Monday, July 23, 2012

nourish:pumpkin in season

I have noticed, since making the effort to buy only seasonal produce, how very much cheaper it is. But I still need to shift my thinking a little. Where, once upon a time, I would plan meals and go and buy ingredients in small portions, I am now trying to buy seasonal ingredients and then plan meals around what is available.

At first, switching from a big greengrocery chain to a small local shop gave me some serious frustrations. There are no green beans? How am I going to make sausage casserole on Tuesday now? But now I've started to enjoy the challenge of making do with what's available. And I feel like I'm getting to know ingredients better.

My challenge now for myself is to focus in on one seasonal ingredient, take advantage of the cheap cost, buy a nice bulk amount of it and use it lots of different ways throughout the week.

So, today I begin with my first seasonal ingredient exploration: pumpkin. I adore pumpkin. My small people enjoyed it as a first food. My darling tolerates it. I had been in the habit of buying small, pre-cut wedges if I was making a roast. Quite often the little wedge, which might have cost the same as a whole pumpkin, would spoil before I had the chance to use it. Lately, happily, whole pumpkins have found their way into my grocery shop. now it's up to me to come up with a range of ideas for pumpkiny mains, sides, snacks, sweets and soups.

Throughout the week, I'll take pictures and post recipes as I go along. Do you have any favourite pumpkin suggestions?

6 comments:

  1. Good thinking buying in bulk and in season.
    Roast pumpkin soup is one of my favourites.
    x

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  2. We are slowly making this shift too. Roast pumpkin and garlic soup is a fav as are pumpkin patties and pumpkin frittata/quiche. Can't go past caramelised roasted pumpkin either :)
    x

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  3. Pumpkin and leek with gnocchi - I love it!

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  4. I never used to like eating pumpkin when I was younger but I love it now, it's such a nice sweet vegetable. One of our favourite ways to eat pumpkin is a pumpkin and feta sausage roll, it's delicious and so simple to make. Here's the link for you if you'd like to give it a try.
    http://cityhippyfarmgirl.com/2012/03/15/fetta-pumpkin-sausage-rolls/
    I look forward to seeing what you end up cooking:) x

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  5. I eat loads of pumpkin, i especially like penne alla zucca, (fry onion and celery, add 1inch pumpkin cubes and a glass of white wine, cook with lid on until just softening then add chilli flakes and salt and deseeded chopped tomatos until cooked and stir into penne pasta), hot pumpkin salad (chunks glazed with oregano and honey) and pupkin and mozzerella arancini x

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