More than Pie – it’s Pumpkin Season!
As soon as the air turns crisp and the leaves start to fall, pumpkins seem to pop up everywhere – on porches, in pies, and even in the grocery aisles, from pumpkin flavored coffee pods and chocolates, to muffins, yogurt and even popcorn.
Pumpkins are more than just a symbol of fall; they are a reminder of harvest time, creativity, and cozy traditions shared with family and friends. Whether you’re carving a scary face for Halloween, baking pumpkin bread, or decorating your doorstep, these bright orange gourds capture the spirit of the season in a way few other things can.
However, it’s worth remembering that pumpkins have been around way longer than pumpkin spice lattes. They are in fact one of the oldest known domesticated plants, with evidence of their cultivation dating back thousands of years. As for their use to ward off evil spirits, that originated in Ireland.
It all began with an Irish myth about a man called Stingy Jack, who tricked the devil and was damned to wander the earth for eternity, with a burning coal in a hollowed-out turnip to light his way. On the night of Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival of the dead, people would make Jack-o-lanterns, carving frightening faces into turnips to scare away evil spirits, including Jack’s wandering soul. When Irish immigrants brought this tradition to America, they discovered that pumpkins were much larger and easier to carve, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The cornucopia of pumpkin decorations and the addition of pumpkin spices to foods and snacks of all kinds, is now so overwhelming that it’s easy to forget what this distinctive fruit (yes, it is a fruit, not a vegetable) has to offer. As chef Joseph Wrede points out, “People tend to throw away their pumpkins after carving, because they think of them as just display items. That’s such a waste, because virtually the whole thing is still edible.”
He suggests cutting the pumpkin, still in its skin, into quarters, removing the seeds, and placing it on a sheet tray. Brush with olive oil or butter, and flavor with your preferred spices – cumin, coriander, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. Then place it in a preheated 500-degree oven to roast for 20 minutes. “Being a fruit, pumpkin is naturally sweet,” he says, “but it can be caramelized by adding brown sugar for about the last five minutes, if you prefer. It can then be scooped out, puréed and served as a side, or used as a pie filling.”
Chef Joseph also loves to sauté pumpkins, something he first learned from a French chef’s recipe. “As it happens, that goes really well with traditional New Mexico spices,” he says, “which makes it a perfect addition for burritos and enchiladas.” But there is plenty of potential out there for other creative inventions, limited only by your imagination, so why not give it a try? Happy holidays!
Pumpkin, Kale, Corn & Cremini Mushroom Enchilada with Cotija Cheese, Corn Tortillas, East Indian Spinach Purée, Spicy Green Rice
Red Chile
1 qt. water
2 cups red chile pods
1 tbsp. cooking oil.
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
2 bay leaves
Method:
Remove chile tops, shake out seeds. Cover pods in water, put in medium pot and bring to boil.
Boil for ten minutes, discard water, and place in blender to cool.
Heat a sauté pan, with the cooking oil, over medium/high heat. Add onions, garlic and herbs, stirring with wooden spoon until brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add to blender with chile pods, adding warm water to blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve to remove any seeds or stems. Warm to order.
East Indian Spinach Purée:
8 cups spinach, washed and stemmed
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 onion, peeled and diced
3 tbsp. fresh chopped ginger
3 tbsp. fresh chopped garlic
1 tsp. ground fenugreek
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. cinnamon
4 cups heavy cream
1 cup cooked rice (preferably Texmati)
Method:
Blanch spinach leaves in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Rinse until cool, drain, set aside.
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium/high heat. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add all ground spices and toast for 2 minutes. Add spinach and rice and stir for 3 minutes.
Add cream, bring to a high simmer. Then let cool and blend until smooth.
Succotash:
2 zucchinis, quartered and diced
2 squash, quartered and diced
2 cups corn
1 cup green chile
1 large onion, peeled and diced
3 tbsp. fresh garlic, chopped
2 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. ground cumin
3 tbsp unsalted butter
Method:
Add butter to large sauté pan and melt over medium heat.
Add onions, zucchini and squash, and sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic, stir for 2 minutes.
Add corn and green chile, and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring to avoid burning.
Add spices, herbs, and sauté until brown. Cool and set aside, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Pumpkin, Kale & Cremini Mushroom Filling:
2 cups pumpkin, thinly sliced
2 cups kale, stemmed and chopped
3 cups fresh cremini mushrooms.
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Method:
Put butter in large sauté pan and melt over medium heat.
Add pumpkin and sauté until brown, 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and kale and sauté 3 to 5 minutes more, until kale is wilted and mushrooms turn brown. Salt and pepper to taste.
Green Rice:
½ jalapeno, seeded
½ cup cilantro
½ cup parsley
½ cup chives
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup pure olive oil.
Method:
Place all ingredients in blender. Blend at medium speed, adding oil to form paste. Fold into the warm cooked rice.
To Assemble:
Warm each component of dish, and three 6-inch corn tortillas.
Spoon a thin pool of East Indian spinach purée around serving plate and place one 6-inch warm tortilla on top. Place ½ cup of green rice on top of that and pat down.
Add ½ cup of succotash on top of rice, and place second warm tortilla on top.
Cover with ½ cup pumpkin, kale and mushroom sauté and place third warm tortilla on top.
Smother enchilada in red chile, and garnish with crumbled cotija cheese.
Place under boiler or in oven until cheese browns and sauces bubble. (I like to serve with chopped radish and Pico de Gallo.