Gourd and Tuber Series: Part 2 Pumpkins

Pumpkin soup, this and a pumpkin bread recipe below

When my children were toddlers, they loved the show Bob the Builder. I love Bob's environmental slogan-Reduce, Reuse, Recycle-and I apply it in my kitchen. Professional chiefs are always trying to reduce the amount of food they are throwing away and thereby reduce their expenses by creatively inventing ways to use leftover; I encourage my readers to do the same in their homes. So what do you do with that Halloween pumpkin now that the holiday is over? When the first Europeans settlers came to North America many dependent on pumpkins and other foods purchased from Native Americans for their survival. Traveler Peter Kalm provides an insightful description of pumpkin and early American cuisine in New York circa 1748-1750: “Here at Albany the Dutch made a kind of porridge out of [pumpkins], prepared in the following way. They boiled them first in water, next mashed them in about the same way as we do turnips, then boiled them [again] in a little of the water they had first been boiled in, with fresh milk added, and stirred them while they were boiling. What a delicious dish it became! Below is my modern rendition of that early American pumpkin soup and a pumpkin bread recipe too.

Fred’s Famous Pumpkin Soup:

Here is a soup recipe my family loves, including my six and nine year old children. Cut a large pumpkin in quarters (leave the shell on). Freeze some in zip locked bags for later use and take about 4 cups worth and bake them in the oven on a cold morning at 400 for about an hour until they are sweet and soft on the inside like a sweet potato. The will both warm you house and make is smell like a bakery. And don't forget to roast the seeds with you seasoning of choice. You can also pop the pumpkin quarters in the microwave for 20 minutes but they will not come out as sweet. Let cool and then scrap the pumpkin out of the shell. Sauté in a covered skillet with butter, salt and pepper, and garlic until golden brown. Next, purée in a blender with enough vanilla soy or coconut milk to allow for blending, about 2-3 cups of milk will do. Bring about four cups of water to boil and add three vegetable soup bouillon cubes. Then had the puréed pumpkin, season to taste a little more if you like, than cook in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes or a regular covered pot for 20 to 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8 people

Pumpkin Bread Recipe (my daughter’s favorite!)

http://elise.com/recipes/archives/000842pumpkin_bread.php