Pumpkin really does make for an amazing soup. How many ways can you serve it though? You’ve got the traditional pumpkin soup but have you thought of other ways to cook with it? My friend Mel lives down in the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria and loves growing and cooking straight from her garden. We got chatting about recipes for pumpkin and how she uses up extra produce when it’s around. When you’re growing food at home, it’s a good idea to have a repertoire of recipes for your harvest. Add these 3 to your cookbook!
Thai Pumpkin Soup
The perfect winter warmer my spicy Thai Pumpkin Soup!
Ingredients
- 1 kg Butternut Pumpkin, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes
- 2 tbsp Red Curry Paste
- 250 ml can coconut cream
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves
- 2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Instructions
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add pumpkin and curry paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until the paste starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add coconut cream. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add Stock and bring to the boil.
- Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until pumpkin has softened.
- Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Blend with a stick mixer or food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Top with coriander.
Notes
I like to serve with a dollop of natural yogurt. If you like it spicy you can add more of the curry paste to taste.
All of the ingredients for this recipe can be found at your local Farmers Markets.
I have used a simple jar of Thai Red Curry Paste but I would love to learn how to make my own from scratch.
Pumpkin & Vegetable Bake with Cauliflower Mash
The best part about this recipe is that it is totally versatile. Yes, there is a list of ingredients but rarely do I follow them I go for whatever is in my fridge so long as it is fresh and organic it’s delish.
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced
- 1 red capsicum, sliced into strips
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bunch sage, leaves picked, thinly sliced
- 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked, finely chopped
- Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season
- ½ Butternut Pumpkin, sliced
- 4 potatoes, thinly sliced
- 3 red onions, sliced into rings
- 3 punnets cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
- Feta Cheese to your taste
- Extra flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
- Olive oil spray, to grease dish
Ingredients for Cauliflower Mash
- 1 small head (1kg) white cauliflower, trimmed, cut into small florets
- 30 grams butter, softened
- 1/3 cup finely-grated feta cheese
- Salt, to season
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Combine zucchini, capsicum and cornflour in a large bowl and toss to coat. Stir in garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, sage and rosemary. Season and set aside.
- Grease a 10-cup capacity baking dish with olive oil spray. Season potato and pumpkin with salt then put 1/2 in the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/2 of the onion, then sprinkle with feta cheese to your taste. Put 1/2 of the zucchini mixture on top, then 1/2 of the tomato, then another sprinkle of feta. Arrange spinach and parsley leaves over top, then add another feta sprinkle. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
- Set aside while you make the cauliflower mash
Method for Mash
- Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add cauliflower. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender. Drain and return to saucepan.
- Add butter and mash until almost smooth.
- Spread Mash over the top vegetable layer and sprinkle with a little more feta cheese.
- Cover with baking paper and foil, then bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove paper and foil and bake for a further 20 minutes or until the mash is golden. Cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with extra parsley, then serve.
Notes
All of the ingredients for this recipe can be bought from your local farmers market.
Seedy Pumpkin Oat Bars
Fill tummies with my super healthy energy filled seedy Oat bars.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Pumpkin Seeds
- ½ cup Chia Seeds
- ½ cup Sesame Seeds
- ½ cup Linseed
- ¼ cup Sunflower Seeds
- 2 cups Rolled Oats
- 2/3 cup Honey
- 2/3 cup Coconut Oil
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 190°c. Line a lamington pan (18 x 28cm) with baking paper.
- Make your seed mix by mixing black chia seeds, sesame, linseed, sunflower into a jug, then pour into an airtight container or jar to store.
- Combine oats and 1½ cups of seed mix into a bowl with a fork.
- Melt together honey and coconut oil.
- Add into the dry mix & use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix. Once combined scrape into the pan. Smooth evenly.
- It may not reach the other end so make sure you keep it at least 1cm thickness as it will spread during cooking.
- Bake for 20mins or until the golden on top.
- Leave to cool completely in the pan before transferring onto a board. Remove the paper & cut into rectangles. Store in a lined airtight tin.
Notes
This makes a great lunchbox snack but try to keep cool as it can crumble if it gets too hot and the honey melts again.
Make sure the slice is completely cold before cutting.
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