Plant To Plate: Post Halloween Pumpkin Ideas

By Annette Codding
   Pumpkins on the front porch make a really cute decoration this time of year. And the pumpkin patches are a fun place to take pictures of the children. But after all the pumpkin madness is over, what becomes of the leftover pumpkins? Well, there are a few things you can do with them.
   Lately, we have been talking about the veggies from the beginning to the end, from planting the seeds all the way to the plate. It’s too late to plant pumpkins, but we are okay because they are everywhere right now. By the time you are reading, this all of the local pumpkin patches will be gone and probably getting ready for Christmas trees. But all of those pumpkins have to go somewhere.
   Just this week, I got a message from a local Christmas tree farm that also sets up a pumpkin patch. The owner was looking to give away all of the leftover pumpkins after the 31st. I made a quick post asking local homesteaders if they want any. I was shocked at how many people wanted to go pick some up to do different things. It reminded me of a couple of years back when a friend brought me a whole bunch of pie pumpkins.
   When she showed up with the pumpkins, I immediately thought about how fun it would be to eat pumpkin soup out of a pumpkin bowl. They were just the size of a large soup bowl. And even though I wasn’t sure that I even liked pumpkin soup, I was ready to make some. If I remember correctly, I started out by baking the pumpkins in the oven until they were tender. Then I put the flesh in a food processor and pureed it. A simple base of sautéed onions and garlic and maybe even some carrots came next. Chicken broth is almost always the liquid in my soups. Then I added in the pumpkin puree and pureed it some more. I don’t remember loving the soup, but it sure was fun to eat!
   Last Spring, Nancy Gruner made a delicious pumpkin pie made from Seminole Pumpkins she grew. I imagine you could also use the pureed pumpkin to make pumpkin bread or pancakes. Years ago, I canned some pumpkin (AGAINST USDA recommendations), but never got the nerve to use or taste it. Apparently, it is not something you should can because the texture or density of the pumpkin doesn't allow the heat to reach the middle and there could be botulism spores there. The jars sat on the shelf for years until we moved and I finally dumped all of the questionable food.
   Some people like to roast pumpkin seeds. The Sikil squash, which is really a type of pumpkin, is grown in South America primarily for its seeds. They are cooked and roasted, then become the basis for a few dishes. I tried it last year, but did something wrong. They reminded me of eating sweet feed as a child. You know when the oat hulls never get chewed up and kind of get stuck in your throat? Like that, but pumpkin seeds.
   Something I have seen people doing this year is scratching a design, like a happy face, onto the shell of a pumpkin then letting the chickens go to town pecking out the flesh. It looks like a fun way to treat the chickens and have a little entertainment to boot. Or you can just toss your already carved pumpkins to the chickens. They will love cleaning it out the rest of the way.
   Cows will also eat pumpkins. Dump a whole bunch in the pasture and they will eat them in just a few days. Beware of the cow plops, they might get extra sloppy. I remember as a child my dad having loads of carrots dumped in the pasture for our cows. In just a couple days, the cows were leaving vibrant orange piles everywhere!
   You can always compost the extra pumpkins, too. Just bust them up a little so the worms and bugs can get in there easily and start the process. If you happen to toss any out and the seeds don't get composted then in the spring you will have a whole bunch of pumpkin sprouts in that spot. One of my best pumpkin-growing seasons was by accident. My sister had given me some little bitty table pumpkins to compost. The pile never got hot enough to kill the seeds, so the next year when I spread compost on the beds, I also spread some seeds. I knew when they sprouted that they were some kind of pumpkin, so I let them grow. I got more than a dozen cute little table pumpkins that season. What a fun mistake!
   And the last thing I can think to do with them (the first thing if you ask my boys) is to shoot them with a shotgun! We used to have fun collecting pumpkins after the season just to do a little target practice with them. This is an excellent time to teach children just how damaging a misplaced round can be. Target practice, entertainment, and a gun safety lesson…all rolled into one! Until next time, get outside and have some fun “recycling” your leftover pumpkins!