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| Welcome to: pumpkins...
Both the pumpkin and squash are cultivated gourds and members of cucurbita family, the trailing or climbing plants that produce pumpkins. Often rounded but sometimes a teardrop shaped large fruit with a thick skinned rind, dry flesh, and containing many seeds. The rind is usually ridged. Cooked and eaten as a vegetable or in sweet dishes The word pumpkin derives its name from the Latin ‘pepon’ meaning ‘large melon’. The word squash is a shortening of the Narraganset (native American Indian) word ‘asquutasquash’ meaning ‘green things that may be eaten raw’. Pumpkins tend to have the thicker rind while squashes have a denser, sweeter flesh. The following are the pick of the crop...
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|  Crown Prince
(above) is an especially delicious pumpkin with a firm orange flesh and
a sweet nutty flavour. Ideal for roasting as a vegetable or in pumpkin
pie. The Kabocha (above) is a Japanese pumpkin with an especially tough skin. It has moist flesh with a fluffy texture, ideal for tempura.
The Kabocha (opposit) is a Japanese pumpkin with an especially tough skin. It has moist flesh with a fluffy texture, ideal for tempura.  The Turban Squash (opposit) is a popular variety due to its distinctive appearance. Its yellow coloured flesh has a taste similar to that of the butternut squash. | | | |
| Why turn your pumpkin into nothing more than a monstrous carving this Halloween? How about a sweet pumpkin tart, a hearty soup, or maybe a flavoursome risotto, here’s how…
Pumpkin, apple and cider soup A sweet and distinctively seasonal soup, great as either a light lunch or starter. To produce take 1.5kg of pumpkin, 200g  bramley apples, a medium eating apple, a large onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 40g of unsalted butter, a good pinch of ground allspice, a good pinch ground ginger, 600ml of chicken or vegetable stock, 600ml of dry cider and fine sea salt and black pepper to season. Peel and deseed the pumpkin or squash, and cut the flesh into chunks (you should have about 1kg prepared weight). Peel, core and roughly chop the apples. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and crush the garlic cloves. In a deep pan, fry the onion and garlic in the butter until soft, 3-4 minutes. Season, stir in the spices, and fry for a minute more. Add the apple and pumpkin, cover and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Add the stock and cider, bring just to the boil, then gently simmer for 20 minutes. Whiz or blend in batches. Check the seasoning and warm through to serve. Garnish with slices of eating apple lightly fried in butter.
Sweet pumpkin tart Don't just use pumpkin for savoury dishes - its natural sweetness makes it a great base for desserts as well. To produce take 1 large  pumpkin, 300g (10½oz) puff pastry, 300ml (½pt) single cream, 200g (7oz) soft dark brown sugar, 4 eggs, beaten, 3tbsp golden syrup, ½ a tsp of ground cinnamon, ½ a tsp of ground ginger, 100g (3½oz) of pecan nuts halved, icing sugar for dusting and double cream, to serve. Preheat oven to 200°C/gas 6. Peel and deseed the pumpkin, chop the flesh and steam for 20 minutes, or until tender. Purée and leave to cool. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured work surface and use to line a greased 24cm (9in) flan tin. Mix the cream and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, syrup, cinnamon and ground ginger and mix well. Add 500g (1lb 2oz) of the pumpkin purée and mix well. Brush the rim of the pastry case with water and pour in the filling. Bake for 30 minutes, then decorate the top with the pecan nuts and bake for a further 25-30 minutes until set. Dust with icing sugar and serve with the double cream.
Pumpkin risotto with pancetta and sage Feast on this all-time classic Italian dish with a seasonal twist. Serve as a starter or main course. To produce take  50g of unsalted butter, 2 tbsp of olive oil, plus extra for frying the sage leaves, a medium yellow onion, finely chopped, a celery stick, finely chopped, 140g of pancetta, cut into lardons, 500g of prepared hokkaido pumpkin, cut into 1-2cm dice, 4-5 sage leaves, torn, plus a small handful to garnish, 350g Arborio rice, 150ml dry white wine, 1.2ltr vegetable or chicken stock, 40g of Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra to serve. Heat half the butter and 1tbsp of the oil in a deep frying pan. Add the onion, celery and a pinch of salt. Cover the pan, turn the heat down and let the onion and celery sweat, until softened and golden. Add the pancetta and cook for 5 minutes before adding the squash. Cook gently, uncovered, until the squash is half cooked, about 6 minutes, adding the torn sage leaves for the last 1-2 minutes. Add the rice and 1tsp salt to the mixture. Cook gently, stirring, until it begins to look translucent. Turn up the heat, add the wine and cook at a medium simmer, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the wine has evaporated. Heat the stock in a large pan and keep it hot. When the wine has evaporated, add 2 ladlefuls of the stock and stir until it has been absorbed. Add more stock, 1-2 ladlefuls at a time, while stirring. Repeat until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender but still al dente, about 16-18 minutes. When cooked, stir in the remaining butter and the Parmesan. Stir, cover and leave to rest for a few minutes. Heat a little oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the remaining sage leaves and cook for a few seconds only until just crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve the risotto with a scattering of sage leaves and more grated Parmesan.
Pumpkin and blue cheese pizza The saltiness of the cheese is the perfect counter to the sweet pumpkin flesh in this gourmet play on a fast food favourite.  To produce take 25g (1oz) of fresh yeast, ½ a tsp of sugar, 250ml (9fl oz) of warm water, 2 tsp of fine sea salt, 3 tbsp of olive oil, 500g (1lb 2oz) of strong bread flour, ½ of a Hokkaido pumpkin, a medium red onion and 500g (1lb 2oz) of Roquefort cheese. Crumble the yeast into a jug, add the sugar and 100ml of the water. Stir and leave for 10 minutes. Place the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Stir in the yeast mixture and add more water until a dough starts to form. Transfer to a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until elastic. Place in a bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise for 1 hour. Deseed, peel and thinly slice the pumpkin, slice the onion and set aside. Crumble the cheese into a bowl. Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas 7. When the dough has proven, divide into 4 pieces, roll into ovals, place on a baking sheet and leave for 20 minutes. Divide the pumpkin slices and red onion between the pizzas. Add the crumbled cheese, drizzle with the olive oil and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown
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