We have pumpkins galore coming up in our veggie patch and they are still producing. I thought Pumpkins would be a great food to share with you this time as it is easy to run out of ideas.

I once believed Pumpkins only came out on that cool Halloween night and with a glowing candle shimmering through the holes of its scary cut out face. I’m from England and I remember piles of pumpkins stacked up in our supermarkets for just that purpose, to scare the witches away!  So I never really wondered what was in the middle of pumpkins (the bit we Brits throw away) until I came to Australia, a wonderful cosmopolitan friendly place, where we have such a diversity of cultures

Now I couldn’t imagine life without it, I Love Pumpkin and so do my family. It is so easy to cook with; it cooks quickly, and has to be the most versatile vegetable of all. We are talking soups, dips, pies, salads, roasts, and even scones, muffins.

Pumpkins are reasonably priced at local farmers markets because they grow so well. I have been so excited since I first noticed Pumpkins seedlings in my compost. I would not let my husband near them as he wanted to dig them out and now I know he is very happy with our fruition of our straggly vine. If you have an area of your garden that you don’t mind ‘letting loose’ then just throw your seeded veggies in that area and see what comes up. It’s permaculture! Pumpkins will usually rule the roost and take over everything but if you have the space for it, go for it.

Nutrition of Pumpkin :

Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas) are high in Zinc and Omega 3 Essential fatty acids.

Medicinal Uses : Relating to Traditional Chinese Medicine Pumpkin is excellent for relieving ‘damp’ conditions such as eczema, removing excess mucus from the lungs and bronchi in asthma, swelling and dysentery as well as aiding regulation of our blood sugar levels so particularly useful with diabetes and hypoglycaemia.

Cooked pumpkin destroys intestinal worms, but not as effectively as pumpkin seeds (1). The medicinal components in the seeds effectively “stun” the worms, so for best results it’s beneficial to follow up with a natural laxative such as flax seed oil. Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) are high in zinc and omega 3 essential fatty acids.

(Dose – For Intestinal worms : A Small handful of seeds once or twice a day for 3 weeks).

Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas) are used for motion sickness, nausea, impotency, and swollen prostate. (2). Seeds are best eaten raw as they can loose some of their medicinal qualities when cooked or roasted.

I would recommend soaking them with 1 tsp sea salt first. This will help stimulate the natural enzymes in the seeds and any other nuts. The Ancient Aztecs used to soak pumpkin seeds in brine for 7 hours, and then let them dry in the hot sun. (3) Another reason to soak dry nuts or seeds before consuming them is to increase the vitality or ‘life’ of the seed which is why sprouted seeds are so nutritious.

Sprouting Pumpkin seeds—Rinse 3 x a day and soak for 2-3 days until sprouts are 1/4 inch long.

Pumpkin is a great for a first food for babies too. It amazes me why some would buy it in a jar from the supermarket to bring home to feed their babies when it is the easiest to cook. Just steam it and mash it with some squirted breast milk.

Not to mention all the fun in the high chair. Pumpkin can patted into all kinds of shapes and can be safely spread all over the high chair tray, round and round with tiny hands, squelched and squidged and then the best part of all, smeared across their whole face, in their ears and all through their hair. This allows parent to eat their own lunch in peace knowing their child is content.

Tip—To remove organic pumpkin stains from your brand new ‘pumpkin patch’ white dress, soak for 17 days in an environmentally friendly nappy soaker, scrubbing with stain soap and changing water regularly. Simply add the juice of 23 organic lemons then boil for 2 hours and hang out in the sun all day. Repeat this 3 times!

References

Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods, (1)Page 508, (2) Page 494,North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California

Fallon, Sally, Nourishing Traditions (3) Page 513, New Trends Publishing

 

Pumpkin Recipes

Perfect Pumpkin Soup

 1/2 pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1.5 inch cubes

1 chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced or finely cut

2 tbsp olive oil

1 can coconut cream

½ teaspoon fresh finely grated ginger

Large handful chopped fresh coriander

Few freshly cut basil leaves

¼ tsp fresh chilli

Pinch of salt, pepper and whatever else takes your fancy.

 

Stir-fry the onion in olive oil and few tbsp of water until slightly brown.

Add pumpkin cubes, coconut cream and enough water so that veggies are just covered and put lid on to boil up.

Cook for about 15 minutes or until pumpkin is soft. You can now add all the other ingredients except fresh herbs, and either mash or blend.

Just before serving, stir in fresh herbs and garnish with a piece of coriander on top.

 

Fresh Pumpkin Dip

1/4 Organic Pumpkin, chopped into cubes

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin

2 healthy dollops of Ricotta Cheese or other soft cream cheese

 

Place Pumpkin and garlic on an oiled baking tray, and drizzle with honey & olive oil.

Bake at 180 c for 20 minutes or until soft.

Allow to cool then pop into the blender or mash very well with a fork.

Blend or mix together with cumin and cream cheese.

Garnish with a fresh green herb leaf eg basil and Serve with crackers or veggie sticks.

 

Spelt, Prune and Pumpkin Muffins

(Makes 12 Muffins)

Ingredients

1 cup cooked mashed Pumpkin

1 1/2 cups Organic Wholemeal Spelt flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped pitted prunes

2 Organic eggs, softly beaten

125g melted butter

 

Method

Steam the pumpkin, mash it up and leave to one side.

Sieve the spelt flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, oats and prunes and stir together.

Make a well in the centre and add the egg and the mashed pumpkin.

Fold the mixture in until just combined but do not stir too much.

Place in an oiled muffin tray and put in a preheated oven.

Cook for 15-20 minutes or until just turning brown on top at 200 c.

When they are ready, take a knife and ease the edges of the muffin so they lift out and leave on a cooling tray until ready to serve.

 

Tip—Keep the seeds and you can pop them in the oven at the same time to roast (see below)

 

To Make Roasted Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)

Salted Pepitas —Put a handful of pumpkin seeds into a small pan of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to the boil and let the seeds simmer for 10 minutes. You can even cook these in your steamed pumpkin water at the same time as cooking the pumpkin. Strain onto a piece of kitchen roll to dry and then place on an oiled baking tray. Take a pastry brush or gently drizzle a little oil over the seeds. Bake at 180 c for 10 minutes.

Plain Roasted Pepitas— Seeds can be roasted with out cooking in salted water first but the boiling of them soften the hard shell so I believe will help for easier digestion.

 

Other Variations— Try soaking in soy sauce first or drizzle a little honey over too.

 

Best Ever Packed Lunches

Honey Roasted Vegetable Frittata

This recipe is so easy and great for packed lunches as it can be cooked the night before and is delicious served warm for dinner and/or cold in a packed lunch.

Tip – If you are roasting vegetables for dinner anyway, you can add the extra 3 cups of veggies to leave for the frittata.

 

Ingredients

3 cups of sliced Honey Roasted Organic Veggies (Pumpkin, Potato, Squash and chopped garlic – See Method)

6 Organic eggs

1/3 cup thick cream

1 Shallot, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh chopped tomato

1/2 cup thinly slice green capsicum

1 tbsp freshly chopped basil

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Mixed herbs, salt & pepper to taste, Olive oil

 

Method

To Roast Veggies—Place 3 cups worth of chopped pumpkin, potato, squash and garlic on a greased baking tray and drizzle olive oil and 1 tbsp of honey over the top. Add salt and pepper and put in a preheated oven to bake for 15 minutes, 180 degrees. (To make life easier, cook the night before with your dinner)

In an oiled flan dish, place the 3 cups of roasted veggies and spread evenly around the dish, add the chopped tomato, capsicum, shallot, basil and just 1/2 cup of mozzarella.

In a separate jug, whisk 6 eggs, salt & pepper, mixed herbs and cream

Pour the egg mix evenly over the veggies into the flan dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella over the top. Voila.

Place in a preheated oven (180 degrees C for 25—30 minutes)

Serving suggestions :  Serve warm with a salad garnish or pop into the fridge and slice up in the morning for packed lunches (or both)

Variations : If you are serving fresh from the oven or if packed lunches are kept in a fridge until eaten, you can add chicken, tinned salmon or tuna fish for some added protein.