On Cooking Pumpkins

Some of the best pumpkins for cooking are actually squash.

For anyone trying to cook a pumpkin--whether for our favorite Vegetarian Carbonada Criolla or just simply to ditch the dreary canned stuff--we present this primer on selecting delectable pumpkins from Jonathan Schultheis, Extension Horticulture Specialist at North Carolina State University:

"Generally 'pie' pumpkins are 3 to 6 pounds. Some of the best belong to the species Cucurbita moschata. A cultivar of choice is Dickinson, which can weigh up to 40 pounds! Another pumpkin-like squash is Long Island Cheese, again a C. moschata type. 'Cinderella' is a cultivar similar to Long Island Cheese, but with a deeper orange color.

Some of the typical jack o'lantern pumpkin cultivars sold as "pie" pumpkins that supposedly have better texture, flavor, and/or are smaller in size are Baby Pam, Small Sugar, Spookie, Spooktacular, New England Pie, and Pik-a-Pie."

Bottom line: Do not use the pumpkins sold for decoration at the local garden shop, which can be stringy, dry and bitter. Some of the best pumpkins used for cooking are actually squash types: for example, tasty alternatives are buttercup squash (looks like a dark green pumpkin) or calabaza squash (sometimes called a West Indian pumpkin because it's grown in the tropics.)

For more on cooking pumpkins, see this story at Mother Earth News.

We realize this last note may seem a bit excessive, but somehow all of this talk of Autumnal Feasts gets us thinking about growing our own food (not that we could grow pumpkins on the terrace in Manhattan!) But for those brave souls who do want to cultivate "pie" pumpkins for next year's harvest, here are some topnotch seed suppliers that carry many of the varieties mentioned above:

Dickinson - Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds; Long Island Cheese - Johnny's Selected Seeds; 'Cinderella' - Willhite Seeds; Baby Pam, Small Sugar and Spooktacular - New England Seed; Spookie - Redwood City Seed Company; and Pik-a-Pie - Rupp Seeds.

Fit to Be the Star of A Vegan Thanksgiving

Vegan carbonada criolla (a sustainable riff on the Argentine classic made with beef) would make a magnificent centerpiece to any Thanksgiving feast. This all-time favorite recipe is from The Natural Gourmet cookbook by Annemarie Colbin, a chef and nutrition expert who has been teaching how to make clean, sustainable, vegan and vegetarian food since long before today's "power vegans" donned their first pair of Moo Shoes. We've served this criolla more than once to great theatrical effect when scooped right out of the pumpkin--and it sure beats tofurkey!

"Carol's Vegetarian Carbonada Criolla"

One 6-pound "pie" pumpkin, calabaza pumpkin or buttercup squash (click here for details on how to select a tasty pumpkin); 2 large ripe tomatoes; 2 medium onions; 1 green bell pepper; 1 sweet red pepper; 2 cloves garlic; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine) or dry sherry; 2 bay leaves; 2 cups Vegetable Stock; 3/4 pound white potatoes; 1 large yam; 1 medium zucchini; 6 dried prunes, pitted; 1/4 pound dried apricots; 2 ears fresh corn; 1 cup cooked red kidney beans; Freshly ground black pepper to taste; 2 large or 3 medium peaches.

 1. Scrub the outside of the pumpkin clean, using a stiff vegetable brush. With a large, heavy, sharp knife, cut out a lid from the pumpkin top, about 5 to 6 inches in diameter, leaving the stem intact. Using a large metal spoon, scrape out the seeds and fiber from the pumpkin shell and lid.

2. Score the tomatoes with a small cross on the underside made with a sharp knife. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 10 to 15 seconds. Remove to a colander with a slotted spoon. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the seeds. Cut into medium chunks. 

3. Chop the onions coarsely. Chop the green and red peppers. Finely mince the garlic. In a 4-quart pot, heat the oil, add the onions, peppers, and garlic, and sauté over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.

4. Add the mirin or sherry, bay leaves, and the stock. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, reduce heat, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes.

5. Peel and cube the potatoes and yams and add to the pot. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes, still over low heat.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Wash the zucchini and slice them into 1/4-inch rounds; add to pot. Coarsely chop the prunes and apricots; add to pot. Shuck the corn and cut with a very sharp knife into 1-inch rounds; add to pot. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.

7. Add the cooked kidney beans to the vegetables and season with pepper. Stir well, cover, and cook for 5 minutes longer.

8. Remove the pot from the heat. Peel and halve the peaches and stir in with the vegetables. Carefully ladle the stew into the hollowed-out pumpkin. Replace the lid. Place the pumpkin in a shallow baking pan and bake for 1 hour.

9. To serve, ladle the carbonada from the pumpkin onto individual serving plates. However, do not cut the pumpkin flesh until most of the stew has been removed, or the pumpkin will collapse. If you do not plan to eat the entire dish in one sitting, wait to cut the pumpkin until it is reheated as a leftover (in a 350 degree oven.)

From The Natural Gourmet cookbook by Annemarie Colbin, founder of The Natural Gourmet Institute in New York.

A Bicycle that Makes Ice Cream

We can't decide whether this is madness, genius, or--as usual--a little bit of both from West coast entrepreneur Edward Belden.  Peddler's Creamery in downtown L.A. makes organic, fair trade, local and in some cases vegan ice cream churned exclusively on custom-made bicycles.  Belden's idea has already attracted micro loans from Kickstarter and from the founder of Samuel Adams beer through his Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Fund.Peddler's Creamery Banana Chocolate Chip; no electricity required.

The ice cream--with flavors like Gingerbread, Honey Lavender, Thai Ice Tea and Sweet Potato Pie--is already getting rave reviews for taste. And of course high marks for sustainability.

Building glutes and delicious ice cream in L.A.

The mini-business is also contributing in its small way to the job market. A message on the company website to job seekers: "If you’d love to peddle around LA and want to build up some stamina while greeting the crowd and getting paid to help produce some incredible dairy and non-dairy deliciousness then you’ll love it here."

We imagine spinning classes where people can churn out ice cream and butter; and why not a spinning bike that generates electricity? Well, Peddler's Creamery is a start.

Here, the ice cream churning bike in action courtesy of CNBC.

Tomato Helps Cut the Risk of a Stroke, Study Shows

from wsj.com

A new study shows that men who had the highest levels of lycopene—an antioxidant found in tomatoes—had fewer strokes than men who had the lowest level of lycopene in their blood. Overall, the risk of strokes was reduced by 55%.

The study, based in Finland, will be published in the Oct. 9 issue of the medical journal Neurology. Lycopene is found in the highest concentrations in cooked tomato products like paste, puree and sauce, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's national nutrient database.

A cup of ready-to-serve marinara sauce has more than 31,000 micrograms of lycopene while the average raw tomato has about 3,165 micrograms, according to USDA. A slice of fast food pizza has 2,074 micrograms of lycopene. A tablespoon of catsup has 2,146 micrograms of lycopene.

Lycopene is also found in watermelon, grapefruit, papaya and mango.

Read the rest of the story at wsj.com.

The Daily Lean's Avocado Bliss

Kathy Freston--who's lastest book, The Daily Lean, is full of practical tips for veganism--has a knack for getting people to eat what's good for them. In this case, her "Daily Lean" tip turns avocados into something decadent...dare we say ecstatic.

"Today's Lean:  Chilled Avocado Soup  

I love soup year-round, but sometimes on a hot day, a nice chilled soup is the perfect treat to cool off!  This recipe by Chef Tal Ronnen is rich, creamy and fresh, yet super easy to make.  Have it with a nice hearty salad or with a piece of toasted whole grain bread and you have a perfect summer lunch.  Yum!

Makes 4 servings

2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted

1/3 cup peas, cooked and cooled

4 cups cold vegetable stock

Juice from 1 lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Puree the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Serve chilled."