Pumpkins!

The post below is from my defunct food blog and it is as true for me now, as it was in 2007 when I first wrote it. This year, due to a cool summer, the local pumpkin crop is both late and sparse. We may not have very many, even by Halloween. I’m probably not going to carve a pumpkin anyway, and even one pumpkin provides enough servings to last us a while. So I don’t mind waiting a little longer for my local pumpkin, and if I can only buy one, that will probably be enough. I tend to freely substitute butternut squash for pumpkin anyway. And I don’t mind buying canned pumpkin in a pinch. As long as it’s organic, it’s one of the better canned products.

So here’s the post. There are some links to recipes I like to use.

From September 28, 2007:

I love pumpkins. I like squash in general and winter squash is sweet and yummy. I love the autumn feel that comes with seeing a grouping of vibrant, colorful gourds on a table or in a bowl. And we can do so much with this fabulous food!

For me, there’s nothing better than pumpkin soup (unless it’s French Onion Soup – I’ll have to get back to you on that). Orange, warm, smooth pumpkin soup served in the shell: wow. And so good!

How about Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes? This great idea comes from Jessica Prentice of Wise Food Ways and I make it every Fall. Just peel up some butternut squash, white potatoes, and sweet potatoes, boil them up, drain the water, and mash them with creme fraiche or buttermilk or yogurt, salt, nutmeg, mace, or allspice. These are fabulous!

A big hit at my house is Cooking Light’s Sweet Potato Casserole. Feel free to substitute butternut squash for this, too. I’ll pass on the marshmallows (fake food – sigh) but I’ll use the brown-sugar-butter-pecan topping.

This is all great comfort food, but remember that these orange-fleshed foods provide nutrients needed at just this time of year. They’re good for you! Be sure to look for them at a farmer’s market or find a farmer who’s growing them. Buy them local and hopefully, organic. You’ll really notice a difference in taste!