Pity the poor pumpkin: one evening in the spotlight and then it¹s all over. The day after Halloween all those jack o'lanterns usually go straight to the garbage.

It¹s too bad, really. Pumpkins -- along with their other cousins in the winter squash family -- are beautiful to cook with and high in nutritional value, especially betacarotene and vitamins A and C.

Most home cooks have pumpkin soup and pumpkin muffins or pumpkin pie in their recipe repertoire, but there are plenty of other delicious ways to use it.

Northern Italians pair puréed pumpkin with sage and pancetta for pasta fillings or creamy polenta. In Vermont, I¹ve eaten delicious roasted pumpkin glazed with maple syrup and tossed with pecans. Moroccan and Armenian cooks make thick, sweet cinnamon-scented pumpkin jam. Whole roasted pumpkin stuffed with bread cubes, bacon and cheese is a French farmhouse favourite.

The big varieties of pumpkin that make great Halloween decorations are not the best ones for cooking. Better to look for the smaller so-called pie pumpkins, no bigger than 3 or 4 pounds. They have sweeter, more flavourful flesh that's less watery when cooked.

Potirons, those flattened reddish pumpkins favoured by French cooks, are also exquisite mashed, roasted or puréed into soups.

And of course, there¹s a whole world of other winter squashes in all shapes and sizes waiting to be discovered. Wherever pumpkin is called for in a recipe, butternut, delicata, Hubbard or acorn squash can be substituted.

The hardest part of cooking with winter squash is hacking it open. Use a long, sharp and sturdy knife or a cleaver to break open the pumpkin and then wedge it apart with your hands before proceeding to cut it up.

The hard, thick rinds are tricky to peel when raw. To make things easier, roast or steam chunks of unpeeled winter squash and then, once it has cooled, scoop or cut the soft, cooked flesh away from the rinds with a spoon or a small knife. (A pound of whole, unpeeled pumpkin will yield about one cup of cooked purée. )

 

A Pumpkin side dish

Here's one of my favourite pumpkin recipes. With its deep orange colour, it¹s a lovely side dish to serve alongside roast chicken or pork but it is equally hearty tossed together with cooked barley, wild rice or farro for a vegetarian main course.

Toss the leftovers into a salad of arugula and endive and a few shavings of Parmesan cheese and a handful of sunflower seeds for lunch the next day.

 

Maple-Glazed Roasted Pumpkin

Serves 4

  • 1 small pumpkin, seeded and cut into thin wedges
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried red chili pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange pumpkin and red onion on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminium foil.

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, chili pepper flakes, maple syrup, vinegar, sage and salt and pepper to taste.

Pour over vegetables and toss to coat well.

Roast in oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender and lightly caramelized.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

With a paring knife, remove pumpkin flesh from rinds.

Transfer pumpkin and onion slices to a serving bowl, toss in pecans and cranberries and serve.

 

Pumpkin dessert doesn't have to mean pie

I was playing around in the kitchen today and came up with this pumpkin dessert.

Panna cotta, which means "cooked cream" in Italian is a sweet and creamy dessert that is quite simple to make and very versatile. In the fall, I add puréed pumpkin and cinnamon and nutmeg.

Make your own pumpkin purée or use unsweetened canned pumpkin.

For a really special presentation, serve the panna cotta in hollowed-out mini pumpkins.

With a sharp, sturdy paring knife cut a large circle around the stem of each pumpkin and remove the "lid." Set it aside for later use.

With a small spoon, scrape away the seeds and loose fibres inside the pumpkins.

 

Pumpkin Panna Cotta

Serves 8

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
  • 1 cup 35 per cent cream
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • Chopped candied pecans for garnish

 

Pour half a cup of the milk into a medium saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let stand a few minutes, until softened. Heat over low heat, stirring, until gelatin dissolves. Add the rest of the milk, the cream, sugar, pumpkin puree and spices and simmer just until mixture begins to boil. As soon as small bubbles form along the edges, remove from heat. Let cool slightly then pour panna cotta mixture into small bowls or ramekins, or hollowed-out miniature pumpkins.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours, or until set.

Serve cold, drizzled with maple syrup, if desired, or a sprinkling of chopped candied pecans.