The Great Pumpkin

Just before Halloween, my partner and I found ourselves making our way down Sugarloaf Mountain in Dickerson, MD after a day long venture through the woods and the rocks, to the summit of this low but lovely peak. The mountain itself is small, at only about 800 feet higher than the surrounding farmland, but this allowed for some spectacular views of the Potomac. It was a crisp fall day, brightened by the seasonal foliage, and only 40 or 45 minutes out of the city. While the mountain itself was our destination, one of the highlights of the day for me was the drive through the bucolic farmland of northern Montgomery County, some of the highlights of which include a vineyard and the largest and most diverse squash stand I have ever seen. We passed the stand a few minutes before reaching the mountain itself, and I declared definitively that we would be stopping there on the way back. I had a mission in mind that I had to fulfill.

That mission was a pumpkin. Not just any pumpkin, but a sugar pumpkin that I could use for baking. Most pumpkins you encounter are no good for cooking with; they are bred to be carved and decorated, sacrificing size and shape for bland flavor and unappealing texture. Sugar Pumpkins, however, are small, round, and sweet. There are a number of different kinds of baking pumpkins, though the sugar is the most common. Cinderella is a French Heirloom variety also known as Rouge vif d'Etampes, that look just as you would imagine the carriage from the Fairy Tale conjured up by a fairy godmother. Or there is the Jarrahdale Pumpkin, with blue-grey skin, and bright orange flesh, with a wonderful culinary reputation. The stand had pumpkins and other squash of all shapes, sizes, and colors, many of which I don't think I have ever seen before. Also, hot apple cider for you to drink while you browse. I stuck to the basics though, and get my archetypal little sugar pumpkin.

Before using any kind of squash, I prefer baking it for a while, though you can boil or even microwave them to get them soft and workable. To bake, cut the pumpkin in half, getting rid of the stem, then scoop out the pulp and seeds. Save the seeds for roasting later. You need a good large knife you can get some leverage out of. Once cut, place the two halves face down in a shallow baking dish, and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 for an hour and a half. You'll need to let it cool for a bit after this (I usually get lazy and stick it in the freezer for 15 minutes). You can then very easily scoop the flesh out from the skin and puree or mash it.

After letting the pumpkin decorate the coffee table for a few days, I decided it was time to utilize my find. I thought about bread or pie, but came down to pumpkin soup because it is one of my favorite things ever. I have also come to feel like using curry is also one of my favorite things to use in the fall or winter, and makes a deep rich addition to the seasonal cuisine. It meshes perfectly with all kinds of squash. So, I combined the two in the following recipe:

Curried Pumpkin Soup

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1 hot red pepper, coarsely chopped

3 large carrots, sliced about 1/4 inch thick

2T. olive oil

Flesh from 1 pumpkin

3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. turmeric

A pinch of cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp. salt

Raw pumpkin seeds

1 cup cream

Flat leaf parsley, a few sprigs, coarsely chopped

Heat 1 T. olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat; add garlic and onion. Sauté until onion is translucent, 6 or 7 minutes. Add the red pepper and carrots, cooking for another 5 minutes. Next comes the pumpkin, chicken stock, bay leaf, 1/2 cup brown sugar, curry, turmeric, cayenne, 1 tsp. of the salt, and pepper to taste. Bring it all to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until everything is tender and infused with flavor, about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, toast your pumpkin seeds in a small saute pan with 1 T. olive oil and a touch of salt. Keep it on medium heat, and stir frequently, until they are slightly browned.

Returning to the soup, take it off the stove to allow it to cool. Again, I will often stick it in the freezer to expedite. Once cooled, puree in a food processor. Pour back into the stock pot and adjust the seasonings to taste. Stir in the cream just before serving. Add the roasted pumpkin seeds and parsley as a garnish on top.

We ate this with corn bread, though I think using Roti or Naan would be an excellent pairing.