Pumpkin – Fall’s Flavor

Written by Christie Crawford

Clarksville, TN – Fall just wouldn’t be fall without a little pumpkin flavor added to your seasonal menu. It is a true symbol of what fall means and there are lots of recipes out there to help celebrate the coming of autumn. The cooling of temperatures just heats up our desire for all things made with pumpkin.

The oldest pumpkin seeds ever unearthed by archaeologists came from the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Over 7,500 years ago, pumpkins were known to be grown in Central America, but you would not recognize them from what we know today. Those ancient varieties were small, hard and bitter. Seeds were used strictly to grow, not to consume, and the flesh was a great stock to boost a winter pantry. One of the earliest pumpkin recipes was in 1670 from the cookbook John Josselyn’s New-Englands Rarities Discovered.

The recipe called for a ripe pumpkin to be peeled, cubed, and cooked down slowly over the course of a day, mashed with herbs and butter to create a tasty side dish. It wasn’t until the 1800’s when pumpkin recipes became part of dessert courses and when pumpkin pie became standard fare at the Thanksgiving table.

If you happen to be in Circleville, Ohio, 25 miles south of Columbus, you can visit the Circleville Pumpkin Show, known as one of the largest in the world. In 1903, the town was a center for a pumpkin cannery and held its first fall festival celebrating the pumpkin. The cannery shut down during the Great Depression, but the festival still continues to this day on the 3rd Wednesday through Saturday in October. This year, it is October 15th-18th and features pumpkin weigh-ins,  beauty contests, pumpkin-eating contests, and lots of food, music, art, and parades.

Pumpkin is one of those flavors and ingredients that inspires more recipes in this season than any other type. Here’s 4 that are sure to be a success for your fall cuisine:

Tita’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

(courtesy of Mireya Abney, Clarksville resident and avid baker)

• 1 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup white or brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking  powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• pinch of nutmeg (optional)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup butter, melted, at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1-2 cups chocolate chips, your preference
• 1/2 cup apple sauce

Mix all ingredients  thoroughly in a bowl. pour into loaf pan or desired baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, watching to see that it does not burn.

Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta

(Recipe from Rachael Ray)

• 1 l lb whole wheat penne pasta
• 2 tbl extra virgin live oil
• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 2 pinches ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• black pepper and salt
• 7 leaves fresh sage, thinly sliced or 1 tsp ground
• Grated parmigiano-reggiano to serve on top

Bring a large salted pot of water to boil, add pasta and cook al dente (according to package directions). Drain.

In large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, pumpkin, and cream. Add the hot sauce, cinnamon and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in half the sage then the pasta; toss. Top with remaining sage and cheese.

Pumpkin Pie Martini

(1 serving, recipe from No Spoon Necessary)

• 3 ice cubes
• 2 oz regular, vanilla or pumpkin spice vodka
• 1 oz dark rum
• 2 tbl pumpkin puree
• 1 oz maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch pumpkin pie spice (optional)
• 1/2 oz half and half
• Rim Options:
• finely crushed graham crackers
• maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp each pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon
• 1 tbl granulated sugar

To make rim: dip rim in maple syrup or dab napkin to line the rim with the syrup. Mix crackers with spices and roll the rim with the mix.

In cocktail shaker, combine  ice cubes, vodka, rum, pumpkin, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Shake vigorously until shaker is chilled. Add in cream and swirl. Strain and pour into martini glass. Can garnish with a cinnamon stick, dollop of whipped cream or sprinkle with pumpkin spice and/or nutmeg.

Aunt Celia’s Pumpkin Soup with Brandy

(courtesy of my aunt Celia Jones)

Serves 6

• 1/4 cup salted butter
• 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth or stock
• 1/4 cup brandy
• fine sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional
• Garnishes:
• Freshly chopped chives
• croutons
• sour cream or crème fraiche

Sauté in a large 2-quart pan the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, until translucent. Add ginger and nutmeg and cook for 2 minutes.

Add brandy and cook for 2-3 minutes to cook off alcohol. Stir in pumpkin and broth and remove from heat.

Puree soup in a blender or a processor. Put back on the stove, whisk in cream, then bring the soup to a boil, and then simmer until thoroughly heated. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a garnish of choice.