Pumpkin Time: Recipes from around the world

It's Halloween, so you can't escape pumpkins.  Why not just dig in and enjoy them. Everybody knows the giants we carve and the Gargantua we put on front stoops. So let's focus on those sweet little sugar pumpkins made for cooking. Not only pumpkin pie but dinner dish cooking. Put fat free mega beta-carotene Vitamin A and hard to find potassium on the table Halloween night.  Here are a few tasty ways the rest of the world eats autumn pumpkins:


Argentine Carbonada de Criolla 

Beef and Squash in a Pumpkin or large Squash

For up to 6 servings

If you want to serve this in a pumpkin or individual squashes, you will need a large field pumpkin or several small sugar pie pumpkins. You must slice off a “lid” and clean out the interior. Brush melted butter and honey over the insides. Put the lid back on and bake in an oven preheated to 375º until starts to feel soft. Don’t go to mushy because you’re going to bake this again with the stew inside. You can bake while making the stew. The timing will work out perfectly.

1 lb chunked sugar pie pumpkin

6-8 dried apricots plumped in warm water or even rosewater

1½ -2 lbs lean stewing beef cut into bite sized chunks

2-3 slices chorizo, minced

2 tbsp butter or ghee

1 tbsp corn, canola or olive oil

1 med/lg yellow onion, peeled and diced

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 lg carrots, sliced into thin disks

1 sm green pepper, diced

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp dried oregano leaves

Pinch red pepper flakes

2 cups chopped tomatoes (with their juice is okay)

3 cups beef or vegetable broth

8 sprigs flat leaf parsley

2 tsp salt

2-3 medium white potatoes, chunked into bite-size

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chunked into bite-size

1 lg zucchini in ½ disks

2 large cobs of corn or 1½ cups kernels

In a large heavy gauge lidded casserole pot, heat butter and oil. Brown the beef and remove it with a slotted spoon. Put the chorizo, onions, garlic, carrots, green pepper and spices including pepper flakes into the pot. Stir to blend and sauté 5 minutes until veggies are soft.  Add the meat and mix. Pour in the tomatoes and broth. Add salt and parsley sprigs. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add white and sweet potatoes and squash/pumpkin chunks. Blend in. Cover and simmer 30 minutes until everything is soft.

Remove about 6 vegetable/potato chunks and ½ cup liquid. Puree this with 1 tbsp corn kernels. Add this back to the pot to thicken the broth. Add the remaining corn, the apricots (drained) and zucchini. Cook uncovered on low for about 5 minutes. If you want thicker broth cook on medium heat another 2-3 minutes. Test for taste and adjust salt, pepper and other seasonings to yours.

Put your serving pumpkin or pumpkins on a cookie sheet. Make sure they stand up straight. Fill with the stew. Bake at 350º 12-15 minutes. Be careful the container doesn’t get mushy and collapse. Toss chopped flat leaf parsley leaves on top to serve.

 P.S. This is traditional and beloved comfort food, which means everyone has their own way of making it. So you can too. I’ve added the spices.

Italian Zucca a la scapece (Roman-style Marinated pumpkin)
This is used as an appetizer to stir the stomach. It's also proudly placed on a cold cut platter beside salami.

Serves 4 

1lb pumpkin flesh
scant 1 c (more like 4/5ths) olive oil, for frying, plus extra
1/3 c plus 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp water
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp sugar
1-2 small dried red chilis, crumbled or chopped
A handful of mint leaves
Salt

Cut the pumpkin into 2" thick slices, then each slice into 1" sections. Heat the oil in a small pan and, once it is hot, fry the pumpkin in batches until it is soft and golden. Lift from the oil and blot on kitchen towel. In another small pan, heat the vinegar, water, garlic, sugar and chilli. Bring to the boil for 4 minutes and then remove from the heat. Arrange the pumpkin in a bowl or dish, rip over some fresh mint, pour over 2 tbsp olive oil then pour the dressing on top and leave it to sit – turning every now and then – for a few hours.

Libyan Tershi (Pumpkin dip or spread)
This is a pumpkin hummus supposedly from an ancient Jewish community in North Africa which is why it also appears in Roman Jewish cookery. It's really quick and easy once you clean out the pumpkin.

Serves 6-8

A 2 lb sugar pumpkin

¼ cup plus 1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

scant 1 tsp Aleppo chili powder

2 tbsp vinegar (sherry, white wine, apple)

salt to your taste

½ tsp caraway seeds, crushed or ground

 fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 450º.

Slice the top off the pumpkin and clean out the cavity. (You can clean and toast the seeds with spices for a fabulous snack or salad ingredient.) Peel the pumpkin and chop it into 1” cubes.  Spread on a baking sheet and drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the cubes.  Roast at 450º, 20 minutes or until soft. Puree or mash.

In a medium skillet, heat ¼ cup olive oil. Over medium low heat add garlic and sauté just until it’s fragrant. Add chili powder and blend.  Add the pumpkin and blend everything. Continue to cook over medium low heat 3-4 minutes.  Add vinegar and salt, blending everything. Continue cooking until mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in the caraway and turn off the heat.

Fill a serving bowl. Optionally drizzle very fruity olive oil on top before garnishing with freshly minced parsley. 

Serve as a dip, salad or spread on very crusty bread. Use as a side dish with a grilled cheese sandwich.

The Nepali Version of a "pumpkin hummus"

serves 4

1 cup mashed pumpkin (canned will do)
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cooking oil
2 jalapeno or serrano chilies, stemmed
1 lemon
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. chili powder
fresh ground black pepper
¼ bunch cilantro leaves                                                                                    
Dry roast the sesame seeds and grind them. (A coffee grinder can do this.) In a small bowl mix the pumpkin and ground, roasted sesame seeds. Add the salt. Cut the chilies into thin strips and cut the strips in half. In a small frying pan, heat the oil. Add the chilies and fenugreek seeds and cook over high until the seeds are black. Lower heat. Add the tumeric and chili powder. Cook 1 minute. Empty contents of pan into pumpkin. Squeeze the juice of the lemon (use a strainer to catch the seeds) into the achar. Add the fresh ground pepper and stir to blend. Chop the cilantro leaves and stir in when ready to serve.

Haitian Soup Joumou (beef stew with mashed pumpkin)

 serves at least 4

2 cloves garlic
2 scallions, sliced, plus more for garnish
¼ cup roughly chopped parsley
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 medium shallot, sliced
1 scotch bonnet chili, stemmed and seeded
Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges for serving
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. beef chuck, cut into ½" pieces
2 tbsp. olive oil
8 cups beef stock
2 carrots, cut into 1½" pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 1½" pieces
1 small leek, trimmed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1½" pieces; rinsed
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1½" pieces
1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1½" pieces
1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1½" pieces
½ small green cabbage, cored and cut into 1½" pieces
½ small sugar pumpkin, cut into 1" pieces 

Puree garlic, scallions, parsley, thyme, shallots, chili, juice, salt and pepper, and ½ cup water in a blender until smooth; mix with beef in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Remove beef from marinade and dry with paper towels; set aside. Heat oil in a 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook, turning as needed, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add stock and and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender, about 1½ hours. Add carrots, celery, leeks, onion, potatoes, turnips, and cabbage; cook, slightly covered and stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring squash and 2 cups water to a boil in a  2-qt. saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until squash is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking liquid and transfer squash and liquid to a blender; puree until smooth and set aside. When vegetables are tender, uncover, and stir in reserved squash puree; cook, stirring occasionally, until soup is slightly thick, 5–10 minutes more; season with salt and pepper and serve with scallions and lime wedges.

Roasted Pumpkin with Lime Yogurt
from Yotam Ottlenghi in London

1 medium sugar pumpkin, cut in half lengthways, seeds removed, then cut across into 1" wide slices
3 tbsp olive oil
Coarse sea salt and black pepper
6 large plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1" piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 red chili, seeds removed and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp dark brown sugar

For the lime yogurt
1/2 c Greek yogurt
¼ tsp ground cardamom
Finely grated zest of ½ lime, plus 1½ tsp lime juice

To serve
handful cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp cashew nuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Heat the oven to 450º. Mix the squash wedges with 2 tbsp of the oil, 2 tsps of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Spread out on a large, parchment-lined baking tray and roast for 35-40 minutes, until golden-brown. Set aside to cool.

Turn down the oven to 325º. Put the tomato halves skin-side down on a parchment-lined baking tray, sprinkle with a quarter teaspoon of salt, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil and roast until softened.

Put the ginger, chili, garlic, sugar and a quarter teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl. Mix to a paste, then spoon on top of the tomatoes and cook for 40 minutes more, until caramelized, then set aside to cool.

Put all the ingredients for the lime yogurt in a small bowl, add 1/2 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper, mix well and put in the fridge until ready to serve.

Spread out the squash on a large platter and arrange the tomatoes in between. Drizzle over the yogurt. Sprinkle over the cilantro, cashews and serve.

Nepali Braised Pumpkin (quicker than above)

serves 4-6

1 small pumpkin peeled and chopped (you need 4 cups)

1 tbsp. corn, mustard, sunflower or canola oil (not olive)

1 tsp. cumin seed

½ tsp. fenugreek seed

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. salt

1/2" fresh ginger root, minced

1/2 cup water

½ tsp. garam masala or curry powder

In the bottom of a medium heavy gauge saucepan or wok, heat the oil to very hot. Fry the cumin and fenugreek seeds until they turn brown/black. Add the minced ginger root, pumpkin/squash, turmeric and salt. Stir and stir fry for five minutes on medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add water and cook 15-20 min.

 until pumpkin is tender. Add garam masala/curry powder, stir to blend and remove from heat. Drain any excess liquid and garnish with chopped cilantro leaves to serve.