Pumpkin puzzle

[bixy]

A friend gave us some pumpkin seedlings. We now have a number of large pumpkins and absolutely no idea what to do with them, never having grown them before. Any ideas?

Patrick

[suein56]

[quote user="bixy"]A friend gave us some pumpkin seedlings. We now have a number of large pumpkins and absolutely no idea what to do with them, never having grown them before. [/quote]

Lucky you, you can make wonderful soup with pumpkins, and it freezes well too. I will try and find my daughter's delicious recipe and post it, if you'd like.

Sue

[Richard T]

Or you could make one of these:

[img]http://www.tagyerit.com/images/pumpkins/TiffsPmpkinGourd2.jpg[/img]

Richard T

[Gastines]

Makes wonderful soup. Onions/ginger/pumpkin/add lentils and small pasta. For the best winter warmer.

Regards.

[bixy]

Yes please spg, I would like to see the recipe.

Patrick

[opas]

Lucky you.

I planted around 10 seeds (shop bought) and have got lots of beautifull flowers on them but no fruit. They are in a place with plenty of water, I trimmed them down at one point hoping to get a fruit on, but not a one!

 

 

Where am I going wrong?

[5-element]

Almost same as Opas here: wonderful vibrant yellow flowers, and hardly any fruit this year. The only ones I have had which have produced something are the rogue ones, grown unchecked from last year's seeds in the compost.

I too like making pumpkin purée, and mix it with carrot purée (with a dash of orange juice). Also, I do love pumpkin pie American style. It requires that you cook the pumpkin (roasted is best, so that no water is introduced in the flesh), and purée it, add various spices like ginger cinnamon cloves. Mix with an egg, a bit of molasses, put onto a pastry case and bake, and eat with a dollop of mascarpone or thick cream on top.

Not only you can make pumpkin soup, but use pumpkin in a mixed vegetable soup. Also use chunks of it in vegetable couscous. And just use it as an ordinary vegetable instead of carrots.

Pumpkins are incredibly good for you, full of vitamin A. I can never grow eough of them, and they keep all winter!

But there are many varieties, some are better suited to some purposes than others. Butternut squash is lovely, very dense, nutty flavourful. The more watery variety are a little less interesting.

[bixy]

I didn't really want the seedlings - no room for them. In fact, I wasn't at all sure what a potiron was. I stuck a couple in the ground between some goosegogs. Didn't feed them; when they started to grow over the lawn I mowed them. At first they just produced flowers but later two fruits appeared on each. Seems they thrive on abuse.

Thanks for the recipe ideas.

Patrick

[5-element]

[quote user="bixy"] Seems they thrive on abuse.


[/quote]

I'll have to remember that for next year. Better than kick the cat.

It is true that the one pumpkin plant I have that grew by itself, without TLC or special manure etc., is the one that produced the most (3 fruit)

[suein56]

[quote user="bixy"]Yes please spg, I would like to see the recipe.
[/quote]

Sorry for the delay; said daughter is hunting for her definitive copy of the pumpkin soup recipe. In recent years she has just been throwing in this and that until she judges the soup to be about right. As I cannot find my copy (I have only made it once as we usually have the soup at her house) she is trying to locate the original recipe for you. Hopefully it will be worth the wait.

Sue

[Celestine]

Is there fruit on your seedlings yet? I think its going to be too late otherwise. I grow various squashes and theyre all done now with seedlings going out in May as they take a long time to grow and ripen.

[Gastines]

Must be the weather! Having picked 6 pumpkins,one weighing in at 10kilos,I notice that several of the new flowers are again bearing fruit[ or veggie,whatever is the correct term ] I was going to clear the old plants but now I hope to get a second lot. Also runner bean plants are flowering again?

Regards.

[suein56]

At last, my daughter's pumpkin soup recipe:

Prep and cooking time approx 45 mins - serves 6

25g (1oz) butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

200g (7oz) potatoes, peeled and chopped

900g (2lb) pumpkin, diced (american/orange preferred)

250g (9oz) carrots, diced

1.2 litres (2 pints) vegetable stock

150ml (1/4 pint) milk

demerara sugar to taste

finely grated nutmeg to taste

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Melt the butter and cook the onion gently for 5 mins in a covered saucepan (large), without colouring.  Add the potato, pumpkin, carrots and the vegetable stock.  Cover, bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 20 mins until the vegetables are tender.  Cool a little, then puree in a liquidiser.  Return to a clean saucepan and stir in the milk.

Add the sugar, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. ( daughter finds quite a bit of sugar is needed, but she does have a sweet tooth).

Simple as that.  Very good for freezing (ideally portioned out into individual servings - just heat up in the microwave).

Sue

[mousseux]

We were given 4 Pumpkin plants by our neighbour, so far we have 12 and more on the way!! We went on holiday for a week in August, on return found the plants half way across the lawn my OH cut them back and foolishly stuck the cut runners in the ground 'just to see if they take'. They did, and have now sprouted fruits as well.

When I make Pumpkin or Butternut Squash soup I add Curry Powder for the spices and 200ml Coconut Milk instead of ordinary milk. Yum!

I better get a job lot in!

[bixy]

Thanks for the recipe ideas - will give it a go.

Patrick

[Athene]

I sling in some chunks of pumpkin with my roast potatoes! Potatoes need to be parboiled to do this!

[sueyh]

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Preparation 15 minutes - Cooking Time 30 - 35 minutes. Freezing not recommended.

A hot and spicy autumnal soup with no points!! Perfect as a "stop gap" when hunger persists.

Ingredients

Low fat cooking spray

1 large onion chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1lb 10 oz pumpkin peeled, de-seeded and chopped roughly

1.2 litres (2 pts) vegetable stock

salt and freshly ground pepper (if necessary)

1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (we used chilli powder)

snipped fresh chives to garnish

1. Heat a large saucepan and spray with the low fat cooking spray (not sure if this is available in France. Gently fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes until softened. add a little water to the pan if necessary to stop them sticking.

2. Add all the other ingredients except the chives and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20- 25 minutes until the pumpkin is soft, then puree in a food processor or push through a sieve with the back of a wooden spoon.

3. Just before serving check the seasoning and scatter with chives.

Variations: Butternut or other squash is equally delicious in this recipe.

[Joffan]

Try making pumpkin lanterns - it's nearly halloween!

Do a google search "Pumpkin Templates"

[Joffan]

Why stop at Soup?

Try traditional American Thanksgiving treat - Pumpkin Pie.

Pumpkin - pickle, chutney, jam, risotto, muffins, gnocchi and cake to name but a few.

Yum Yum - I'm off to buy some Pumpkin soon