For the past 2 days I’ve been stumped by a vegetable, (well actually a fruit) - a pumpkin. Not because of its size or it’s iconic status as a Halloween symbol. I had simply forgotten what a pumpkin really is. I’ve cooked them many times before, creating thick hearty soups and deliciously spiced pies. For some reason I was having trouble figuring out what else I could do with a pumpkin, so I went back to my time in The Netherlands. There was no Halloween and the Dutch loved eating pumpkin for what it was, a delicious vegetable/fruit.
Pumpkins are Winter Squash, along with acorn, butternut and spaghetti varieties, which we see more commonly in grocery stores year round.
Winter squash have fairly strong flavours, especially when roasted. So I paired the pumpkin with other bold flavours: spicy arugula, sweet caramelized onions and maple syrup, sour cranberries, earthy walnuts, and bold aged balsamic vinegar. The results are well balanced and very tasty!
Roast Pumpkin
Makes 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
1 small cooking pumpkin, about 4 cups (100 mL) diced
1 tbsp (15 mL) Compliments Pure Olive Oil [0]
2 large shallots, diced
2 tbsp (30 mL) Compliments Pure Maple Syrup [1]
1 tbsp (15 mL) Compliments Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena [2]
1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard
2 tbsp (30 mL) Compliments Pure Olive Oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup (80 mL) Compliments Walnut Halves [3]
¼ cup (63 mL) Compliments Cranberries, Dried & Sweetened [4]
2 pkgs (60 g) Compliments Arugula [5], torn (1 cup)
- Pre-heat your oven to 400°F (204°C) with the convection on. Peel the whole pumpkin, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds saving them for another use if desired, and cut the pumpkin into a medium sized dice. Toss the diced pumpkin in a large roasting pan with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of olive oil and a touch of salt and pepper. Cook in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
- Mix the shallots in the roasting pan with the pumpkin, continue to roast the vegetables for another 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk together the: maple syrup, vinegar, mustard until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking until emulsified, season to taste and set aside.
- Add the walnuts to the roasting pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pumpkin from the oven, toss in the cranberries and dressing, gently mix well. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add the torn arugula, season to taste and serve.
The humble pumpkin is so much more than Jack O Lantern, it’s a vegetable, I mean fruit.
Happy Cooking!
Chef Ryan Skelton