The Good Old Pumpkin

New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 824, 13 May 1955, Page 32

The Good Old Pumpkin

ON’T make the mistake of dismissing pumpkins as just a watery vegetable but very nice baked with the joint. It certainly is a favourite when baked with meat, but it isn’t just a "watery vegetable." It is a real winter standby, high in vitamin A, rich in carbo-hydrates, and is one of the "yellow vegetables" which (like carrots), afe recommended by nutritionists for building up resistance. Pumpkins were highly valued and carefully grown by our own pioneer settlers, who probably didn’t bother about the fact that they share with maize the distinction of being grown together extensively by the American Indians even-in the time of Columbus! When we read in Hiawatha of the pitiless frosts and hard winters, we can realise that the Indians had. to grow good winter food, Speaking of America, let us first of all, make a real "Southern Pumpkin" pie. A great point is to have the cooked pumpkin very smoothly mashed, but this is easy now that so many people have an electric beatereither the major, minor or the separate kind which you have heard me speak of as the "woosher." Southern Pumpkin Pie This is really a custard tart, baked in a deep pie-plate with a thin undercrust. It is best stood on a hot scone-tray. Have the oven hot at first (about 425 degrees) to cook the undercrust, then slow down to 350 degrees after 15 or 20 minutes. Three egps, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 large cup rich milk, dash of nutmeg, % teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon dark molasses, 34 cup sugar, salt to taste, 4% teaspoon ground ginger, 1 large cup pumpkin, cooked, mashed and sieved. Break eggs’ into a large bowl, add sugar, salt and molasses. Beat well. Add spices to pumpkin and mix smooth. Then add to mixture and stir well. Add milk and when all is well mixed, add vanilla. Taste mixture, and adjust accordingly. Ginger gives the real flavour, salt counteracts the sweetness and the molasses gives the rich dark colour. Bake in one crust in hot oven at first, then slowly till pumpkin filling is nearly firm. With this pie serve a rich cheese. Pumpkin Soup Two pounds pumpkin, small onion, butter and milk. Prepare the pumpkin, cut into small pieces and boil in salted water, with a small onion to flavour. When cooked, strain off most of the water, mash, then add a good tablespoon of butter, and milk to make up the required quantity, add pepper and more salt if necessary, and thicken with a little cornflour and milk. Pumpkin Scones Three cups flour, 1 cup mashed pumpkin, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1% Ib. butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 142 teaspoons baking powder, 4% cup milk, 1 egg. Cream butter and sugar, add egg, then pumpkin. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into the mixture, add milk, shape into scones, Hot oven. Approximately 10 minutes. Pumpkin Cake (Good) One cup mashed pumpkin, 2 eggs, Yq Ib. butter, 1 small cup sugar, 2 large

ups flour, pinch of salt, 2 teaspoons. baking powder, % | teaspoon_ each| almond and vanilla essence. 1 lb. mixed

fruit, lemon peel if liked. Cream butter and sugar, add pumpkin and mix very well. Add eggs, essences and salt and beat well again. Add flour, baking powder and fruit. Anstead of mixed fruit, chopped preserved ginger and walnuts may be: used with a little mixed spice instead of essence. This makes a lovely cake. Bake in a deep cake tin in a rather slow oven, like any fruit cake-approximately 2 hours, depending on depth of cake. Pumpkin Marmalade Cut up 6 Ib. of ripe pumpkin, also 4 oranges. Cover oranges with 3 cups of water and let them stand 24 hours. Cover pumpkin with 51% Ib. sugar and let stand overnight. Next day, put the sliced oranges and the water on to boil. When boiling add the pumpkin and sugar. Boil all till orange rind is soft and tender. Test for setting. The sender says this is almost impossible to tell from genuine orange marmalade! Pumpkin Sultana Cake (Eggless) Two cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup cold mashed pumpkin, %4 lb. butter, 4% cup milk, 1 cup sultanas, 2 teaspoons baking powder, chopped peel if liked, essence of lemon. Beat butter and sugar to a cream, add well-mashed pumpkin and beat again, add sultanas, then stir in flour and baking powder. Then add milk and essence. Mix™thoroughly, and bake about 14% to 1142 hours, moderate oven. Pumpkin and Cheese Pie Two cups cooked sieved pumpkin, 1 cup cottage cheese (or créam cheese, bought in packets), 34 cup brown sugar, 14 cup white sugar, 12 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon, \ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 large egg, ¥2 cup milk, rich pie-crust. Combine pumpkin, cheese, sugar, spices, egg beaten slightly and milk. Line deep pie-plate with the crust, rolled thin, Pour in the pumpkincheese mixture. Bake in hot oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees, and bake until pie is firm in centre when a sharp knife is inserted (35 minutes or so). Like a custard tart. Pumpkin Lemon Cheese Two pounds pumpkin, 5 or 6 lemons, \%, Ib. butter, 2 lb. sugar. Cook pumpkin, strain well, add juice and rind from the lemons, taking care that no white pith of the lemon rind is added. Then add butter and sugar. in pan and boil in double saucepan 1% hour. Pumpkin Fritters Two cups cooked mashed pumpkin, 1 cup flour, 1 egg, level teaspoon baking soda, pinch salt. Mix pumpkin, flour and salt, stir in beaten egg, then baking soda. Must be very stiff batter. More flour may be added if not thick enough. Fry spoonfuls in boiling fat. Drain and serve with sugar, and powdered cinnamon, or lemon juice. ?