Winter squash and pumpkin in particular are symbols of the season. It simply isn't fall without pumpkins.
While we get the word pumpkin from the Greek word for large melon "pepon," the pumpkin is native to the Americas. The thick-skinned fruit, along with some other varieties of winter squash, likely originated in Central America roughly 10,000 years ago, according to Cindy Ott in her book Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon.
And while pumpkin pie as we know it was likely not on the Colonial table, pumpkin recipes are as much a part of our collective American history as any other New World food, with recipes calling for "pompkins" appearing in the first cookbook published in America in 1796, American Cookery by Amelia Simmons, and "potatoe pumpkin" and "pumpkin pudding" in Mary Randolph's 1824 book, The Virginia Housewife.
We call for sugar pumpkin in the following recipes, but feel free to substitute other varieties of winter squash such as butternut, Hubbard, acorn, carnival or delicata. Just don't use the kind of pumpkin used for jack-o'-lanterns. And because most winter squash do not need to be refrigerated, it's OK to use them as centerpieces or other festive decorations before cooking.
Baking is the easiest way to prepare all winter squash. Scrub the squash to remove any dirt or debris, cut it in half, remove the seeds (save those for roasting) and stringy membranes and rub flesh with vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake at 350 to 400 degrees until flesh is tender. Scoop flesh out and serve. This eliminates the arduous task of peeling the squash. For sweet preparations, skip the salt and pepper.
In many of the following recipes, canned pumpkin is a perfectly acceptable substitute. To really bring out the flavor, use this tip from cooking expert Ruth Reichl: Spread the canned pumpkin on a baking sheet and roast it in a 400-degree oven for about 15 minutes.
Homemade Pumpkin Puree
1 (2- to 3-pound) cooking or pie pumpkin (see notes)
Vegetable oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste (see notes)
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Cut pumpkin into large pieces, scrape out seeds and remove stringy membrane; rub pumpkin flesh with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place pieces in a shallow roasting pan, skin side up, fill pan with 1/4-inch of water, cover tightly with foil and roast 45 minutes to 1 hour or until flesh is soft. Scrape flesh from skin into a medium pot and mash into a puree. Cook puree over medium heat until all of the liquid has evaporated.
Makes 2 1/2 to 3 cups puree.
Notes: Generally, a 1-pound whole pumpkin will yield about 1/2 pound of raw flesh. One pound of raw pumpkin flesh will yield about 2 cups of cooked puree.
Omit salt and pepper if puree will be used in a dessert.
From New Mexico to Argentina, most indigenous American cuisines have a version (or two) of the sopaipilla, also spelled sopapilla. Some are puffy like pillows, while others are dense and suited for filling.
This version from Chile is flavored with pumpkin and soaked in a cinnamon-orange syrup.
Chilean Pumpkin Fritters
Sopaipillas Pasadas
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 orange, seeds removed
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tablespoons lard or shortening (we used coconut oil)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups corn oil, sunflower or other vegetable oil suitable for frying
Place the sugar, water, cinnamon stick and orange quarter in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Keep warm while you make the fritters.
Combine the flour, pumpkin, lard, baking powder and salt in a bowl and knead into a soft dough that will not stick to your fingers. Form into a ball and turn onto a lightly floured work surface. Flatten dough into a disc and roll to 1/8- to 1/16-inch thick. Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut dough into 3-inch pieces. We found the dough puffed better if it was a littler thinner on the edges than in the middle, though there's no guarantee all of the sopaipillas will puff.
In a deep, heavy saucepan or deep fryer, heat the oil to 400 degrees. Add the sopaipillas in batches and cook 30 seconds on each side, or until puffed and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. Serve hot drizzled with brown sugar-cinnamon syrup.
Makes about 30 sopaipillas.
Recipe adapted from Gran Cocina Latina by Maricel E. Presilla
Babka is an Eastern European Jewish yeast bread that is often filled with spices or chocolate and twisted or braided before baking. (Not to be confused with a cake by the same name that is baked in Eastern European Christian communities during Easter, also known as kulich.)
This babka is filled with a sweetened and spiced pumpkin mixture.
Pumpkin Babka
1 cup whole milk, warmed to 115 degrees
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
¼ cup PLUS 1 teaspoon, granulated sugar, divided use
5 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup light brown sugar
4 eggs, divided use
1/2 cup butter, cubed and softened, plus more for greasing
For the filling:
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
½ cup brown sugar
Pinch kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
In a large bowl, combine the milk, yeast and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon; set aside.
To the yeast mixture, whisk in the remaining granulated sugar, the brown sugar and 3 of the eggs. Slowly stir in the flour until a dough forms, then transfer to a lightly floured surface. Using your hands, knead in the softened butter, a little at a time, until a smooth dough forms. Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the filling:
In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and nutmeg and mix well.
To assemble: Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 (9-by-5-inch) loaf pans. Divide the dough into 2 balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 ball of dough out into a 14-inch square, about an inch thick.
Spread half of the filling evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch margin. Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough up tightly. Leaving ½ inch of dough connected at one end, cut the roll lengthwise in half. (I found kitchen shears worked best for this task.) Twist the strands together and pinch at the end to seal. Carefully place the babka in one of the prepared pans.
Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Cover both babkas loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm area until the dough expands to fill the pan, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg with about 1 teaspoon of water and liberally brush onto each babka. Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden and cooked through, about 45 minutes.
Let cool slightly, then remove each bread from the pan and let cool before slicing and serving.
Makes 2 loaves.
Recipe adapted from Tasting Table
This chili is delicious served over cornbread waffles (prepare your favorite cornbread batter, thin with a bit of milk and cook it in a waffle iron. For even more pumpkin flavor and nutrition, stir about 3/4 to 1 cup pumpkin puree into the batter).
Pumpkin puree will blend right in and be indiscernible to most eaters, making it an ideal choice when trying to sneak in some extra nutrients. If you want to see the pumpkin and enjoy the variances in texture, opt for diced fresh pumpkin.
Pumpkin Chili
1 1/4 pounds 80 percent to 85 percent lean ground beef
3 tablespoons chili seasoning such as Williams
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, optional
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes with garlic
1 (15-ounce) can beans such as hot chili beans or seasoned black beans
1 cup pumpkin puree OR 1 1/2 cups diced fresh pumpkin
Tomato juice or water, as needed
Desired toppings such as cilantro, diced onion, diced avocado, sour cream
In a Dutch oven or soup pot, brown ground beef, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Drain off excess fat and liquid, if necessary. Stir in chili seasoning, paprika, cumin and salt. Cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, beans and pumpkin. Simmer 20 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender. Thin to desired consistency with tomato juice or water.
Serve with desired toppings.
Makes about 8 servings.
Beer and Cheddar Pumpkin Soup
1 (2-pound) sugar pumpkin or other winter squash OR 1 (29-ounce) can pumpkin puree
Olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
1 sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
12 ounces German-style lager such as a Marzen/Octoberfest or other medium- to full-bodied beer
6 ounces white or gold potatoes, diced
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 1/2 cups half-and-half OR whole milk
2 1/2 cups shredded white cheddar, divided use
Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Cooked, crumbled bacon, optional
If using fresh pumpkin:
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the pumpkin in half. Remove seeds and membranes. Cut each half in half. Rub flesh with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place skin side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 30 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, in a soup pot, saute the onion in butter until softened. Sprinkle with sugar and cook, stirring, until onion is very tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add the beer and simmer until reduced by half.
Peel and dice the pumpkin flesh (if using).
Add the diced pumpkin or pumpkin puree, potato and stock to the pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes or until potato is tender. Using an immersion blender (or working in batches in a traditional blender) puree soup. Stir in half-and-half or milk and 2 cups of the cheese and cook over low heat just until cheese melts and is incorporated. Season with salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper.
Serve garnished with remaining cheese and bacon pieces.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Food on 11/02/2016