Hello Everyone...

The season for pumpkins has arrived! All of our cooking with pumpkins classes have been filled for this season, but you can still find out all about pumpkins in Switzerland by downloading our Cooking with Pumpkins booklet. We are making this electronic pdf version available to all who would like it.

There are no payment obligations or expectations! If you would like, we are gladly accepting donations from you for as much as you feel comfortable making. All of the funds we receive from your donations will go toward supporting the Pro Specie Rara organization – they are dedicated to preserving the cultural history of animals and plants in Switzerland.

To request a download link, simply send us a message: http://www.laughinglemon.ch/en/contact.htm

happy cooking...
Jack

Thanks for promoting Pro Specie Rara Jack, they're doing great work. We'll be planting some of their fruit trees soon and may even be getting some rare chickens in the spring (for the eggs, not the pot).

I've never cooked pumpkin before but will give it a go this weekend

Just a quick update and thanks to all who downloaded the book...thanks also for the nice comments we received! So far, we have been able to collect CHF 100 in donations, which we will gladly match...I'm sure the folks at Pro Specie Rara are also pleased!


Jack

Mmm, pumpkins.

Get a mid-sized one (Goldilocks principle applies) and slice into segments.
Mix an egg-yolk, a good handful of parmesan, a pinch of nutmeg and pepper and a good dose of olive oil then spread over the pumpkin segments.

Leave in a medium-heated oven for 40 mins.

Serve with melted butter, sage and a dash of lemon juice.



Wooooooo I'm so hungry...

And black pork chops


Woooo...

Sounds good...I would recommend the Kabocha variety for this recipe...
Jack

When they stop laying I will eat them for you .

Goddammit - did you experiment on us with those pumpkin kebabs ?

You're still alive, aren't you?

Actually, made a Pumpkin curry last night - I could almost become vegetarian after that

I find pumpkin seeds really fun to flavor, roast and munch on. After rinsing and drying them, I roast them in a pan with butter, salt and garlic. They have an aromatic pop-corn like flavor.

Anyone else ever try experimenting with them? But unfortunately, no hallucigenic effect whatsoever.

Serious fun to be had at the Phos household


I think I'm posting while drunk

Make soup with diced pumpkin, a carrot, celery stick and leek. Leave for 30 minutes simmering with seasoning and a spoon of curry sauce. Blend and serve with cream and crusty bread

I normally run this through a hand blender and top with pieces of garlic croutons. Never really tried it whole like this.

Or do you forget to blend it when you are drunk?

I made the pumpkin bisque recipe from Jack's recipe last week.The pumpkin was not as intense as I'd like, so we used more pumpkin to rice ratio - but it was excellent and we like the fact that it's not a heavy cream base. I put cinamon, galangal and red pepper flakes in it for seasoning - it was yummy.

Phos - I love pumpkin seeds - but do you roast them with the shell on or off. In the US, we used to eat them heavily salted, shell on, but also pepitas (I think) are shelled, and then roasted - used in a lot of Mexican cooking. I use them in mole, for example. Hmmmm.....mole. But that's another thread

e.

There are so many different kinds of pumpkin to learn. My favorite is called Hokkaido and I buy it all the time. Rich and smooth. But I really should try other kinds as well. Anyone (Jack ) have any recommendations?


I leave the shells on. It's too much trouble to de-shell them. Sometimes, I through them into a blended fruit smoothie for added texture.

For the purists, they are excellent when cut thin (2-3 cm), brushed lightly with oil, a crack of salt, and grilled until tender.

We love pumpkin, coconut and chili soup

Roast the pumpkin (we use butternut). In a large pan fry some onions, garlic and chili flakes. When the pumpkin is ready add it to the pan with veg stock until it covers the pumpkin. Cook for 10 mins then puree. Add coconut milk to taste (and salt & pepper!)

Pumpkin Patterns

I think we should have photos of the EF pumpkins for Halloween

Mainly because, though I'll try, mine will look nothing like those ones above...

Hilarious! They're like smileys gone nutty. Or should I say squashy?

Interesting and helpful for those who like carving their pumpkins... On a separate note, the large pumpkins so often equated to Halloween are the result of an American farmer named Jack Howden (the Jack in most titles), who engineered and mass-produced the large pumpkins in the early 1970's and nearly single-handedly drove many heritage-breed pumpkins off the map...They are also not so pleasant to eat! Unfortunate...

Perhaps the carving of pumpkins can be moved to a new thread, as this thread is intended to deal only with cooking them!

thanks!

Hello,
I'm looking for Kabocha since a while now...but my research are unsuccessfull.
Maybe do you know where it is possible to find that vegetable in switzerland????

Ok, I don't know anything about cooking pumpkin or squash except a nice halved squash backed with butter, brown sugar and maple syrup...
I just was wondering, because it is so difficult to find "canned" pumpkin...
Is there a way to make things like pumpkin pie and whatnot without the can?
If so, how?