In Australia we are spoilt for choice with the many varieties of pumpkins we can grow and that are readily available in the supermarkets.
Following are just a few of the varieties that I love and that are very easy to grow here on Tamborine Mountain.
Queensland blue has a tough, fluted grey-green skin and a powerful flavour.
It's especially well suited to a robust tagine or braise. The cooked flesh of golden nuggets and butternuts becomes bold in colour yet tender and light in flavour - fabulous in a thick warming soup.
My favorite all purpose pumpkin is the Jap (which stands for: Just Another Pumpkin and has nothing to do with the country of Japan) has an intense golden flesh and dark green glossy skin with stripes of yellow or orange.
If the stripes are coral colour you can be sure you have a perfect pumpkin - it stands up perfectly to Mediterranean flavours.
Pumpkin and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- ½ of a Jap pumpkin diced into 4cm squares
- 1 cup of cooked quinoa
- ½ cup chopped fresh herbs
- ¼ cup toasted pepitas, sunflower seeds and pecans
- 1 orange juiced
- 1 pomegranate
Method
Roast pumpkin in a shallow tray with 2 tbsp of olive oil, until just cooked.
Cut pomegranate in half and squeeze over a bowl to remove seeds.
Combine all ingredients gently together and season with salt and pepper.
The usually ingenious French do little with pumpkins, other than turn them into soups and breads.
Pumpkins are used more often in the Mediterranean and Middle East, as a filling for filo pies, or paired in soups and stews with pulses and aromatic spices.
In Greece, pumpkins are made into preserves and pies.
The Italians use pumpkins as a ravioli filling, or make them into gnocchi, while South East Asian cooks use the tender young leaves in stews and the flesh in soups and curries.
Don’t forget the beautiful green Pepita seeds from the centre of the pumpkin seed; they are great in muesli and cakes and just for snacking on.
In this weeks recipe, above I have used quinoa. 
Quinoa, pronounced "keen-wah" is the rediscovered ancient "grain" once considered "the gold of the Incas."
It is gluten free and rich in amino-acid (protein) and it is a very good, healthy replacement for rice, pasta, couscous or potatoes.
When cooked it develops a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture with a somewhat nutty flavor.
Quinoa is very easy to prepare:
- Rinse the grains of quinoa in water. Even though most quinoa sold now is pre-rinsed, rinsing or soaking it for 5 minutes will remove any remaining saponins, which impart a bitter flavor.
- Place two parts water or stock to one part of quinoa in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover and bring to the boil. Immediately turn down heat to low for 15 minutes or until al dente.
- Serve immediately to retain nutritional value and a good flavor.
Each year in my garden Jap, Butternut, Golden Nuggets and Queensland Blue come up by themselves.
But after
r doing research for this story, I have found one more pumpkin that I am going to add to my collection next year.
Who could resist not having a “Cinderella Pumpkin” in their garden? (Does anyone know where I get the seeds?)