“What to cook this week” is a weekly series featuring recipes that use local, seasonal produce. Look for new ideas and recipes every Thursday.
Naysayers be damned — we haven’t reached “peak pumpkin.”
Although there have been cries both this year and last that the world cannot handle anymore pumpkin-flavoured concoctions, let’s be clear. Pumpkin and pumpkin spice are quite different.
While pumpkin spice, which doesn’t actually contain pumpkin, may be overdone, fresh pumpkin shouldn’t be punished for the marketing push to see a certain spice show up in every coffee shop, ice cream parlor and bakery from coast to coast.
With that in mind, we take a closer look at pumpkin, a fall favourite that can be used in a variety of recipes and dishes.
A four-ounce serving of cooked pumpkin contains 38 calories and is an excellent source of Vitamin A, riboflavin and thiamine. It’s also a good source of Vitamin C.
If you’re buying a pumpkin to cook with (not to decorate or carve), look for smaller pie pumpkins with firm, orange skim. Store your whole pumpkin in a cool, dry place, where it will keep for several months.
Once you’ve diced it, pumpkin should be stored in the fridge and used within five days. You can also store pumpkin in the freezer for up to six months.
Try these recipes from Food Network Canada that feature pumpkin.
- Thai curry pumpkin soup with coriander
- Don’t throw out the seeds! Garlic Parmesan pumpkin seeds
- Spicy Jamaican pumpkin soup
- Pumpkin swirl cheesecake squares
- Pumpkin ragout
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