Pumpkins are not just for the front porch. October 26 is National Pumpkin Day, arriving right in the thick of the season when these big orange squashes are everywhere, and there is far more to do with one than carving a spooky face.
Roast the seeds
Do not throw away the seeds when you scoop out a pumpkin. Rinse them clean of the stringy pulp, pat them thoroughly dry, toss them with oil and salt, and roast them on a sheet pan until golden and crunchy. They make a genuinely great snack, and you can lean sweet with cinnamon and sugar or savory with smoked paprika and cumin. It is the best way to make sure nothing from your pumpkin goes to waste.
Cook a real puree
Canned pumpkin is convenient, but roasting your own is easy and tastes noticeably brighter. Skip the big carving pumpkins, which are watery and bland, and instead buy a small sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin meant for eating. Halve it, scoop out the seeds, roast the halves cut-side down until soft, then scoop out and blend the flesh. That silky puree becomes the base for soup, quick bread, pancakes, and pie.
Carve the right pumpkin safely
If carving is your goal, pick a big field pumpkin with a sturdy stem and a flat-ish side to work on. Cut the lid from the bottom or the back rather than around the stem so the top does not cave in, and scoop the walls thin so your design shows off the light. Use a serrated scoop and short sawing knives rather than big kitchen blades, and let kids draw the design while an adult handles the actual cutting. A battery tea light is safer and lasts far longer than an open flame.
A pumpkin is a squash first and a decoration second. The eating varieties reward you with soup and pie long after the jack-o-lanterns have collapsed.
Bake and simmer with it
Pumpkin’s mild, earthy sweetness shines in both sweet and savory cooking. Stir the puree into a pot of soup with onion, garlic, and a little cream for something warming, or fold it into quick bread, muffins, and pancakes with warm autumn spices. It also makes a surprisingly silky pasta sauce with sage and parmesan. However you use it, National Pumpkin Day is a good reminder that this squash belongs in the kitchen as much as on the step.
How to celebrate
- 1Roast the seeds
Do not throw away the seeds when you scoop out a pumpkin. Rinse them clean of the stringy pulp, pat them dry, toss with oil and salt, and roast until golden and crunchy. Go sweet with cinnamon and sugar, or savory with smoked paprika and cumin.
- 2Cook a real puree
Skip the watery carving pumpkins and buy a small sugar or pie pumpkin meant for eating. Halve it, scoop the seeds, roast the halves cut-side down until soft, then scoop and blend the flesh. That silky puree beats canned for soup, bread, and pie.
- 3Carve safely
Pick a big field pumpkin, cut the lid from the back or bottom so the top does not cave in, and scoop the walls thin so your design shows the light. Use short serrated saws rather than big kitchen knives, and let an adult handle the cutting. A battery tea light is safer than a flame.
- 4Bake and simmer with it
Pumpkin's mild, earthy sweetness shines in both sweet and savory cooking. Stir the puree into soup with onion, garlic, and a little cream, or fold it into bread, muffins, and pancakes with warm autumn spices. It even makes a silky pasta sauce with sage.
- 5Visit a patch
A trip to a local pumpkin patch is a fine way to mark the day and pick your own. Look for a sturdy stem and a flat side for carving, or a small heavy one for eating. You get to support a nearby farm while you are at it.