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“In this plate of food, I see the entire universe supporting my existence.” – Zen Blessing
Autumn Harvest: From Pine Nuts to Pumpkins
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WRITTEN BY Rachelle Hughes
Are you lured by the autumn’s roadside nut hawkers? Do you stock up on the chestnut colored wares freshly picked and roasted from the scraggly pinion pine trees that dominate our landscape? Or does your family make an annual trip to harvest these tasty little seeds found in abundance near the Nevada border? Stock up this fall as winter is the ideal time to use those brown treasures in all kinds of warm, comfortinducing recipes. Pine nuts have been popular in cuisines around the world for thousands of years and each variety has its own qualities. This versatile nut, which is actually a seed, contains the highest protein count of any nut or seed and is a good source of dietary fiber, iron and magnesium. Despite its distinct flavor and gourmet qualities, it is easy to see why this tasty little bite plays a vital role in Southern Utah. Historically, it was more than a gourmet additive for Native American recipes. High in nutrition, protein, and long in shelf life, it was a staple of their winter diet.
Rachelle Hughes has been writing about Utah for 15 years. She is currently the editor and owner of AliveUtah. com, an online lifestyle magazine all about Southern Utah. She has written for the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Élan Woman Magazine, St. George Magazine, Wasatch Woman, Utah Style and Design and now you can catch her personal musings on parenting at Utahmama.com.
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In our modern days the pine nut’s fame is growing. Its use in Mediterranean, Greek and Chinese dishes and its starring role in pesto makes it a hot commodity in the foodie world. It carries a hefty price tag, heftier than most nuts. Even our roadside salesmen don’t sell it for cheap. Why? It is notoriously hard to harvest and extract pine nuts. You are welcome to traipse off into the wilderness and harvest some seed laden pinecones for yourself. In fact, there are many families in Southern Utah who have made this a tradition. But be prepared to work for those little gems. Fortunately, a little pine nut goes a long way. A small amount packs a lot of flavor and nutritional punch. This winter season, find a way to incorporate a little of Southern Utah’s wild produce into your menu. Keep in mind that pine nuts can spoil quickly if improperly stored. Keep refrigerated or frozen to maintain a long shelf life and fresher flavor. For now, I am going to stick to my pre-shelled bags of the standard pine nuts for my pesto and cooking purposes. But the lure of those roadside stands definitely gets to me and I will stop for my own bag of fresh pine nuts full of the aroma of pine trees – a perfect snack.
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Get Yo Bad Witch On for a Girls’ Night Out
October 25, 2012 The Backyard Gardens and Gifts St. George, Utah Dress in Costume $20 per person Dinner and Surprises To Benefit the Utah Food Bank
For more information go to www.elanwoman.com
WRITTEN BY Lea Hopkinson
Farmers have spent decades trying to produce perfectly round, orange pumpkins. But like the seasons, consumer demands change. Under the influence of Martha Stewart and DIY bloggers, the pumpkin craze now has farmers growing a multitude of varieties in search of the funkiest of all gourds. The more diverse in color, texture and shape the better. An estimated 68 million Americans will buy a pumpkin to carve or incorporate into their Halloween décor this year. Many of the unusual pumpkins are hybrids — combinations of other, existing varieties. The demand for diversity amongst the pumpkin population has some farmers growing only pumpkins, planting up to 150 different varieties on a single farm. Before you head out to the local pumpkin patch or farmer’s market, get to know a few of the more popular pumpkin varieties available. Let their uniqueness catch your attention! The possibilities with pumpkins are limitless. It is easily utilized in cute bunches on haystacks, carved and illuminated with candles, or painted with rich colors. When you are done being artistic, let the great pumpkin fulfill your appetite. Nothing welcomes the fall more fully than to curl up with a cup of savory pumpkin soup.
BUSH SPIRIT: In the southwest, Washington County Extension Agent, Rick Heflebower, reports earlymaturing varieties to be the most reliable for harvest before diseases and pests become well established. He recommends the hybrid Bush Spirit, a small to medium-sized pumpkin. Ideal for the small garden, this variety still produces beautiful 12” diameter pumpkins which are perfect for carving. This pumpkin is a good keeper and is also great for cooking and baking.
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BIG MAX: Want a big pumpkin? The name ‘Big Max’ says it all. These are the monster pumpkins that will amaze the trick-or-treaters! Giant and beautiful, the Big Max has set the standard for the stealth pumpkin. Excellent for carving, baking, and simply showing off. Big Max can weigh as much as 100 pounds!
LUMINA: The ghostly-white Lumina pumpkin (hybrid) caught my attention. Its smooth skin makes for a unique canvas to paint or carve, as well as having an excellent flavor. The pumpkin grows up to 10-16 lbs. Its sweet bright orange to yellow flesh is good for pureeing or making roasted pumpkin soup.
SUGAR PIE Sugar Pie pumpkins are known as the sweet choice for baking. The Sugar Pie is the pumpkin you want if you are dreaming about marvelous pumpkin flavor with sweet, fine-grained texture for making pies, soups, muffins, casseroles, and other autumn favorites. Pumpkins are 6”-7” in diameter and store for several months after harvest.
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Pumpkin Soup with Pine Nut Pesto 1 large onion, chopped 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh ginger 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 large garlic cloves, chopped 2 teaspoons ground coriander 4½ cups peeled, 1-in. chunks pumpkin 4½ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 3 /4 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon pepper Prepared Pesto (see recipe for Basic Pesto) To make the soup: Sauté onion and ginger in oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat until golden, 5 minutes. Add garlic and coriander and cook until softened, 1 minute, then add pumpkin, broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer, covered, until pumpkin is very tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Purée in batches in a blender until very smooth. Drop small spoonfuls of pesto over bowls of soup and serve remaining pesto on the side.
Basic Pesto 2 cups fresh basil leaves ¼ cup of pine nuts, lightly toasted 3 cloves of garlic ½ teaspoon of salt 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese JARRAHDALE I love the slate gray color of Jarrahdale (heirloom) and Blue Moon (hybrid). Local organic farmer Jill Simpkins of Cricket Song Farm said Blue Moon was more productive in her trials. Decorative as well as flavorful. Jarrahdale has a flatten, deep ribbed pumpkin shape with shiny light blue-gray skin. The pumpkin can grow anywhere from 6-120 pounds. Jarrahdale’s tasty flesh is thick, sweet and rich golden-yellow to orange in color. It has a very small seed cavity and thin but extremely hard skin. Some gardeners claim that they have stored this squash for up to a year! woman
CINDERELLA People adore the deep orange-red or pale yellow Cinderella pumpkins, especially when they are adorned with warts, scars and other disfigurements. There is an immense love for these giant pumpkins, which can weigh up to 400 pounds - almost big enough to serve as Cinderella’s carriage. These super sized beauties make a stunning fall display.
JACK O’ LANTERN Most well known is the Jack O’ Lantern pumpkin. Bred to be the size of the human head, it works well for carving at Halloween. I cherish this pumpkin for roasted seeds. The pumpkin flesh dries and coats the seeds with delicious flavor if the seeds are not rinsed before roasting. To save seeds to plant in next year’s garden choose heirloom and open-pollinated varieties. Seeds saved from hybridize plants are not reliable and are rarely true to the original desired variety.
Lightly toast pine nuts on the stove for 1 minute. Place basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, salt and lemon juice in a food processor or blender and pulse until well combined add olive oil and process until paste consistency. If you like a more liquid pesto, add more oil. Refrigerate or freeze in ice cube trays. Ice cube portions equal approximately one tablespoon of pesto.
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