Pumpkin, My Love

They’ve got the party started. On the shelves and in the bins. Simple deliciousness waiting for their time to glow.

Pumpkins must be one of the most versatile ingredients around. You can make them into ragouts, cakes, creams, even ice cream. Just to name a few. And they will adapt perfectly to any environment in the pots and pans you give them. Roast them, boil them, bake them. Everything works.

Which is why we always have pumpkin around the house. Either fresh/stored in the kitchen (from late summer to early spring) and or in the freezer (the rest of the year). There is literally a spot reserved for pumpkins on that shelf next to the kombucha jar, the dried herb boxes, the banana basket, and the avocado and stone fruit alcove. It is inevitable to have some in the house.

So when I go to the grocery store or the farmers’ market these days, I don’t see pumpkins. I see everything I can make out of those round, oval, and pear-like shapes. And sometimes I remember how many dishes were made complete – surprisingly – by adding pumpkins.

Like the one that accompanies this post today (there was probably no pumpkin in the original chili recipe, even though these guys have quite a history in Central and South America).

Roast them, boil them, bake them. Everything works.

Side Notes:

• I can proof my point. My recipes frequently include pumpkins: [‘Freechiuli’], [‘Multi Meal-Prep – The Sequel‘], [‘Fish in Hiding‘], [‘Tella Peel Soup‘]. Plus I always use pumpkin flesh and seeds to make a good broth [‘No Hokkaido is ever wasted‘]. And I have many more recipes with pumpkins in store. You will see 😉