Pumpkins are the queen of the autumn season. With its bright colour, sweetness and smoothness, it is the favourite of the season. Its only fault is that it needs to be prepared. We have a good way to do that.
In autumn, most of the vegetables inevitably disappear from the market stalls and slowly from our gardens. Of course, the majority of suppliers are happy to offer tomatoes and peppers in January, but seasonal ingredients are always more successful.
Cold weather brings new stimuli, feelings and habits to people, as well as new ways of eating. We prefer to drink tea, watch films and eat spicier, one-dish meals and soups than usual. In addition to cabbage, black radish, beetroot and onions, I like pumpkins the biggest favourite. I've tasted some really bad dishes with it, but it's actually an art to spoil pumpkin dishes, because basically the texture, colour and flavour somehow makes everything taste better.
Preparation tip: The pumpkin in addition to can also be baked whole, which takes at least 1.5 hours. However, it is worth frying the pumpkin cubes in a hot pan with a small cube of cold butter to give them a little bit of a roast and a roasted flavour. It will add a heavenly base flavour to your dish.
Pumpkin is not only a quick way to make soup
An interesting parallel and a feat of brilliance of autumn vegetables and fruits is that most of them are very hard, but soften instantly with heat. Celeriac, beetroot, pears, carrots, potatoes and squash are hard and can be stored for a long time in cool places, cellars or pantries, but can also be made into a meal in 20 minutes at any time. A pumpkins but is one of the most universal of all, because, like garlic, marshmallows go well with it. It can be used in scones, stews, muffins, cheesecakes and even caffe lattes in bistros. And that's just the beginning, because chefs love it for its texture. Pumpkin is very good in sponge cake to make it juicy, as a sauce with chilli to make it creamy, served on toast, or as a filling in chicken with cheese, which doesn't melt in the heat but still retains its substance. In short, pumpkin is now not only delicious and healthy, it is also a great marketing tool for the autumn menu, because its bright colour makes it a real hit.
A knowledgeable audience
Nowadays, it is not enough to cook deliciously, because the guest ’scores’ creativity and environmental awareness after eating. Sometimes they expect to see strawberries on the menu in February, but for the most part they are looking for seasonal vegetables at that time of year. And pumpkin is so popular that everyone knows it, uses it and, as soon as September arrives, expects to find it on offer in restaurants. Vegan bistros and even bakeries keep large quantities in the freezer because it thaws in seconds, can be thawed in portions, can be portioned and you can even take out as much as you need, whether it's just for a risotto or as a garnish for dishes. It's a gift from nature that we have plenty of it, but just a little is enough to enrich our meals. In the autumn, it's worth using as much as possible, but chefs also like to keep a portion in their freezer for flavouring or natural colouring.
