MONTH OF THE PUMPKIN
October boasts of 13 different food Titles. Except for two (Eat Country Ham Month and Vegetarian Awareness Month), all are National Food Months) A few among them are ‘National Caramel Month’, ‘National Popping Corn Month’ and ‘National Chili Month’. However, I think one item is missing and that this should also be ‘National Pumpkin Month’ or at least ‘Pumpkin Month’. This is the time when the Pumpkins are making their way into the markets for Halloween and Thanksgiving and possibly even December Holiday Meals. Therefore I am declaring October the ‘Month of the Pumpkin’.
Think of all the things that can be done with Pumpkin and I am not just talking about ‘Jack O’ Lanterns for Halloween. I am talking about ‘foodstuffs that can be made with Pumpkin’. There are at least two different types of Pumpkin on the market. One are the larger Pumpkins which are used for carving ‘Jack O’ Lanterns’ and other Fall Decorations. Then there is the ‘Sugar Pie Pumpkin’ which is used for baking and cooking. This is the Pumpkin that this blog will be dealing with. For those of you who think that Pumpkin does not taste good, you have another guess coming. Combined with spices, sugar and other ingredients Pumpkin can be very tasty and quite delicious. Pumpkin is rich in Beta Carotenes which provide Vitamin A, a necessary nutrient for ‘Night Vision’ and other bodily functions.
Just what is a Pumpkin? Well, first of all it is a fruit that belongs to the squash family. All squash are classified as fruit because they bear seeds thereby making the shell that contains the seeds the ovary. The meat inside the shell (skin) is edible and can be cooked as is or chopped or ground or pureed and can be baked, stewed, or made into Ice Cream, Shakes and Smoothies. My favorite use for Pumpkin is in Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Waffles. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are also a favorite among many people. In addition, the seeds contain Oil which is also used for culinary purposes
Listed below are just some of the table items that can be made with Pumpkin. Listed below are some of the many foodstuffs that can be made with Pumpkin. (In Alphabetical Order) During the month of October, this blog will post various recipes and photos made with Pumpkin. Please do try out some of these items for your family meals.
Pumpkin Bread & Muffins Pumpkin Pasta
Pumpkin Biscuits Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Waffles Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin Cornbread Pumpkin Stew
Pumpkin Ice Cream Pumpkin Turnovers
Pumpkin Milkshakes
Starting today you can check for recipes to try. For starters, go to the links below. These are delicious for your Thanksgiving Dinner or Breakfast.
