Magical Fairy Pumpkins
Do you love those amazingly whimsical fairy pumpkins that come out in the Fall as much as I do? I adore them. They have that Cinderella-esk look that spirits your mind off to dreams of what could be, and they make lovely holiday decorations as well. Their matte dusty coloring lends itself very well with today's upscale neutral interior decorator's palette...looking so faaanncy!
"Fairytale pumpkins...are a French winter heirloom variety and are members of the Cucurbitaceae family along with squash and gourds. Also known as the Musque De Provence squash." Check out this link to see other winter squash varieties. You will be amazed.
https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/a-visual-guide-to-winter-squash-varieties-article
So now that the holidays have passed, those unique and beautiful pumpkins can be sliced up and eaten. Yes, it is true. You get to have your pumpkin and eat it too.
Here is a picture of my fairytale pumpkin this year.
I found a project on Pintrest to hot glue succulents and spanish moss to your pumpkin for an interesting table centerpiece arrangement. Here is my version of the project, which I was very pleased with the results. After Halloween and Thanksgiving, I deconstructed it and planted the succulents in a succulent box and turned my attentions to finding out what to do with this crazy looking thing now. I found out that it is okay to eat these pumpkins and, in fact, are delicious.
"Fairytale pumpkins are best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as sautéing, baking, boiling, and roasting...It will keep up to nine months when stored whole in a cool and dry location and up to two weeks when sliced and stored in the refrigerator. Fairytale pumpkin slices can also be frozen up to six months." https://www.specialtyproduce.com
You prepare them much like you do other hard-shelled squash such as Spaghetti or Acorn Squash.
"We love winter squash and all of the different varieties. They very slightly in sweetness and taste and they all look a little different but you can usually substitute one for another in most recipes." The Real Food Dieticians/Stacie Hassing/10.8.16
Follow the recipe below for Herb Roasted Parmesan Acorn Squash, but...wait for it...substitute your
fairytale pumpkin slices instead.
Herb Roasted Parmesan (Fairy Tale Pumpkin) Squash
https://therealfoodrds.com/herb-roasted-parmesan-acorn-squash
1 large squash (cut into slices along the rib line)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup asagio cheese (shredded or shaved)
2-3 Tbsp. fresh herbs or 1 tsp. dried (suggest: thyme, sage, rosemary, or oregano)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. course salt + more to taste (suggest: kosher or sea salt)
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Then slice each half into ½ inch slices.
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and toss to combine.
Transfer to a large sheet pan.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until squash is cooked through and parmesan cheese is crispy and slightly brown.
Sooo delicious! ...and so easy to make.
Healthy happy eating
and continued good growing!
#cucurbits #veggiemagic #communitygardens #spaghettisquash #veggievirgins #squash