PUMPKIN

hello pumpkin

No, pumpkins aren’t just for carving…

Pumpkins are all too often just used to make Jack o’lanterns come Halloween, but actually these fruit (yes, they are a fruit) are very tasty. And, even better, almost every part of the pumpkin — from the skin and pulp, to the seeds, and even the flowers — are not only edible, but pretty darn delicious.

When it comes to pumpkins, it’s definitely not a case of bigger is better — or not if you want to eat them, at least. More petite pumpkins tend to be tastier, with a richer, sweeter flavour.

They work well in both sweet and savoury dishes, and pair especially well with a bit of spice, whether that’s cinnamon in a sweet dish, or chilli in something savoury.

And they are easier to prepare, a quality which shouldn’t be overlooked because this can be a bit of a faff.

There are a few ways to make it easier though. You could cut it in half, roast it, then scoop out the soft sweet flesh (much like you might do with a butternut squash). The cutting might take some serious effort though so work in sections until you reach the bottom. You might even need to hammer the knife in with a rolling pin to get it started.

Or, if you’re looking for a neat dice then try cutting into wedges (like a melon!) as this will make it easier to remove the skin and cut as you’ll have a flat edge to rest it on.

Like most squash, pumpkins store well. If you keep it in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place it will last for several weeks.

PUMPKIN FRITTERS WITH ROMESCO

These fritters are simple to prepare and the romesco is a delicious accompaniment, but can be substituted for a simple mayonnaise mixed with paprika and garlic. We’ve chosen to use a mix of nuts in the romesco rather than using just almonds, and included cashews which add a creamy taste to the sauce.

SERVES 2

FOR THE ROMESCO 2 red peppers 2 garlic cloves, puréed Handful of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts, toasted 2 tbsp red or sherry wine vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil Pinch of paprika Salt and black pepper, to taste FOR THE FRITTERS 150g potato 300g pumpkin flesh 1 red onion 1 tsp salt 2 eggs ½ tsp black pepper, ground ½ tsp garam masala 3 tbsp gram flour 1 tsp smoked paprika Bunch of parsley, chopped ½ tsp baking powder Vegetable oil, for frying 1 First, make the romesco. Heat the oven to the hottest it will go. 2 Rub the peppers with oil, season with salt then roast until well browned. 3 Remove and place in a bowl, covering with cling film to steam the peppers and help the skins slip off. Skin and deseed. 4 Finally, pulse all the ingredients in a food processor. You can make a smooth or chunky sauce. 5 To make the fritters, start by grating the potato and pumpkin, then very finely slice the red onion and toss together with salt. Allow to sit for 20 minutes.

6 Mix the rest of the ingredients to a batter. 7 Squeeze the salted veg in a clean tea towel and stir into the batter.

8 Heat the oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Spoon dollops of the mix and fry on each side for around 4-5 minutes until browned. Make sure they are cooked through as you don't want the middle to be raw; bake in the oven if needs be.

Recipe by Riverford (www.riverford.co.uk)

PUMPKIN MADELEINES WITH PUMPKIN CUSTARD AND CINNAMON MERINGUE

Unusual and slightly long winded but totally worth it. The meringue isn't necessary but adds an impressive finish. All the elements can be made individually if you don't want to tackle the whole recipe.

MAKES 8

FOR THE CUSTARD 500g pumpkin flesh 50g sugar 5 egg yolks ½ pint cream FOR THE MERINGUE 100g egg whites 130g caster sugar 70g soft dark brown sugar Pinch of cinnamon FOR THE MADELEINES 225g butter, soft 100g caster sugar 1 egg 200g plain flour 100g soft dark brown sugar 200g pumpkin purée 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp baking powder 2 tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp salt

FOR THE CUSTARD

1 Start by making a pumpkin purée. Cook the pumpkin flesh in water until soft. Strain and purée in a food processor until smooth. Pass through a sieve and chill. 2 Once the mix is chilled, pre-heat an oven to 120°C/Gas Mark ½. 3 Beat the sugar and egg yolks until thick and creamy. Warm the cream over a medium heat until it just comes to the boil then whisk into the egg yolk mix, followed by 200g of the pumpkin purée. 4 Strain into a jug and fill four ramekins or one bigger dish. Place the dish/ramekins into a roasting tray and add enough warm water to cover half the height of the dish/ramekins. 5 Bake for 25/30 minutes until there is a slight wobble in the middle. Remove and chill in the fridge. Top with the meringue (recipe below) or top with sugar then blow torch for a crème brûlée finish.

FOR THE MERINGUE

1 In a metal round-bottom bowl combine the egg whites, both sugars and the cinnamon. 2 Place over a simmering pan of water and whisk continuously until the sugars have dissolved. The mixture should be warm if you dip your finger in and it will still be liquid at this stage. Using an electric whisk, whisk until thick, glossy and cooled. 3 Top the custard(s) and either blow torch to finish or brown under a grill. Any left over meringue can be baked at 90°C for 1 ½ - 2 hours until dry.

FOR THE MADELEINES

1 Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/ Gas Mark 4. Grease a madeleine tray with butter and dust with flour. 2 Cream the butter and both sugars for around 10 minutes. 3 Add the egg and a spoonful of flour to help it mix in comfortably, then fold in the rest of the ingredients. 4 Spoon the mix into the tray and bake for 10/12 minutes. Once cooked allow to sit for 2 minutes then remove from the tray and place on a cooling rack. 5 Serve with the custard and meringue.

Recipe by Riverford (www.riverford.co.uk)

MINI PUMPKIN CAKES WITH COCONUT CREAM FROSTING

These mini pumpkin cakes with coconut cream frosting made with Clarence Court Burford Brown eggs are the perfect autumnal dessert recipe. Served inside mini pumpkins, these unique and delicious pumpkin cakes are sure to impress.

SERVES 9-12

9-12 mini pumpkins 260g wholewheat flour 3 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1½ tsp ground cinnamon 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 240ml coconut oil, melted 4 Clarence Court Burford Brown eggs 220g brown sugar 550g pumpkin purée 1½ tsp vanilla extract Coconut cream for frosting Pecan nuts, to garnish 1 Pre-heat the oven to 170˚C/ Gas Mark 3. 2 Meanwhile, cut off the tops of the mini pumpkins and remove the seeds. In order to create a bowl, you may need to remove some of the flesh. 3 Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt in a bowl. 4 In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and add the melted coconut oil, followed by the vanilla extract and pumpkin purée. 5 Add the two mixtures together and mix thoroughly until combined. 6 Arrange the pumpkins on a baking try and carefully fill the pumpkin bowls with the cake batter. 7 Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. 8 Once baked, let the pumpkins cool off before decorating them. 9 Meanwhile, whisk the coconut cream to make the frosting. 10 Using a piping bag, top each pumpkin cake with the coconut cream and sprinkle with some pecan nuts.

Recipe by AlphaFoodie for Clarence Court Eggs (clarencecourt.co.uk)