Hello Pumpkin!

Tis the season .... for Pumpkins.  Happy Halloween to you all.  Now Im sure youve carved your lanterns ready for this weekend trick or treating, sure youve got the costume sorted for the party and have stacks of sweet treats for the kiddies!  Well we have a couple treats for you too - using the humble pumpkin we have come up with a soup and a latte recipe that you can try with the leftovers from the carving this weekend.

 

Taking a twist on the traditional pumpkin soup, we’ve made a wonderful Thai spicy version to warm you up after the trick or treat adventures (be warned, it took a few attempts to get the spice right on this one – please feel free to experiment yourself, however we advise you go easy on the red Thai curry paste if you haven’t used it before!)

THAI SPICED PUMPKIN SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

Approx 2kgs PUMPKIN – you can also use butternut squash (which is actually a lot cheaper) or even sweet potato if you prefer

ONION  - white onion – about half a medium sized one

GINGER  - fresh, peeled – no more than about an inch

GARLIC– 2-3 cloves

RED CHILLI – we used 1 fresh and quite large one, with seeds

COCONUT MILK – Just one can – you can use the light or half fat ones too if you prefer

RED THAI CURRY PASTE  – paste not sauce, add a little (like half a teaspoon) and taste - you can always add more spice easier than diluting, or calming it down if its too hot!

VEGETABLE STOCK – 1 cube, ½ pint of boiling water

LIME JIUCE – we squeezed half a lime over each portion – straight onto the bowl when served, not added during cooking

METHOD:

• Chop the ginger, garlic, chilli, onion and add to a little oil in a pan 
• Chop the pumpkin (after de-seeding) – the seeds can be left to dry then you can toast them off and use over avocado on toast! 
• Add the pumpkin to the spice mixture in the pan and cook off for about 10mins until it starts to go soft 
• Add 1 can of coconut milk and ½ pint of veg stock, bring to the boil and then let it simmer for another 10-15mins 
• At this point you can add the their red curry paste too, plus some salt and pepper to taste 
• Keep tasting while its simmering and add more paste, salt, pepper as required 
• Let it cool after about 10-15mins, then transfer the mix to your blender and blend up for approx. 30secs, or until creamy and smooth 
• Portion into bowls, squeezing the juice of half a fresh lime on top

We also added a little roasted veg and cray fish to our bowl to bulk it up as a hearty dinner!  Another serving suggestion would be to add beansprouts, gently fried – pile up in the middle of the bowl and add the soup over the top.  OR fry off some king prawns in chilli oil and place on top.  OR you can leave some softened pumpkin pieces unblended and add them back into the soup along with some of the seeds toasted off in a dry frying pan - should give extra bulk and texture.

If you prefer, you can of course just go for a heart-warming traditional pumpkin soup.  

TRADITIONAL PUMPKIN SOUP:

To make the base we would gently sauté garlic / onion/ leek / celery together in a little butter.  Add dried mixed herbs then the diced pumpkin.  Again cook off for 10 mins or so until the pumpkin is soft, then add a pint of vegetable stock.  Add salt and pepper to taste, bring to the boil then simmer down until all the vegetables are really soft and mushy.  At this point you can leave to cool and then blend, or you can add some single or double cream before blending to ensure your soup gets that smooth, creamy and shiny texture.

Another pumpkin tradition this time of year, is of course the pumpkin spice latte –we know this and begrudgingly we may have treated ourselves from the local coffee chain already….BUT you can make them up yourself for an indulgent treat this weekend.  It takes a little more effort than I would usually like for a coffee to be honest, but if you want to try it – this is the way we found works best:

PUMPKIN SPICED LATTE:

INGREDIENTS:

PUMPKIN PUREE  – 2 large tablespoons

BROWN SUGAR – 2 teaspoons

MILK – about half a cup

VANILLA ESSENCE – 2 teaspoons

CINNAMON & NUTMEG – ground (add to taste – a lot or a little depending on how sweet or how much flavour you want coming through)

WHIPPING CREAM - again add to taste, we used about ¾ of a cup whipped up then 2 tablespoons floated on top

BLACK PEPPER – a large pinch

METHOD:

• Heat the milk and vanilla essence in one pan 
• Heat the pumpkin puree and brown sugar in another – this should be stirred continuously until it starts to caramelize 
• Once the pumpkin and sugar has blended together, slowly add the milk and vanilla mix, stirring all the time so keep it lump free, smooth and silky (it all goes brown and looks like gravy when its done) 
• While adding the milk, add the cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper too – tasting as you go and adding more as required 
• Brew up one shot of espresso and add to the mug first 
• When the mix is smooth and runny, add this to your coffee 
• In the meantime whip up the cream until its stiff 
• On top of the coffee and pumpkin / milk etc mix spoon on the whipped cream so it floats on top, then sprinkle over a little more cinnamon

There are ways you can make this healthier.  You can make your own pumpkin puree (we used a can in this recipe). You can make it dairy free.  You can make it caffeine free.  Honestly though - no nonsense - this is supposed to be an indulgent treat!  I don’t have a particularly sweet tooth and would prefer the soups any day, but if you want to go for it and try it yourself, making this pumpkin spice latte at home is probably still better for you than buying any coffee shop versions.  Not by much mind you, so we’d suggest you make sure it’s a seasonal indulgence and not a drink you should order every morning on the way to work! Enjoy for now though and have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!

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**Please remember this is nutritional advice ONLY (as is all other information contained in this blog, the website and social media related to it) None of the info or advice is intended to override any recommendation from your GP or health professional**

Harvest - Seasonal Eating and the Autumn Lader

Now it makes sense, that to eat the best and freshest ingredients and the healthiest foods, we choose the ones that are in season right? 

Of course making this statement opens the debate on fresh vs frozen foods – ie does freezing at source actually preserve the nutrients in the foods better than shipping them to us and us eating so called fresh fruits and veggies that are actually a few days, maybe a week, old already….? There is and has been much debate about this recently and it seems that it boils down to how the foods are processed and how they are frozen before being transported to your supermarket for you to defrost and eat as and when you like. 

Please feel free to have a google for yourself, I found the best thing too was reading comments sections on articles if they had to see how the debate rages on.  I’m not here to preach what’s best, but like to read and digest the info for you before passing it on.  To start you off, I found this great clip stating the basics on fresh vs frozen veg:

  

What I know is that I personally and currently prefer “fresh” rather than frozen with meats, fish and veggies because I find it quicker for me to see what I have, and to make up a meal from fresh ingredients that are in my fridge.  I can see the veg, vibrantly coloured and it takes such a short time to wilt spinach, fry off a few greens, blanch the broccoli etc…. I personally cannot be bothered and sometimes just can’t think ahead enough to take things out the freezer (after freezing them in the right portion sizes first to avoid waste) in advance of cooking a meal that evening or tomorrow.  Also I find (and it may just be my freezer) that the water content is different and the vegetable texture often different too when defrosted.  Anyway, like I say, take a google and see for yourself, that’s just me and my opinion. 

Things may change as of course as well as the vast selection, and perhaps their nutrient content (still open to debate), one of the main benefits of frozen foods is certainly their price.  There is no doubt that frozen fruit, veg, meat and fish is cheaper than buying the same amount fresh, so if you’re on a tight budget I definitely recommend seeking out the best frozen alternatives and taking that time to plan ahead a little.

So, how do we get round this and ensure we are getting the most nutrient filled foods to our table and into our belly? The one thing most studies agree on - one of the best and most obvious ways to eat well and eat fresh is to eat foods that are in season.  That way, not only are you buying local (or at least UK) produce that hasn’t taken long to get to you so is still ripe and retaining its nutrient content, you’re also supporting local grown produce/farmers. (Plus you don’t get the weird wateriness, or the strange textures of frozen) and you cannot deny fresh seasonal fruit and veg has a great taste!

Seasons are changing right now so it’s a great time to take stock of what’s actually in the freezer, the cupboards and stuck at the back of the fridge!  As in spring we do the ‘spring cleaning’, in autumn I like to do one too, preparing before the silly season of Christmas approaches and we restock with all the fancy stuff.   

As we are heading into the UK’s golden, rustic autumn, it’s the season of harvest festivals and from schools and churches up and down the country you’d be forgiven for thinking Octobers seasonal foods came in cans, consisted of fruit salads and soups and that the harvest festivals were to celebrate beans and pasta, rather than this harvest time of the year being an annual celebration from pagan times (usually happening around the time of the harvest moon) when crops grown in the UK have come to maturity and are brought in the for the winter.  Harvest – and October – is the season for reaping and gathering, then cooking up a storm of comfort foods as the chilly air draws in, it’s soups, stews, pies and pickle season.  It’s the season for celebrating All Things Bright and Beautiful (done by donating non-perishables to food banks and the homeless!)

If we focus on the traditional meaning of harvest and this seasons yield, we should generally find an abundance of:

ROOT VEGETABLES

In general root veggies will provide you with a good base of starchy carbohydrate and fibre, as well as vitamin C and B vits.  They can also be a great source of potassium and magnesium in the winter months too.

It is from the daily Mail so please don’t judge me – but this is a good run down of root veg and their nutrients from nutritonist Angel Dowden: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-76507/The-good-root-guide.html

Examples of this seasons root vegetables include: of course PUMPKIN (as we know due to the Halloween celebrations fast approaching).  Taking the spotlight off the pumpkin though, we should also look out for POTATOES, SQUASH, TURNIPS and SWEDE, as well as CARROTS, PARSNIPS, MARROW, ARTICHOKE and BEETROOT. 

WHEAT/GRAINS/CEREALS

Eating “whole” versions of cereals and products using them provide the best source of carbohydrate, along with good proteins.  You will also find potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, iron and calcium in wheat.  Sometimes due to processing some nutrients are stripped, but you will find that shop bought box cereals are also fortified these days with extra calcium and often Vitamin D.

RED FRUITS/BERRIES

Looking especially at Blackberries, you will find they are packed full of dietary fibre, vitamin C and A, plus magnesium, calcium and iron.  Of course you need to balance fruit sugars, but with all the other nutrients the blackberry does that for you itself!

You may have noticed BLACKBERRIES if you are anywhere near the woods, or even a park or railway line.  These are almost over, but still good this month to pick your own – WASH – and include perhaps with APPLES and/or FIGS and DAMSONS for a tasty fibre filled crumble, dessert pie or jam…..?

CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES

As well as being another fantastic source of fibre, in general this vegetable group can provide vitamins A, C, E and K.  They have been mentioned a lot in the case for cancer prevention – especially related to thyroid and bowel cancers.  For more on diet and cancer, cancer research UK has a lot of evidence based information: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/diet-and-cancer/diet-facts-and-evidence#diet_facts2

From the cruciferous family, best this season would be CABBAGES (white and red), CAULIFLOWER, KALE, CHARD and CHICORY. 

Other good vegetables that should be cheap and plentiful during October, and therefore definitely worth a mention here are:  CORN ON THE COB, RUNNER BEANS, LEEKS, CELERY and WILD MUSHROOMS. 

Remember meats can be seasonal too: October is game season, so look for things like PHEASANT, GROUSE and PIGEON at a better price.

For fish and seafood - look out for MUSSELS, SCALLOPS and OYSTERS alongside COD, PLAICE and SEA-BASS this month

IMMUNITY:

As we head into autumn it’s usually the time for the annual colds and flus to hit too!  Therefore we need to think about boosting our immune system at this time of year.  There are a few foods – that also add great flavour to autumn dishes – I’d recommend that are known for their immune boosting qualities too:

GARLIC

This helps protect by boosting the production of white blood cells, also its main component allicin is thought (by some) to block the enzymes that can lead to viral infections.  I love smoked garlic to add a depth of flavour roasted with your Sunday roast potatoes, or blended down in soups to give a smokey taste in the background.

CINNAMON

This is my favourite flavour by the way – its great as we lead up to Xmas, the aroma is just Christmas itself – but before I get carried away with that….. Cinnamon can improve cells ability to absorb glucose from the blood, so in theory may lower your risk of diabetes.  It has also been found to reduce harmful cholesterol. The key is not too much of it, but to add it to dishes frequently.  You can use cinnamon to flavour meats and casseroles, but I love it on porridge in the mornings, or as an addition to apples, bananas either raw or cooked fruits (in a crumble for example, or cinnamon cream/custard to go with the crumble too!)

GINGER

Another of my favourites (you may have noticed if you follow us on facebook and have seen the smoothies we’ve been making, as ginger is in almost all of them!)  You may know ginger is recommended as an anti-sickness remedy and has been touted as such for years.  Also, it’s a fantastic anti-inflammatory. If you have any condition ending in “itis” ginger is a great addition to your diet and if you are exercising hard and fast and find a little muscle inflammation ginger could benefit – try taking both before and after exercise.  If you don’t want to add it to juices or smoothies it’s a great addition to soups, or of course is a fab addition to a stir fry (with garlic and chilli too its give a great flavoursome base)

Please do send me any recipes you have that include these wonderful crops and flavours – and anything other than traditional soups and stews would be welcome – I’d love to see what you’re making and experiment myself with some of your recipes.

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With all these wonderful meats, veggies and autumn crops though, a good stew or hot soup is inevitably on the cards for me and to mop that up we need BREAD.  Good job then that this year the UK produced it’s best ever wheat harvest for over 1000 years! 

Another time for the big bread and baking blog, for now here are a few recipe ideas and links to find out how you can eat / what you should eat if looking for fresh seasonal produce throughout the year:

www.eatseasonably.co.uk

http://www.britishlarder.co.uk/flavours-of-autumn/#axzz3oRc93uJ5

http://www.eattheseasons.co.uk/october.php

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/seasons/october

http://www.lovefood.com/journal/features/17580/foods-in-season-october

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**Please remember this is nutritional advice ONLY (as is all other information contained in this blog, the website and social media related to it) None of the info or advice is intended to override any recommendation from your GP or health professional**