Pumpkins: Flavoring more than pies

Pumpkins are breaking out of their (pie) shells and trending as fall's favorite flavor.

David Hays expects to sell 8,000 to 10,000 pumpkins over the next eight weeks.

The general manager of Crown Produce on Ringgold Road says that, in previous years, the majority of those would be hefty, round, orange Halloween pumpkins such as Howdens or Big Macs, destined for carving into jack-o'-lanterns or clustered with mums in seasonal decorations. Nobody was buying to make pies like their grandmothers did.

But that's changing, he says. In the last three or so years, he's noticed more pumpkins going from patch to plate.

"It's turning back to where people are eating better. They are eating fresh and not buying so much out of cans," he says. "I've noticed a big change in buying fresh. Closer to Thanksgiving, I sell more pumpkins for cooking than I did."

Pumpkins are breaking out of their (pie) shells and trending as fall's favorite flavor. Starbucks reports Pumpkin Spice Latte is its "top-selling seasonal beverage of all time." Bi-Lo stores announced in a news release that the grocery chain will showcase an assortment of pumpkin-flavored products, including cookies, butter, marshmallows, chips and salsa, cakes, coffees and creamers.

High in vitamin A, a great source of fiber, bursting with carotenoids and amino acids, pumpkins have a lot to offer as main entrees. For example, Fettuccine With Pumpkin Sauce is a quick dinner fix when paired with a crisp salad.

Susan Moses at 212 Market Restaurant offers a Pumpkin Risotto recipe today.

"We serve it with duck breast but it pairs well with shrimp and other favorites," the chef says. "I love pumpkin. I've been eating a new kind called Cheese pumpkins. They look like cheddar cheese when you cut into them, it is so golden. They are real meaty and kind of flat in shape and have a pale, tan color with the orange flesh."

The key to successfully using fresh pumpkin in place of canned is choosing the right pumpkin for the recipe, says Moses.

"The Halloween pumpkin is kind of stringy - edible, but mostly for decoration. What we are using is called a mini pie pumpkin," she says.

Hays, who only buys from local growers, says all his pumpkins come from Dayton Mountain, primarily Jackson Farm in Bledsoe County. The produce distributor gives this rundown of pumpkins grown in this area and their best use.

• Howden or Big Mac pumpkin: "A big, orange pumpkin most popular for Halloween jack-o'-lanterns."

• Cinderella: "One of the better pie pumpkins. It's also decorative - it's a real pretty, flat, orange pumpkin that is real meaty."

Nick Goeller prepares Pumpkin Risotto, above, a menu item at 212 Market Restaurant.

• Ghost pumpkin: "A silvery white shape that's more like a gourd. It's not edible; it's decorative. There are too many good pumpkins to eat a white one."

• Fairy Tale pumpkin: "It's flat like a Cinderella, gray-pink, super-good pumpkin to eat."

• Jarrahdale pumpkin: "A heavy pumpkin with a lot of meat on the inside. It's real sweet, super to eat." This heirloom pumpkin is blue-gray in color.

• Mini Pie pumpkin: "It looks like a softball with a stem on it and is shaped like a round pie pumpkin. A regular pie pumpkin is the size of a soccer ball or a little smaller."

• Pie pumpkin, also known as Sugar pumpkin: "Bright orange in color with golden yellow flesh. Both the mini and regular pie pumpkins are very good to eat. Pie pumpkins are the size a lot of schools use for children to paint."

• Field pumpkins: "Some people call these cow pumpkins. They are tannish-pink and super for making pies. Older people used to make all their pies out of the old-timey field pumpkin, but a lot of these new varieties are taking over, and the field pumpkin isn't used like it was 25 years ago."

Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.

Pumpkin Risotto

1 small pumpkin or 1 medium butternut squash, cut in half

6 cups vegetable stock, heated (use chicken stock if preferred)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 cups arborio rice

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup kale, finely chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 ounces unsalted butter

Pumpkin risotto

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

Take the pumpkin (or squash) and roast half of it in the oven until soft, then puree.

Dice the other half into small cubes, and roast until tender. Mix the hot vegetable stock with the pumpkin puree and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic, stirring a few minutes until softened. Add the rice, and stir to coat with the oil and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Immediately add the white wine, and keep stirring until it has been absorbed by the rice.

Begin pouring in enough stock/pumpkin mixture (about 3 cups) to cover the rice, and keep stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add another cup or so of liquid and let simmer, stirring again. Add the chopped kale, and keep stirring.

The rice should be al dente at this point (tender but a bit chewy). Add the diced, roasted pumpkin and the last remaining liquid. Reduce heat. Stir in Parmesan, butter and a pinch of nutmeg. Check salt and pepper, and serve.

- Susan Moses, 212 Market

3-Step Cheesecake

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, sofened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash ground cloves

Dash ground nutmeg

2 eggs

1 ready-to-use 6-ounce graham-cracker crumb pie crust

1 cup whipped topping, thawed

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and spices in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, and beat just until blended. Pour into crust.

Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate three hours. Top with whipped topping just before serving.

Variation: Stir 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips into batter. Pour into crust; sprinkle with additional 1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips. Bake as directed. Refrigerate and top with whipped topping before serving.

- Kraft

Fettuccine With Pumpkin Sauce

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine

2 applewood-smoked bacon slices, chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup canned unsalted pumpkin puree

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)

3/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon; cook 4 minutes or until almost crisp, stirring occasionally. Add 1 tablespoon sage and the garlic, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in pumpkin puree, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Add pasta, reserved 3/4 cup cooking liquid, and heavy cream; toss to coat. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sage and parsley.

- Cooking Light

Chicken Baked With Pumpkin and Peanuts.

Chicken Baked With Pumpkin and Peanuts

2 large onions, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 pie pumpkin or butter nut squash, about 2 pounds, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided

1 1/2 cups chicken broth, very hot

1/4 cup lemon juice, divided

4 pounds chicken pieces, white and dark meat 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Place onions and pumpkin in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, stir together peanut butter, half the salt and half the cayenne pepper. Gradually stir in hot chicken broth, melting the peanut butter. Stir in half the lemon juice. Pour over the pumpkin and onions.

Place chicken on top of vegetables. Sprinkle chicken with remaining salt, cayenne pepper and lemon juice. Sprinkle black pepper over chicken.

Bake for one hour, until pumpkin is tender and fork can be inserted in chicken with ease. Sprinkle with peanuts. Serves six.

- Bi-Lo.com