Pumpkin's new guise

Published on Thursday 26 October 2006 11:46

WITH that long summer heatwave a fading memory and our household pets already cowering from the bangs and pops of fireworks, we are heading into winter festival season and Hallowe'en is around the corner.

And whether it's the influence of our trick-or-treating American cousins, or just that these days our kids are savvier on the extortion front, you'll need to put on a good show or you may have cause for regret next Tuesday night.

Don't think you have a get out of jail free card if you don't actually have any ghouls and goblins of your own. Having nothing to show when that doorbell rings could mean scraping egg yolk off your front window until Easter.

And no, an offering of soft digestives does not go down well. Trust the voice of bitter experience.

This year I intend to be fully prepared and I'm arming myself with some easy to prepare tray bakes and sweet snacks. And if your own kids are out terrorising the neighbours you might want to prepare a pot of hot soup for them coming home.

In most people's minds Hallowe'en marks the start of winter and for those of us who are already counting the days until the clocks go forward again this isn't necessarily a cause for celebration. However, one thing we can all look forward to over the darker months is indulging in the typically warming comfort food we all love.

Soups are a good place to begin and since you're probably going to be making a pumpkin lantern for the kids next week why not utilise the scooped-out flesh? Roasted tomato and pumpkin soup makes a great winter warmer, which you can liven up further by toasting the pumpkin seeds and sprinkling them on top before serving. If you still have some pumpkin flesh left over, pumpkin pie will make an ideal seasonal dessert either hot or cold.

Stews, casseroles and hotpots should start making appearances on tables over the next couple of months as the winter sets in. Many chefs might turn their noses up at these "peasant" dishes with their less fashionable cuts of meat and cheaper vegetables, but you can produce some stunningly rich flavours from a couple of hours of slow-cooking.

These are relatively healthy dinner options too as they are "one-pot" dishes that will retain all their nutrients during the cooking process, as well as warming up your kitchen and filling your house with pleasant smells. Try serving with some parsnip and potato mash.

People tend to look out for stronger-flavoured meats such as beef and lamb during winter, with roasts appealing to most carnivores. A boned and rolled leg of lamb roasted with garlic and rosemary is hard to beat for a family lunch.

Similarly, lamb shank braised slowly in red wine and stock is an old classic that's coming back into fashion.

Alongside root vegetables, beans and pulses come into their own during winter. Vegetable curries and chillies using such ingredients as lentils, peas, black-eyed beans and chick-peas are ideal cold-weather dishes, and not just for cash-strapped students. And while you're unlikely to win any food awards by making cauliflower cheese, it's a real stick-to-your-insides classic.

Butternut squash and sweet potatoes are fantastic, flavoursome ingredient for soups and stews and are full of vitamins, which we all need to keep colds and flu at bay.

With the weather staying relatively mild you should be able to catch the end of the autumn woodland mushroom season. A pleasant morning walk with a good knowledge of what and what not to pick could give you a decent haul of edible fungi for dinner.

A million miles away from shop varieties, these mushrooms are rich and pungent when cooked through sauces for meat or pasta dishes. Try putting them through a risotto with white wine and smoked cheese, served with crusty bread for a brilliant rustic lunch.

So while you're hollowing out your pumpkin, treacling up your scones and looking out the waterproofs for the apple-dooking you could have a few pleasant thoughts about the rich culinary treats in store for the next few months. Until the doorbell starts to ring.

Andy McGregor is chef/proprietor of Blonde restaurant, 75 St Leonard's Street, Edinburgh. Tel: [phone].

RECIPES

Roast tomato and pumpkin soup with toasted pumpkin seeds (serves 6-8)

Ingredients

Scooped-out flesh from a large pumpkin, de-seeded (retain the seeds)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

6 plum tomatoes, halved

1 onion, diced

700ml vegetable or chicken stock

olive oil

25g butter

30g fresh basil, chopped

salt and ground black pepper

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Wash the pumpkin seeds until flesh has been removed.

Place the tomatoes on a baking tray and drizzle lightly with olive oil and season. Roast for 15-20 minutes until soft. Similarly, place the pumpkin seeds on a baking tray, drizzle lightly with olive oil and season. Roast for half an hour until crunchy.

Place the butter and olive oil in a pot on a medium heat until butter is melted. Add the onion, garlic and pumpkin flesh and saut for two to three minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes and stock and simmer for 20 minutes then add the chopped basil and simmer for a further ten minutes. Remove from heat and liquidise, then pass through a sieve to remove the tomato pips. Serve and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin pie (serves 8)

Ingredients

1 sweet pastry case, baked blind

500g pumpkin flesh, de-seeded and diced

3 eggs

100g soft brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cloves

300ml double cream

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Steam the pumpkin flesh until soft, then puree. Squeeze out any excess liquid.

Gently heat the cream, spices and sugar in a pan, stirring until sugar has melted. Whisk the eggs and then stir into the cream mixture. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour into pastry case and place in oven for 35 to 45 minutes.