Seasonal Eats: Pumpkins

There’s no question that pumpkins are the ultimate fall accessory; arranged in harvest displays amidst haystacks, colorful leaves and knobby gourds, or carved into grinning jack-o-lanterns for Halloween.  After all, the cool weather cultivar is native to North America, and remains one of the most popular crops in the United States, with over 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkin produced each year.  They also happen to be eye-catching; large and round with smooth, slightly ribbed skin, deep yellow to orange coloration, and rigid, angular stems, with a thick shell that contains seeds and pulp.  Not to mention, they’re one of our favorite fall foods!

That’s right, pumpkins are good for far more than just decoration.  They also have a number of delightful culinary uses, and we’re not just talking about all of those omnipresent, artificially-flavored pumpkin spice items being peddled everywhere nowadays. Restaurants throughout New York are incorporating fresh squash into both sweet and savory dishes, such as April Bloomfield’s The John Dory Oyster Bar, currently serving an awesome Pumpkin Toast with marjoram pesto.  Floyd Cardoz cooks chunks of sweet pumpkin down into a silky Soup at his brand new Tribeca spot, White Street, topped with pumpkin seeds and ricotta, and unsurprisingly, pumpkin plays a central role in the seasonal cocktail menu at Park Avenue Autumn — try the “Hop Scotch,” made with whiskey, housemade toasted pepita orgeat and pumpkin butter, and look for a spiced pumpkin puree during brunch, as part of their “Blend Your Own Bellini” bar.

In Brooklyn, Dale Talde has added pumpkin to the menu at his rustic gastropub, Thistle Hill Tavern; check out the fiery, Indian-inspired Squash Vindaloo, accompanied by a cooling Cool Ranch Raita.  And at Polo Dobkin’s Meadowsweet, pastry chef Jared Rubin is offering a festive Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie.  But if you’re looking for a particularly out-of-the-box take on pumpkin, don’t miss Mads Refslund’s unusual dessert at Acme; Pumpkin and Cucumber Granita served in a sugar pumpkin shell, and topped with yogurt foam, frozen mint and pumpkin seeds.

It’s true that the thought of breaking down big, tough-skinned pumpkins can be daunting, but why not forgo the gloppy cans of puree this year, and purchase a few, whole fresh cucurbita (Latin for gourd) to cook with at home?  You’ll want to bypass the massive specimens in favor of smaller, easy-to-handle sizes, which have more tender, flavorful flesh.  Select pumpkins that are free of blemishes, harvested with their stems intact, and feel heavy for their size.  And unless they were waxed by the grower, a shiny skin indicates the squash was picked too soon, so look for a dull finish.  Plan on purchasing 1/3 to 1/2 pound of pumpkin per serving, because much of the weight will be discarded in the peel and seeds.  Once you’ve lugged your hefty pumpkins home, store them in a cool, dry place, at 45 to 60 degrees for up to a month, or refrigerate for up to three months. (Did you know that leftover cooked pumpkin can be frozen up to 16 months or canned?)

Although pumpkins exceed most winter squash in size, they can be cleaned, pared and cooked in much the same manner, usually by cutting into chunks and simmering for 20 to 40 minutes.  When cool enough to handle, incorporate into all manner of dishes, from soups and salads to pies and breads.  Pair cubes of pumpkin with beef and black beans for a hearty chili, or peas and potatoes for a rich, spicy curry.  Combine pumpkin puree with ricotta, as a filling for ravioli, lasagna, cannelloni or stuffed shells, or mix with nutmeg-scented cream and pecorino as an autumnal sauce for pasta.  Simmer down slowly into a creamy risotto, or use to flavor waffles or pancakes.  Swirl with cream cheese as a flavorful base for quick breads or muffins, or simply roast with garlic, olive oil and sage for a perfectly fall dish.

And don’t forget to save the seeds! Gently toasted on the stovetop or in the oven, they make an ideal, crunchy snack, and can be flavored in a variety of ways; try soy sauce and wasabi, cinnamon and sugar, maple syrup and chili powder… the opportunities are endless.  So don’t pigeonhole pumpkins as just a Halloween centerpiece; let them play a starring role in your kitchen all season long!

The John Dory Oyster Bar
1196 Broadway, btwn. 28th & 29th Sts.
(212) 792-9000
thejohndory.com

White Street
221 W Broadway, btwn.White & Franklin Sts.
(212) 944-8378
whitestreetnyc.com

Park Avenue Autumn
360 Park Ave S., 25th & 26th Sts.
(212) 951-7111
parkavenyc.com

Thistle Hill Tavern
441 7th Ave., btwn. 6th Ave & 16th St.
(347) 599-1262
thistlehillbrooklyn.com

Meadowsweet
149 Broadway., btwn, Driggs Ave & 6th St.
(718) 384-0673
meadowsweetnyc.com

Acme
9 Great Jones St., btwn. Shinbone Alley & Lafayette St.
(212) 203-2121
acmenyc.com