Fresh Pumpkin
Fresh pumpkin is required for this recipe. If you don't have any leftover jack-o-lanterns from Halloween and your local grocery store is plum out of pumpkins, try visiting your local farmers market or ordering from your community supported agriculture. Both of these resources offer a large variety of local, often organic produce based on seasonal availability. If you want to experiment with other fall and winter produce, try substituting your favorite winter squash for the pumpkin in this recipe.
Creamy Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes
Servings: 10 (adjust serving size by calulating the RCF)
Ingredients:
- 5 cups potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 5 cups pumpkin, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1/3-2/3 cup evaporated skim milk
- 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid
- 4-6 teaspoons butter
Optional mix-ins
- ½ tsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, small dice
- 5 strips bacon, small dice
- 1 tsp dried sage
Method
- Scale and prepare all of your ingredients. In a large pot cover potatoes and pumpkin with fresh cold water. Cover and bring to boil. Remove cover, add chicken bouillon cube and simmer until potatoes and pumpkins can be pierced with a fork and fall off easily, about 8-10 minutes.
- While the potato and pumpkin are cooking, if you choose to add the mix-ins, sauté onions in olive oil until softened. Add bacon and continue cooking until onions are golden brown and bacon is crispy.
- When potatoes and pumpkin are done, drain, reserving the cooking liquid, and return to pan. Lower heat and add a splash of the cooking liquid. Mash using a potato masher, hand mixer or immersion blender. Place the milk and butter in a microwaveable measuring cup and heat for 30 seconds, or just until butter melts. Add milk/butter mixture alternately with reserved cooking liquid to thin the mash to desired creamy consistency.
- If using mix-ins, fold onion and bacon and serve alongside your favorite holiday feast. To keep warm, place in casserole dish, cover, and place in 200F oven until service. Extra butter/milk mixture can be added to freshen up the mash if it's been sitting in an oven for too long. Just blend in with an immersion blender.
To further compliment the pumpkin theme, try making a perfect pumpkin soufflé to round out the meal.
A Note on Pumpkin's Nutritional Value
Pumpkin is on not only a flavorful addition to you holiday feast, it is also quite nutritional.
In her September 17, 2008 article “The Power of Pumpkin in All Its Parts” in The Food Paper, Rachel Levin highlights the multiple healthful attributes of pumpkin: “Pumpkins are a good source of vitamins A and C as well as alpha-hydroxy acids, which reduce signs of aging in skin." They also help with eye health and enhance the immune system and decrease the risk of certain cancers. Put simply, pumpkin is both nutritional and delicious, so why not try using this versatile fall favorite to enhance your holiday feast.
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