Cheap, Fast & Out of Control: The Great Pumpkin

BRIAN STEINBERG

Food Editor

It’s Fall again, and that means pumpkin season. Farmers’ fields are flush with this large, orange vegetable with some offering you-pick pumpkins, which can make for a fun family outing. Most pumpkins will be reserved for the Halloween jack-o-lantern. There are also giant pumpkins that are grown to enter and win regional festivals. The world record pumpkin was 1725 pounds, grown by Christy Harp of Ohio. Some pumpkins will be sliced, seeded, roasted and strained to make pumpkin puree for pie. But most will use canned pumpkin puree for pumpkin recipes this year. Pumpkin makes more than pumpkin pie, however. This versatile vegetable can be used for both sweet and savory dishes. Italians use pumpkin in ravioli, gnocchi and risotto. The Japanese slice pumpkin for tempura to eat with a dipping sauce or to incorporate into a sushi roll. The highly nutritious pumpkin seed, called pepita in Spanish, are used in Mexican cuisine in a green sauce using tomatillos and cilantro. And last but not least, pumpkin and pumpkin seeds are used in baked goods and pastries like pumpkin bread, muffins, cakes, cookies and donuts. There is even pumpkin ice cream. Below are but a few uses for the great pumpkin.

Chicken with pumpkin seed sauce

6 large chicken breasts, pounded flat 1 ⅔ cups shelled pumpkin seeds 6 whole black peppercorns 12 ounces tomatillos, husked, rinsed and coarsely chopped ¼ cup chopped white onion ½ cup washed cilantro Juice of two limes 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 3 tablespoons corn oil Pinch of red chili flakes Olive oil for cooking Chicken stock Procedure In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil on high for a few minutes. Place as many chicken breasts that will comfortably fit without crowding in the pan. Brown both sides. Cook the rest of the chicken, and then set aside. Meanwhile place the pumpkin seeds on a sheet pan, and toast at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until the seeds are nicely brown. Don’t overcook. Place the toasted pumpkin seeds, the cilantro, garlic, tomatillos, onion, lime juice, corn oil and peppercorns in a blender. Blend into a smooth puree. Add a little water if the sauce is too thick. Add the puree to the sauté pan and bring to a simmer. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan. Add about a half cup of chicken stock. Add the chicken back to the pan with the sauce, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Pumpkin tempura

Half of a kabocha-squash (Japanese pumpkin), peeled and sliced into quarter-inch slices. 1 cup of all-purpose floor (can use whole wheat flour or a mix) 1 tablespoon of cornstarch 1-2 quarts peanut oil or safflower oil for fryin Dipping sauce* ¼ cup vegetable stock ¼ mirin ¼ soy sauce Pinch of grated ginger ½ teaspoon of honey or sugar (optional) 1 teaspoon of chopped scallion *can use store-bought sauce Procedure Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan or deep fryer to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the flour and the cornstarch. Add water to the flour and stir until the batter has the consistency of thin pancake batter. Place one slice of pumpkin into the batter to coat, and then carefully add to the oil. Repeat this until you have about 4-5 pieces frying. Fry the pumpkin slices on both sides until they are golden brown. Strain on a wire rack and continue to fry the rest of the pumpkin slices. Make more batter if you need to. For the sauce, combine all of the ingredients. Serve the tempura pumpkin with the dipping sauce.

Pumpkin coconut milk ice cream

2 cans of coconut milk ½ cup white sugar 1 teaspoon freshly sliced ginger ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cinnamon stick ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ cup packed, dark brown sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier, rum or brandy (optional) ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree Toasted coconut flakes (optional) Procedure In a saucepan, add the coconut milk, both white and brown sugar, the cinnamon stick, vanilla extract, any alcohol, if using, and the sliced ginger. Stir and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover and let the mixture steep for 20 minutes. The idea is to dissolve the sugars and infuse the ginger and cinnamon into the coconut milk. Strain out the cinnamon stick and ginger and discard. Blend in the pumpkin puree. Cover and chill the mixture. When chilled add the mixture to an ice cream-maker and follow the manufacturer instructions. Freeze for a few hours or overnight. Serve toasted coconut. Variation: Add chopped ginger snaps to the mixture before adding to the ice cream maker. Another option is to add chopped toffee candy.