Autumn is certainly associated with colorful leaves, long evenings, a warm blanket and a cup of hot tea. However, there is one more thing that you cannot imagine autumn without - a pumpkin. This vegetable is undoubtedly one of the greatest advantages of the season.
But what do we know about it?
- the pumpkin family also includes, among others watermelons, melons and…. cucumbers!
- pumpkin contains vitamins A, B1, B2, C, PP and minerals: phosphorus, iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium
- Pumpkin, thanks to the high content of beta-carotene, protects children against rickets, has a positive effect on eyesight, and also prevents cancer.
Taking advantage of the fact that we can consider the pumpkin season fully open, let's think about how we can use them in the kitchen and outside.
Cream soup is probably the most common dish prepared with this vegetable. It is delicious and quickly disappears even from the plates of fussy eaters. However, today I would like to introduce a slightly different idea - pumpkin puree muffins!
Pumpkin puree muffins
To prepare the puree, we need a cooked or baked pumpkin and blend it. Then add sugar, optionally a pinch of cinnamon or vanilla. Note - if you want to save some time, you can use a ready-made dessert pumpkin from the jar. I also recommend adding peaches in syrup to make the puree sweeter.
Fill the muffins with a teaspoon of pumpkin mousse, and then add a little previously prepared whipped cream. Decorate the prepared dessert with pumpkin seeds. Ready!
Unused puree in the preserved version can be successfully used as a dip for sticks or other snacks.
Pumpkin headdress
Another idea for using a pumpkin is to make a headdress, thanks to which the autumn treasures collected in the park will look great. It is a very simple method, but also very effective!
Remove the stalk from the washed pumpkin, and then cut off the top of the pumpkin. Children can help us in the next step - carving a pumpkin with a spoon will surely be a lot of fun for them. In the pumpkin prepared in this way, we arrange chestnuts, leaves, acorns and other autumn prey.
There are plenty of ideas for using pumpkins - so let's use the season for them and experiment!
Milena Pajka
English-speaking teacher at PC Centrum
