At this time of year neeps (turnips) were traditionally what little boys and girls carved in Scotland. However, the American traditions have slowly been absorbed this side of the Atlantic Ocean and with pumpkins being softer and easier to carve the tradition of carving neeps for Halloween feels like a dim and distant memory. One problem with this new tradition however, is food waste. Tonnes and tonnes or pumpkins are thrown into landfill or, hopefully, composted. This year we urge you to think about where you buy your pumpkin and buy a locally grown, edible one. They not only look amazing but taste fantastic as well. Forget just pumpkin pie you can made delicious stuffed pumpkins, warming soups, roast them and toast the seeds.
Stuffed pumpkins is one of the best ways to enjoy this time of year. The recipe below is one of our favourites using the little white Casperita pumpkins we grow. We call them Casper’s for short in memory of Casper the Friendly Ghost, one of our favourite films when we were younger! They taste similar to Acorn Squash and look beautiful
- 4 Casperita pumpkins, top the cuts off and remove seeds
- 200g wild rice, cooked
- 100g mushrooms, diced
- 1 leek, thinly sliced (about 100g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced - (try our home grown garlic it's delicious)
- 1 tbsp olive oil, or rapeseed oil (about 15ml)
- 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 25g of Anster cheese (or parmesan)
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F).
Brush the inside of each hollowed-out Casperita pumpkin with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes to start softening.
While pumpkins are roasting, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the leeks, mushrooms, and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the cooked wild rice, sage, thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes to blend the flavours.
Remove pumpkins from the oven and carefully stuff each with the rice mixture. Top with grated Parmesan or even better Anster Cheese, if desired.
Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the pumpkins are tender and the tops are golden. Serve warm.
Enjoy!
