Vegetable: Pumpkin

Recipes:
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin and rosemary risotto with Pecorino
Sprouts with Pumpkin and Chestnuts

Type: From the Cucurbita family. Along with butternut squash, pumpkins are generally known as winter gourds. Summer gourds include cucumbers and courgettes. There are many, many varieties of summer and winter gourds.

Vitamin and mineral content: Pumpkins are a good source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and C, potassium, dietary fibre and manganese. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of iron, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium. See below for guide to harvesting your seeds from the pumpkin.

Reputedly good for: Beta carotene is thought to be a good antioxidant and have anti inflammatory properties. It may also help reduce the severity of conditions like asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites…

Availability: Pumpkins have become synonymous with Autumnal abundance, thanks in part to the rise in popularity of Halloween. They’re beautiful from October until mid November.

Storage: Pumpkins keep amazingly well in cool conditions for several months. This is one of their greatest assets – it’s nice to have some colour on the winter table without veering from seasonal produce

Preparation: See some recipe ideas above

Origins: In South America are known to have been cultivated for their seeds as much as 10,000 years ago. Their cultivation became more global thanks to the travels of the early explorers from Portugal and Spain, and now they are produced practically everywhere… Infact the only place on the planet where you can’t grow a pumpkin is Antarctica, apparently. They’ve even been grown in Alaska.

The Irish are actually responsible for the tradition of carving pumpkins. During the huge immigration wave of the mid 19 century they brought their custom of turnip carving. Once in America, they found pumpkins much easier to grow and much easier to carve!