Pumpkin Love

Perhaps no fruit is a better harbinger of fall than the pumpkin (and yes, pumpkins are fruit). No matter the size, color, or variety, our favorite seasonal gourd is easily recognizable and can be transformed into many sweet or savory dishes. Whether it’s in pie, soup, a side dish, or taking center stage, the pumpkin is a autumnal aggregate we all love.

Like many other species of squash, pumpkins are native to North America, and were prepared early on simply boiled and mashed with a meal. Though most only eat the pumpkin flesh, the seeds, and leaves are also edible, as well as the flowers which are often stuffed, and fried in Italian cuisine.

“Pumpkin Pie is one of our more requested seasonal desserts,” said Hailey Jorgensen, manager of Sparrow Bakery Northwest Crossings. “We sell hundreds over the season. People come in and buy a slice or take a whole pie home for the holidays.”

While pumpkin pie is perhaps its most recognizable use in the U.S., pumpkin around the world is used in a wide variety of savory and sweet creations. In Japan it’s battered, fried, and served with a soy dipping sauce. In Italy it’s mixed with cheeses and stuffed into ravioli, tortellini and other pastas. And in both India and Thailand, local varieties of pumpkin are common ingredients in curry.

Pumpkins are also an easy crop to grow and fair well in Central Oregon’s climate. But, if you don’t want to go to the trouble, local pumpkin patches — such as those at the DD Ranch and the Central Oregon Pumpkin Company at Smith Rock — are excellent places to pick your fill of the delicious, seasonal gourds.

Approximately 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkin is produced in the U.S. each year, much of it being relegated to canning. Early in the growing season, pumpkins enjoy warm weather, to begin to plant your pumpkins mid summer to have them grow to full size and have them ready for carving by Halloween. It’s a tradition that we borrowed from the Irish, but this time of year, it’s a family activity we all look forward to.

While we love them painted and decorated or carved and lighting up our porches, pumpkins are also a big part in many other parts of our season. Breads, stuffings, desserts or savory, we love pumpkins (and I haven’t even touched on the spiced lattes or milkshakes). But while the bounty is here, it’s a great time to revisit the traditions we’ve all come to love, and also to experiment. But whatever you do, as you cook and decorate your way through this season, just enjoy and know that your favorite seasonal gourd is great in so much more than just pie.