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Pumpkins from fall decor also make delectable food

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By Julia Howard

Otrembiak Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett, 2018

In the fall, pumpkins adorn everything from front steps to tabletop centerpieces. Unfortunately, while an uncarved pumpkin can remain edible 8-12 weeks after being picked, many decorative pumpkins end up in the trash, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many great uses for whole pumpkins in the kitchen.

Pumpkins are versatile to cook and bake with and offer a world of culinary exploration. They are eaten year-round in different cultures across the globe. In America, pumpkin is famously used in pumpkin pie. But a quick Google search will reveal a variety of recipes worthy of exploration: soups and stews, dips, pancakes, gnocchi, dessert bars, pasta dishes, bread, muffins, cakes, ice cream, smoothies, pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds), and many more.

Squashville Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

When cooking and baking with pumpkin, many recipes call for pumpkin puree. Before you add canned pumpkin puree to your grocery list, try making your own. It’s easy and requires little effort with a big return. Roasting 1-2 small pumpkins can yield 5-6 cups of puree.

Also, wonderful on their own – are pumpkin seeds. Simply scrape out seeds, rinse and remove major chunks of flesh, boil for 10 minutes in salted water, drain, and coat with olive oil and seasonings. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Pumpkin seeds are a fun and healthy snack.

If you don’t have leftover pumpkins you can buy them directly from farmers at the farmers’ market, ask them which pumpkin works best for your needs.

This week’s recipes: Easy Pumpkin Puree & Pumpkin Muffins with Honey Butter

Easy Pumpkin Puree

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Prep time: 10mins
Cook time: 45-60mins
Makes 5 to 6 cups pumpkin puree

Make your own pumpkin puree at home. It’s easy and works perfectly in your favorite pumpkin recipes. Try making puree from leftover pumpkins from Halloween. If buying directly from farmers at the farmers’ market, ask them which pumpkin works best for your needs. This method works with most winter squashes — like butternut, acorn, honeynut, and other varieties.

Pumpkin puree, AdobeStock

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 1-2 small pumpkins*
● Fine sea salt, optional

Instructions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rinse and pat dry the pumpkin. Before cutting the pumpkin in half, if it doesn’t sit steady to cut safely, slice asmall bit away from the bottom so that it does. Cut the pumpkin in half. With a spoon or a scoop, scrape out the seeds and pulp from the center. You don’t have to be too thorough with this.

Lightly season the inside of the pumpkin halves with salt then place cut-side-down onto the baking sheet. Bake until the pumpkin(s) can easily be pierced with a knife in several places and the flesh is pulling away from the skin, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool until you can safely handle the halves then scoop out the soft flesh into a food processor — depending on how large the pumpkin is, you may need to do this in two batches. Process until very smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.

Tips
● Place all the seeds into a bowl so that you can roast them later for a healthy snack.
● If you don’t have a food processor, a blender will work if you add a little water. Or you can simply mash with a potato masher, or move through a potato ricer, or process through a food mill.
● If the puree is overly watery, you should strain it on a cheesecloth or over a fine mesh strainer to get rid of some of the liquid. This will be especially helpful for baking purposes.
● Make-ahead: Store homemade pumpkin puree in food-safe containers in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freezer, spoon about 1 cupful of pumpkin into plastic storage bags. Seal the bag with a small opening remaining, then use your hands to flatten out the puree inside the bag and push out the air. Store in the freezer until you need them or up to 3 months.

Halloween, Farmers’ Market Style

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By Pattie Garrett

Burger’s Market Garden, photo by Pattie Garrett

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market for perfect pumpkins to paint, carve, and cook, and to get a sack full of other Halloween treats too! Between now and October 31, come to the market at the Wilton Mall any Saturday 9 am – 1 pm or Wednesday 3 – 6 pm to pick out products for constructing your own festive Halloween food, drink, and decor.

Halloween’s mascot is the pumpkin, and at the market, we celebrate this special squash in fresh baked goods, hot and cold beverages, decorations, dinners, and desserts; we even have unique, locally made, pumpkin-spiced marshmallows!

The tradition of carving pumpkins dates to Irish immigrants who came to America to escape famine. Legend says that Stingy Jack was a thief and trickster who even fooled the devil into making a promise not to take his soul when he died. The devil kept this promise, but God wouldn’t let an unsavory person like Jack into heaven. With just burning coal in a turnip to use for a light, Jack’s been roaming the earth ever since. Because of this, children in Ireland put a glowing coal into a carved potato, turnip, or beet to frighten away Stingy Jack.

Krazy Kabob Pumpkins, photo by Pattie Garrett

Once in America, pumpkins made the perfect lanterns. That is where we get Jack-O’-Lanterns. Big pumpkins make the perfect carved jack-o-lantern, while small sugar pumpkins are delicious for roasting to make puree for pies, dips, and pumpkin bread. Save the seeds of either to sprinkle with your favorite spice and roast as a quick crunchy snack.

If Halloween festivities are on your schedule, try these tricks for some healthy and unusual treats: Use a small pumpkin or another gourd as a bowl. Fill it with a sweet pumpkin dip accompanied by sliced apples on the side, or try a savory dip or hummus with vegetable sticks.

Another fun idea is to make kebabs of fruit, veggies, or cured meat and cheese. Stick them in a painted or carved pumpkin. It’ll make a wonderful centerpiece for your table.

And on Halloween itself, visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market! We will have prizes for festive costumes, a guess-the-weight-of-the-pumpkin contest, and trick-or-treating at some of our vendors’ booths. Before heading home, grab some veggies, a deliciously prepared dish, and a jug of sweet cider for a quick dinner on this spookiest evening of the year.

This week’s recipe: Pumpkin Dip

Fall Celebrations at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

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by Kristin Cleveland

October brings a cornucopia of special activities to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. Along with sales and tastings of autumn’s abundant harvest, we celebrate the last outdoor markets of 2018 with llamas to cuddle, ponies to ride, a pumpkin contest, crafts and children’s activities, live music, and a Halloween Party! 

Saturday, October 13, 9 am-1 pm: Visit with Llamas

Stock up on fresh local farmers’ market food and beverages and meet the llamas of Dakota Ridge Farm! Pet them, learn about their origins and kind temperament and the many uses of their fiber. Children can also decorate a bookmark with llama fiber and everyone can check out the ponchos, blankets, socks, and other products made from high-quality llama fiber. 

Wednesday, October 24, 3-6 pm,: Customer Appreciation Day

As the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s 40th outdoor market season draws to a close, we say thank you to the community of Saratoga Springs for supporting local farms and businesses! We’ll have fall food tastings and special sales, live music, children’s activities and free pony rides from our friends at Adirondack Dreamcatcher Farm.

Saturday, October 27, 9am-1 pm: Fall Fest

In conjunction with the 17th Annual Downtown Business Association’s Fall Festival, the Saratoga Farmer’s Market will celebrate the fall season in beautiful downtown Saratoga Springs with special activities for people of all ages. Grab a hot breakfast sandwich and cider or coffee and a pastry, stock up on fresh local produce for hearty fall cooking, get a frozen casserole and other locally prepared dishes for quick healthy weeknight meals, enjoy a free fall craft for kids hosted by the Northeast Parent and Child Society, sample pumpkin-spiced treats, and enjoy the seasonal favorites of over 65 vendors gathered in High Rock Park.

Pumpkin display by Burger’s MarketGarden,          photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Wednesday, October 31, 3-6 pm: Halloween Party

Trick-or-treating, a kids’ costume contest with prizes, a pumpkin-painting craft, a children’s activity sponsored by the Saratoga Springs Public Library, music, delicious fall food tastings, and just the right amount of spooky fun!

Also, all of our market days feature fresh produce, dairy, eggs and meat from Saratoga and nearby counties; wine and spirits from our region’s vintners and distillers; cozy wool hats and other fall apparel; unique jewelry, pottery and specialty items made by local artisans; potted mums and gorgeous fall flower bouquets; and fresh baked goods, prepared food and live music! And as our outdoor season draws to a close, get ready to join us at our winter home every Saturday from November to April inside the Lincoln Baths at the Saratoga Spa State Park, 9 am-1 pm. For more details see our Facebook page!

Celebrating the Humble yet Holy Pumpkin

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

pumpkin-by-pattie-garrett
Photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

The orange curves of our seasonal pumpkins offer an eye-catching sight at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market in late fall. And tomorrow these gorgeous gourds will take center stage as the market hosts its annual Pumpkin Fest.

Pumpkins appeal to our aesthetic and playful impulses: We use them to decorate, to carve into jack-o-lanterns, to roll across lawns.

But how often do we eat them? Perhaps not enough.

Like many, I used to look at pumpkin as pie once-a-year. I’d buy a fresh pumpkin for my husband and me. I’d cook and puree the parts into a filling with cream, brown sugar, and a half dozen sweet spices. We’d eat pie for dessert on Thanksgiving and stash another one away for leftovers nibbling.

That practice changed when I moved to Saratoga and discovered fresh pumpkins from local farms. I now create soups, stews, pies, and roasts featuring pumpkin and other hard-skinned squashes all winter long.

For many, though, the issue is taste, which is why pumpkin pie spice is so popular: it masks the pumpkin taste itself. However, J. Kenzi Lopez-Alt, columnist for Serious Eats, argues that pumpkin has a rich natural sweetness that stands well on its own if prepared right. Lopez-Alt advocates choosing small, dense fruits for cooking, and roasting the cut slices brushed lightly with oil before preparing as soup or in stews.

Most nutritionists agree that pumpkin is nutritious, low in calories and high in fiber.

Pumpkins also are inexpensive. My mother calls them the “lowliest and holiest of foods,” noting that in Hindu Indian traditions pumpkins have the blessings of gods because even the poorest can afford them.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at High Rock Park until October 28. The market moves indoors to the Lincoln Baths Building at the Saratoga Spa State Park on Saturday, Nov. 4. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.