someone kindly broke it down for me, bad dog Shawn or Vincent.
I'll have to see if I saved it somewhere.
They weren't particularly sweet, more savory.

Gus's fritters sound delicious..

fritters are gooooood. Damn, I wish we hadn't eaten all the pumpkin last night.

would unseasoned, canned pumpkin work for that fritter recipe?

Well, I made a version of Gus' pumpkin fritters. Of course, his recipe is a little off, but I fixed that.

I didn't make them sweet, I made them with mace and salt. After realizing that the frying method was too greasy, I boiled them to make gnocchi.

They were too bland as gnocchi in olive oil, so I added some chili seasoning. Can't eat any more pumpkin tonight, will have them tomorrow for lunch and let you know how they are (if anyone cares).