Pumpkin treats for a ‘real American’ Thanksgiving
Like many people, my first experience with pumpkin was a store-bought pie. We were Greek immigrants, and none of us had grown up with Thanksgiving, a uniquely American holiday. Once I started going to school, however, I came home with stories about the Pilgrims and their Native American neighbors who gathered together to celebrate the harvest.
I begged my mother to cook us a Thanksgiving dinner. Even though she had no idea where to begin, she went to the butcher for a turkey. She was shocked at the size of it, so she settled for a large chicken for our small family, and told us it was a small turkey. Then she called our American cousins for advice, and they shared their holiday recommendations for stuffing and mashed potatoes and canned baby peas.
The six-year-old me was also insistent that we have pumpkin pie like “real Americans.” At this, my mother threw up her hands. To accommodate my request, my father stopped at a downtown bakery on his way home from work a day before our first official Thanksgiving. Although my mother and sister made faces at the unfamiliar flavor, my father and I loved it. After that, we had to have it for Thanksgiving every year.
A long time passed before I ventured to bake a pumpkin pie myself, let alone use pumpkin in alternative ways. My husband and my sons were never fond of the overly sweet flavor of pumpkin pie, and I certainly wasn’t going to eat a whole pie by myself. But since I liked to experiment, I explored using pumpkin as an ingredient in other recipes and for other courses. Pumpkin no longer had to be relegated to pie.
My family became converts to pumpkin when I served them my first pumpkin soup, made with pumpkin puree and sautéed onions, garnished with crispy cooked bacon, a drizzle of cream and a sprinkling of shelled roasted pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin soup is a savory delight, with a rich earthy flavor miles away from what we normally associate with pumpkin. I find that adding it to my holiday menu is an appealing first course for waking up the appetite.
Until a few years ago, however, I never considered baking my own pumpkin. Canned pumpkin was always perfectly acceptable to use in any recipe calling for pumpkin.
But hard winter squashes are common here in Taos. When I encounter them at the market, I find them irresistible. There are so many varieties to enjoy — butternut, acorn, delicata, kabocha, turban, Hubbard, spaghetti, and, yes, pumpkin.
These kind of pumpkins are not the hollow, thin fleshed variety we carve for jack-o-lanterns. Pumpkins for baking, sometimes called pie or sugar pumpkins, are compact, heavy and fleshy, and assure us plenty of pulp for use in recipes. A 3-1/2 pound baking pumpkin yields about 6 cups of pumpkin puree when cooked.
Many people don’t realize that pumpkins can be used in many of the same recipes as other winter squashes. A common way to prepare pumpkins is to cut them in half, scoop out the seeds and strings, and bake them cut side down on a baking sheet, just like you would an acorn squash. Once cooked, cut the pumpkin in wedges, add butter, herbs and, if desired, brown sugar, and return to the oven until lightly browned for a classic and tasty side dish. I have found that when you roast pumpkins for puree, they are a bit richer and
nuttier in flavor than
the canned kind. My favorite cooking method for that purpose is quite simple. Poke a few holes in the uncut pumpkin with a skewer, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for about an hour. You know your pumpkin is thoroughly cooked when you can press on the skin and it gives; the stem will also start to collapse a bit. Allow to cool completely, cut in half, and easily remove the seeds and strings. Use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh. Transfer to a food processor or blender to smooth into puree. Then measure out what you need according to your recipes.
Baking whole pumpkins yourself is really rather foolproof. Cooking a pumpkin this way also allows little helpers in the kitchen to participate in the fun. It can get a little messy, but who cares? My kids, at least, were much more likely to eat something they had had a hand in preparing.
After the soup and the turkey and all the other family favorites are served for the main event, it’s still nice to include a pumpkin-based dessert. Light and airy pumpkin cheesecake squares are just the thing. Make them ahead, and cut into servings for a special, non-traditional dessert that is a delicious finish to the holiday meal.
I hope you will give one or both of these easy but terrific recipes a try. Whether you decide to serve pumpkin soup to start and pumpkin cheesecake squares to finish your Thanksgiving dinner, or you just want to include one pumpkin item in this year’s festive menu, you may convert a few guests yourself. And don’t worry — if you don’t want to bake the pumpkin from scratch, canned pumpkin will definitely work just fine.
I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your loved ones.
For more on Lucy Herrman’s recipes, be sure to check out her YouTube cooking show. Her most recent episode can be seen at bit.ly/3Hsi0NB.