Punkins

So last time I asked you what this was...

and, almost unbelievably, no-one even answered. Not a sausage. Not even an incorrect answer. Nary a guess. You're slacking, people. Must do better.

Of course the answer was pumpkins. I know it's Mario and Luigi, but even that was pretty easy.

Why pumpkins?
Well, because it's November, sillies. Halloween has just passed and we're coming up on Thanksgiving. We are slap bang in the middle of Pumpkin Season. So... any questions?

Ok, I suppose you all want to know where the name Pumpkin comes from. I know I do.

Apparently the word pumpkin originates from the word pepon (πέπων), which is Greek for “large melon". The French adapted this word to pompon, which the British changed to pumpion and later American colonists changed that to the word we use today, "pumpkin".

So there you are. I didn't know that. Did you? No. Of course you didn't.

Okay, here's a couple of fan-dabi-dozi pumpkin recipes, food fans:

Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Serves: 6


Ingredients

4 tablespoons coconut oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
750ml vegetable stock
425g diced fresh pumpkin
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried chilli flakes
250ml light coconut milk


Preparation method

1. Heat the coconut oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in the vegetable stock, pumpkin, curry powder, salt, coriander and chilli flakes. Cook and stir until the mixture comes to a gentle boil, about 10 minutes. Cover and boil 15 to 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the coconut milk, and cook another 5 minutes.
2. Pour the soup into a blender, filling only half way and working in batches if necessary; process until smooth (alternatively, use a hand-held stick blender). Return to a pot, and reheat briefly over medium heat before serving.

Spiced Pumpkin Mousse Trifle


3 cups heavy cream
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch salt
1 7.5-ounce jar marshmallow cream
3 cups chopped gingersnaps, plus crushed gingersnaps for sprinkling
3 tablespoons dark rum or rum extract

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream until stiff. Reserve 2 cups whipped cream for serving; refrigerate until ready to serve.
In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Fold in half of the marshmallow cream, then half of the whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining marshmallow cream and whipped cream until combined.
In a medium bowl, sprinkle the gingersnaps with rum.
Spoon one-third of the pumpkin mousse into a clear glass serving bowl, spreading evenly, and sprinkle half of the cookies on top. Repeat with half of the remaining mousse and the remaining cookies, then top with the final layer of mousse. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Just before serving, top with the reserved whipped cream and sprinkle with the crushed gingersnaps.


Have fun with those, and answer my next teaser...
 

Name This Food!