Cucurbitaceae you say? Yes!

Pumpkin

From Shakespeare's reference to "pumpion" in The Merry Wives of Windsor to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, pumpkin is woven into the fabric of history and cuisine. Native Americans roasted long strips of pumpkin over an open flame and ate them. Colonists made pumpkin pie by slicing off the pumpkin top; removing the seeds; filling the rind with milk, spices, and honey; and then baking the pumpkin over hot ashes. And we all know pumpkin transforms into Jack-o-lanterns for Halloween décor. Today, we appreciate pumpkin not just for culinary traditions, but also for its abundance of nutrients and versatility in healthy meal preparation, such as soufflés, soups, bread, jam, butter, and desserts.

A member of the Cucurbitaceae family of vegetables (along with other gourds, cucumber and squash), pumpkin is cultivated around the world for both its fleshy vibrant orange meat and seeds. It is a naturally low calorie (49 calories per one cup serving), yet filling food that offers the following health benefits:

Health Benefits

·         Pumpkin contains no saturated fats or cholesterol. It is rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants, minerals, and many antioxidant vitamins, including A, C, and E.

·         It is also an excellent source of many natural polyphenolic flavonoid compounds such as beta-carotenes, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Carotenes convert into vitamin A inside the body. Zeaxanthin is a natural antioxidant that may offer protection from age-related macular disease.

·         Pumpkin is a good source of the B-complex group of vitamins including niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, and pantothenic acid.

·         It is a rich source of copper, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.

·         Pumpkin seeds provide dietary fiber and pack a powerful mix of protein, minerals, and vitamins: 100 g (1 cup) of pumpkin seeds provide 559 calories, 30 g of protein, plus folate, iron, niacin, selenium, and zinc.

References

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Adapted from Bon Appétit Fast, Easy and Fresh cookbook

 

 

 

 

Butter and flour two 9x5x3 inch loaf pans

Preheat oven to 350°F

Ingredients:

·         1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour mix)

·         1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (or gluten-free flour mix)

·         1 tsp ground cloves

·         1 tsp ground cinnamon

·         1 tsp ground nutmeg

·         1 tsp baking soda

·         1/2 tsp salt

·         1/2 tsp baking powder

·         2 c. raw sugar (or raw honey)

·         1 c. coconut oil

·         3 large eggs (room temp)

·         15 oz. (1 can) pure pumpkin

·         1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Mix the first eight ingredients into a large bowl. In second bowl, beat sugar and oil to blend, and then add eggs and pumpkin. Mix well. Stir dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture in two additions, just until blended. Add nuts, if desired.

Divide between loaf pans. Bake approximately 1 hour 10 minutes, or until tester inserted into center comes out clean. Transfer to racks and cool in pans for 10 minutes. Cut around sides of pan with a knife to loosen. Turn loaves onto rack to cool completely.