IT'S PUMPKIN TIME!

Seeing it is fast approaching Halloween, Food Friday today is dedicated to the pumpkin. The pumpkin, or Cucurbita pepo, to give it its proper botanical name is a trailing vine, of the gourd family, having tendrils, large lobed leaves and which is native to warm regions of America. The plant produces the familiar large rounded orange-yellow fruit with a thick rind, edible flesh, and many seeds. Many other varieties of pumpkin are now also available including the very tasty elongated, buff-coloured butternut pumpkin and the Queensland blue pumpkin, with the slate-bluegray rind and bright orange flesh.

The word pumpkin comes from the Greek pepõn for a large melon. The English termed it pumpion or pompion. This term dates back to 1547, yet it did not make an appearance in print until 1647. The pumpkin was one of the many foods used by the Native American Indians in the new world and was a welcome discovery by the Pilgrims. The Indians pounded strips of pumpkin flat, dried them, and wove them into mats for trading. They also dried pumpkin for food. Pumpkin blossoms can also be used as those of the squash family, such as batter-dipped and fried squash blossoms.

The new Americans heartily embraced the sweet, multi-purpose fruit, which became a traditional Thanksgiving food. The colonists used pumpkin not only as a side dish and dessert, but also in soups and even made beer of it. One of the most familiar uses of the pumpkin is in its popular Halloween incarnation, when it is carved into a Jack-o'-lantern. The practice was brought to the USA by Irish immigrants who originally carved turnips into Jack-o'-lanterns. In America, pumpkins were more plentiful and cheaper than turnips, and so came about the switch from turnips to pumpkins.

Two recipes for you today, both extremely popular in Australia.

Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients

* 4 cups peeled chopped pumpkin
* 2 leeks, thinly sliced
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 150 g butter
* 3 cups chicken stock
* 1 cup milk
* 1/2 cup cream
* 2 tablespoons flour
* freshly grated nutmeg (to taste)
* salt
* pepper
* croutons (to serve)


Method

1. Cook pumpkin, leek and onion in 90 g of butter for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Add stock and cook gently until pumpkin is very tender.
3. Push through a sieve or pureé in blender with a little of the milk.
4. Melt remaining butter in a clean pan and stir in flour until golden, then add the pumpkin pureé and the remaining milk and the cream, stirring until well blended.
5. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
6. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve and garnish with chopped parsley and croutons.


Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen’s Pumpkin Scones
Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg
* 1 cup mashed pumpkin (cold)
* 2 cups Self raising flour


Method

1. Beat together the butter, sugar and salt with an electric mixer. Add the egg, then the pumpkin and stir in the flour.
2. Turn on to floured board and roll into a 2 cm thick sheet. Cut with 5 cm diameter round cookie cutters. Put on greased baking tray and glaze with some beaten egg or milk.
3. Place in tray on top shelf of very hot oven 225-250 ˚C for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.


Enjoy, and don't forget to notify Agnes, our Food Friday hostess if you are taking part in the tour!