#Pumpkin rescue
Let’s ‘squash’ food waste – Pumpkin Recipe Ideas
#PumpkinRescue is part of a Zero Food
Waste Britain which outlines five
principles to tackling food waste and has
been developed by Unilever and Hubbub.
Waste & Recycling Team
Woking Borough Council
#Pumpkin rescue
In the run up to Halloween in the UK, it is estimated that over one million pumpkins
are purchased to be carved into goulish lanterns. But in our determination to create an
artistic masterpiece, we forget that the orange flesh can also be used to create a
whole range of delicious meals.
With the help of #Pumpkin Rescue, Woking Council have put this booklet together for
you to tell you everything you need to know about using your pumpkin. We have also
included a whole range of delicious pumpkin recipe ideas waiting to be tried…so
HAPPY HAUNTS & HAPPY COOKING!
A lot more information can also be found on the Hubbub website:
http://hubbub2015.ritdns.co.uk/
How to eat pumpkin
All you need to know about eating pumpkins
Pumpkins are not just Halloween decorations, but are a tasty and versatile vegetable.
They're cheap, nutritious, delicious, grow abundantly in the UK and can be cooked a
thousand ways. Here’s our quick guide to cooking with pumpkin:
Which pumpkins can I eat?
You can eat any variety of pumpkin, gourd or squash. Varieties vary wildly in taste.
Explore, enjoy and revel in the fact that a pumpkin is not just for Halloween.
You may have seen pumpkins in shops labelled ‘carving pumpkins’. Don’t let the
sticker lead you astray, these pumpkins are perfectly edible. However carving
pumpkins have been bred to be large, thin fleshed and robust. Their taste depends on
where you purchase your pumpkin. We’ve eaten some good carving pumpkin and some
carving pumpkins that, quite frankly, taste of nothing. Carving pumpkins tend to be
more watery and fibrous than other types of squash and gourd. We’d recommend
popping your carvings from a ‘carving pumpkin’ in a soup with a flavoursome stock
cube or adding them to bulk up a stew.
Which part of the pumpkin can I eat?
You can eat all of the pumpkin - except for its stalk. Whether you can eat the skin or
not depends on the variety. Smaller varieties such as gem squash have deliciously
edible skin, the skin of larger varieties may be too tough to eat or less than appealing.
For types such as the butternut squash, whether you eat the skin or not is down to
personal taste. Pumpkins are a great source of vitamins A and C, iron and riboflavin.
Storing a pumpkin
When carving your pumpkin, scrape out the insides and steam (or blanche) these bits
of pumpkin flesh and freeze them for another day. Steamed pumpkin flesh and raw
pumpkin flesh will last a few days in the fridge.
Once your carved pumpkin has been sitting around a while, its face will start to droop
and you can’t safely eat it. An uncarved pumpkin will last quite a while. They are best
stored in a cool dry place on top of a towel. When a pumpkin goes bad, it will first
begin to get soft on the bottom and then start leaking liquid.
Disposing of a pumpkin
Sometimes you just can’t save ‘em all. Especially if your Jack O Lantern is beginning
to look little down in the mouth. If you can’t eat your pumpkin, at least do the decent
thing and get him to a compost heap, or in your food waste caddy.
Now time for the top 10 delicious pumpkin recipe ideas
(using all parts of your pumpkin)…
Crusted pumpkin wedges
Ingredients
700g pumpkin (skin on)
50g Parmesan, grated
20g dried white breadcrumbs
6 tbsp finely chopped parsley
2½ tsp finely chopped thyme
Grated zest of 2 large lemons
2 garlic cloves, crushed
60ml olive oil
Salt and white pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Cut the pumpkin into 1cm thick slices and lay them flat,
cut-side down, on a baking sheet that has been lined with greaseproof paper.
2. Mix together in a small bowl the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, half the
lemon zest, the garlic, a tiny amount of salt (remember, the Parmesan is salty) and
some pepper.
3. Brush the pumpkin generously with olive oil and sprinkle with the crust mix, making
sure the slices are covered with a nice, thick coating. Gently pat the mix down a
little.
3. Place the pan in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is
tender: stick a little knife in one wedge to make sure it has softened and is cooked
through. If the topping starts to darken too much during cooking, cover loosely with
foil.
4. Serve with chimmi churri.
Thai pumpkin curry
Ingredients (Serves 4)
2 tsp oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
15g ginger, grated
3 tsp Thai curry paste
1kg pumpkin, peeled and diced
350ml coconut milk
½ Knorr vegetable stock pot
Splash of boiling water
Zest of ½ lime
2 lemongrass stalks, bruised
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Thai Curry paste ingredients
1 small onion, diced, 1 stalk lemongrass, diced,
2 chilies, 3 garlic cloves, 15g fresh grated
ginger, 2 tsp tomato puree, 1 tsp ground cumin,
1 tsp ground coriander, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp
sugar, 1 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp lime juice, 2 tsp
coconut milk.
Method
1. Blitz all the ingredients save for the coconut milk in a food processor or a blender
until smooth.
2. Add coconut milk to the mixture and blitz again until smooth.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan or a wok. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and fry for
4-5 minutes.
4. Add the curry paste and pumpkin. Fry for another 4-5 minutes.
5. Add the coconut milk, lime zest, and lemongrass. Add the stock cube along with
the splash of boiling water. Stir well.
6. Bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until pumpkin is
tender. Stir occasionally and season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, and serve with jasmine rice.
Simple pumpkin pie
Ingredients
Pastry
175 g plain flour, sieved
85 g Flora Buttery
25 g (1oz) caster sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
Filling
200 g light brown sugar
0.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
0.125 tsp ground allspice
0.5 tsp ground ginger
2 large eggs
450 g cooked pumpkin, mashed
375 ml milk
Method
1. Rub the Flora into the flour until
mixture
resembles
fine
breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar,
then add egg yolk and water
and mix to a firm dough.
2. Knead lightly and roll out to line
a 22cm0 flan case. Bake "blind"
in preheated oven 200° C, 180° C fan, Gas mark 6 for 10 minutes.
3. While the pastry case is baking you can prepare the filling. Combine sugar, salt and
spices in small bowl; set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer beat the eggs with the pumpkin. Add the sugar mixture and
beat again until combined.
5. Mix in the milk.
6. Pour the filling into the pie crust and put back into the oven. After 15 minutes turn
the temperature down to 180° C, 160° C fan, Gas mark 4 and bake for a further 45
minutes or until the filling is set and you can insert a knife into the centre and it
comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.
Halloween pumpkin
cupcakes
Ingredients
175g (6 oz) Stork Tub
175g (6 oz) golden caster sugar
300g (11 oz) self raising flour, sieved
3 medium eggs
5 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon baking powder
100g cooked pumpkin or butternut squash,
mashed
50g chocolate and hazelnut spread
Zest of 1 orange
Topping
115g icing sugar, A little orange juice, 55g (2 oz) plain chocolate, melted or use
chocolate and hazelnut spread Liquorice sweets and laces to decorate
Equipment
A 12-cup muffin tin, each cup lined with a cupcake cases
A small piping bag of folded grease-proof paper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, 180°C fan oven, Gas mark 6. Then place the first six
ingredients into a bowl, and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth.
2. Stir in pumpkin mash and orange zest.
3. Divide half the mixture evenly between the 12 paper cases.
4. Add a half teaspoon chocolate spread and then top with remaining mix. Bake in a
pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes.
5. Add a little orange juice to the icing sugar until thick and spread over the muffins.
6. Pipe the melted chocolate in 4 circles over the top and then drag a skewer through
to give the cobweb effect. Place the sweets and laces on top to look like a spider.
Simple pumpkin soup
Ingredients (Serves 4)
250g butter
1 small onion, diced finely
800g pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunk
1-2 tsp runny honey
15g grated root ginger
1 Knorr Vegetable Stock Cube/ Vegetable
Stock Pot dissolved in 750ml boiling water
100ml single cream
Black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander (optional)
Toppings
Pumpkin seeds saved from pumpkin
Drizzle of cream
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200oC Lay foil on an oven safe dish and spread the pumpkin
seeds, add a splash of olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Put in oven to toast for 40
minutes.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and pumpkin and cook on
medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables soften but do not brown.
3. Add the honey, ginger, and Knorr Vegetable Stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for
15-20 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.
4. Stir in most of the single cream and place in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
Season to taste with black pepper.
5. Serve garnished with a swirl of the remaining single cream, a sprinkle of coriander if
desired, and the toasted pumpkin seeds.
Tips for a delicious experience
Great served with a chunk of granary bread. Try giving this great soup a touch of heat
by adding 1 finely chopped red chilli and one crushed clove of garlic in with the onions.
Simple pumpkin pasta
sauce
Ingredients
1 kilo of pumpkin flesh
4 tomatoes
200g of spinach
3 cloves of garlic
3 sprigs of rosemary
500ml water
1 vegetable stock cube/1 tablespoon of
vegetable bouillon
1 red chilli
Method
1. Chop the pumpkin flesh into 1 cm pieces.
2. Chop the garlic finely.
3. Place all the ingredients apart from the spinach into a heavy bottomed large frying
pan.
4. Place the lid on and leave for 30 minutes on a low heat.
5. When the pumpkin is soft, stir the mix, and turn off the heat and cover.
6. Chop the spinach and add to the sauce to wilt.
7. Add to your pasta or gnocchi garnished with crispy sage or rosemary.
Pumpkin pie smoothie
Ingredients
For the smoothie
300g of pumpkin flesh
2 frozen bananas
3 dates
2 cups of almond (or other any non-dairy) milk
1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice mix
Seeds from ½ a vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon of
vanilla extract
For the pumpkin pie spice mix
4 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon of allspice
½ a teaspoon of ground cloves
Method
1. Chop the pumpkin flesh into small piece.
2. Whizz the pumpkin flesh with a little water in a blender until it is smooth.
3. Make the pumpkin spice mix in a jar and shake the jar to mix.
Roasted pumpkin seeds
Ingredients
Pumpkin seeds
Method
1. To prepare the pumpkin seeds for roasting you
have to remove all pumpkin flesh. We would
recommend putting all pumpkin seeds into a
colander,
running
them
under
water
and
separating the seeds from the stringy stuff which
then goes into the compost while the remaining seeds.
2. When the pumpkin seeds are clean, they can then be simmered. Follow the ratio of
2 cups of water and one tablespoon of salt per ½ cup of pumpkin seeds and then
place the seeds and the salt water in a saucepan over a medium heat.
3. Simmer the pumpkin seeds in the water for 10 minutes, then drain off the water.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C and prepare a baking tray with a baking sheet brushed
with olive oil.
5. Spread the seeds out evenly in a single layer on the tray and bake at the top of the
oven until the seeds begin to brown (5-20min) - the time will depend on the oven
and the size of the seeds so keep an eye on the oven to avoid them burning.
6. When ready let them cool on a rack before serving or storing so they retain their
crunch. Remove shells before eating.
Spiced pumpkin chutney
Ingredients
1 kilo of pumpkin
4 onions
2 tablespoons of olive oil
150g of fruit syrup or coconut sugar
2 bramley apples
4 tomatoes
200g of sultanas
200ml of cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of ground ginger
1 tablespoon of garam masala
1 teaspoon of chilli powder/chilli flakes
1 tablespoon of dried thyme
Salt and black pepper
Method
1. Set the oven to 200°C/gas mark 5.
2. Dice the pumpkin and place on a roasting tin with a drizzle of olive oil and a
sprinkle of salt. Roast in the oven for 1/2 an hour until softened and golden.
3. Meanwhile chop the onion and tomatoes into small cubes.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy based pan and add all the
ingredients except the vinegar and cook on a low heat.
5. When the pumpkin is ready add to the mix with the vinegar and cook for a further
½ an hour or until the mix has thickened and is bubbling slowly.
6. Pour the mix into warm sterilised jars and keep for 4 weeks to mature.
Tip
To sterilize jars soak in warm soapy water. Rinse and place in an
oven at 100°C for at least 20 minutes. You will have to boil the lids
separately. Alternatively boil the jars and the lids in a large pot for
at least 20 minutes.
Lentil and pumpkin curry
Ingredients (Serves 8)
For the curry
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tins of coconut milk
3 medium onions
3 garlic cloves
120g of ginger
1kg of pumpkin flesh
700 ml vegetable stock
300g red lentils
400g of greens (kale, spring greens or spinach)
Some whole cherry tomatoes
Juice of a lime
100g of coriander
Sea salt and black pepper
For the spice mix: (you can also buy the spices already
ground)
6 cardamom pods (seeds removed)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Method
1. Chop the garlic finely and grate the ginger.
2. Peel and chop the squash into bite size pieces.
3. Then, make the spice mix . Grind the spices in a pestle and mortar add the spices to
a large pan and gently toast for a minute or so until fragrant.
4. Finely chop the onions.
5. Add the coconut oil to the spice mix until melted.
6. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and fry for a few minutes.
7. Add the coconut milk, squash and vegetable stock.
8. After 10 minutes add the lentils.
9. Stir and simmer for 20 minutes until the lentils are soft and the squash is tender, add
more stock if necessary.
10. Add the whole tomatoes.
11. In the last few minutes, shred the leafy veg and add to the pot
12. Season with salt and pepper, stir through chopped coriander and lime and serve.
That’s it folks…HAPPY COOKING!
More information and recipe ideas can be found on the Hubbub website:
http://hubbub2015.ritdns.co.uk/Pages/Site/food/Category/recipes
If you need advise on food waste, contact Woking Council:
Website:
www.woking.gov.uk/waste/wokingwasteandrecyclingservices/foodwaste
Telephone: 01483 755855
Address: Woking Borough Council, Civic Offices, Gloucester Square, Woking,
Surrey, GU21 6YL
Email: [email protected]