PUMPKIN—FROM SOUP TO NUTS

 

My plan was to find a tasty Spanish recipe for pumpkin or squash—soup, side or dessert—prepare it for Thanksgiving, photograph the dish and blog about it. But, looking through my archives, I find I’ve already got so many squash recipes that I don’t need any new ones! Instead, I’ll treat you to a compilation of possibilities for using squash—from soup to nuts!

Squash, meaning winter squashes. They’re not grown in the winter, but their hard outer skins make them easy to store during colder months. The category includes many cultivars of pumpkin; the various squashes such as butternut, acorn and hubbard; some lesser-known ones such as spaghetti squash and delicata, and some almost unknown types such as the Malabar gourd, source of candied angel’s hair. In Spanish, they’re all “calabaza.”

Generally, one type of squash or pumpkin can be substituted for another. Pumpkin seems to have a more distinctive, squashy taste and the flesh is waterier than, for instance, the dense flesh of the butternut. (Drain it very well if you’re making a puree.) Butternut and acorn are noticeably sweeter too. Any one of them can be baked, grilled, sautéed, steamed or, yes, microwaved. 

Here we go, pumpkin and squash, from soup to desserts. Click the links to go to the posts with recipe. (By the way, if you’re looking for a Spanish recipe or more info about an ingredient, from squash to thistles, use the “search” function, that little window at the top left of the blog.) 

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

Soups, Stews and Vegetarian Dishes

Cream of Pumpkin Soup.

Pumpkin-Chickpea Stew.

Pumpkin Sauté.

Baked Squash with Rice.

Pumpkin Stuffed with Millet, Tofu and Chickpeas.

Salads and Appetizers.

Pumpkin-Couscous Taboulleh.

Spicy Moroccan Squash Salad.

Winter Salad with Oranges and Squash.

Flatbreads with Sardines and Pumpkin Jam.

Desserts.

Pastry Squares with Pumpkin Custard Filling.

Pumpkin-Fruit Compote.

Fried Pumpkin Puffs.

Spaghetti Squash Pie.

Candied Angel's Hair Squash.

Shortbread Bars with Angel's Hair.

Galician Tart with Angel's Hair and Almonds.

Pumpkin-Almond Pudding.

Pumpkin Stew (Alboronía)

Alboronía is originally a Moorish dish, meat stewed with eggplant and other pre-1492 vegetables, that the Arabs introduced into Spain. But, as it is prepared today, it contains all New World vegetables—squash--both pumpkin and zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers. Only the chickpeas, an Old World legume, and the seasoning of ground cumin are reminiscent of the pre-Columbian dish.

Baked Squash with Rice (Calabaza Guisada con Arroz)

I’ve turned this traditional Spanish recipe into a vegetarian main. The Spanish recipe calls for pumpkin, peppers, onion and tomatoes to be layered in a pan and simmered or baked until tender. I baked all the veggies on top of a layer of brown rice. I’ve used butternut squash from the garden instead of the more traditional pumpkin.

Sautéed Pumpkin   (Calabaza Frita)

“Fried pumpkin”  is the sort of frugal dish—pumpkin, bread and olive oil—that can be stretched to feed a family. Bread thickens the cooking juices, making a tasty sludge. Vinegar and oregano punch up the flavors. I have adapted the traditional recipe, using the bread to make crisp croutons to toss with pumpkin. This makes a great side dish with roast turkey or grilled sausages. Leftovers can be pureed for a soup.

Pumpkin Stuffed with Millet, Tofu and Chickpeas. (Calabaza Rellena)

This vegetarian stuffed pumpkin is a festive dish, just what is needed for the holiday season. The stuffing mixture can be freely varied in both ingredients as well as quantities. Quinoa instead of millet; kidney beans instead of chickpeas; walnuts in place of pistachios. I used traditional turkey-stuffing herbs—thyme and sage—but middle eastern spices can be used instead. Smoked pimentón adds a “meatiness” to the stuffing (tofu mixed with pimentón reminds me of chorizo). Season generously to give the stuffing some punch.

Pumpkin-Couscous Taboulleh (Ensalada de Calabaza y Cuzcuz).

  This colorful salad can be served as a starter, side or light lunch main. 

Winter Salad with Oranges and Squash  (Ensalada de Naranjas y Calabaza).

Winter is citrus season. Here’s a bright and sunny salad to light up the dark.

Spicy Moroccan Squash Salad (Ensalada de Calabaza). 

Moroccan spices, raisins and toasted almonds with butternut squash. Served room temperature, this makes a nice side dish with a holiday meal.

Flatbread with sardine, pumpkin jam.

   

 This is a cheffy recipe with many parts--marinated sardines on coca, a flatbread somewhat like pizza; served with pumpkin jam or angel’s hair with a scoop of almond-gazpacho sorbet alongside. A fine appetizer or starter and a recipe to keep you busy on a quiet quarantine day.

Pastry Squares with Pumpkin Custard Filling  (Miguelitos con crema de Calabaza)

Is this going to be your substitute for pumpkin pie? The pastry is easy to assemble with frozen puff pastry. The filling of creamy pumpkin puree has warm spices of cardamom and ginger.

Pumpkin-Fruit Compote.

This compote is an adaptation of arrope, a very old way to preserve fruit by cooking it in grape must (the juice extracted from grapes in the first step of wine making, before fermentation takes place). The must is boiled to a thick syrup, then fruits such as quince and apples and vegetables such as pumpkin, eggplant and sweet potatoes are cooked in the syrup.

Fried Pumpkin Puffs (Buñuelos de Calabaza)

    Buñuelos are fiesta food in Valencia. They are small fried doughnuts made with a pumpkin batter. They’re delicious eaten out-of-hand or dipped in thick, hot chocolate. Lovely for dessert or breakfast.

Spaghetti squash, for a different twist on pumpkin pie. 
A squash is a squash is a pumpkin. Using that logic, I decided to substitute spaghetti squash for smooth pumpkin puree in a pie. The result is a pie with traditional flavor plus lots of texture.

 

Candied Angel's Hair.

This pot of gold comes from an unusual squash called cidra. Cidra is the Malabar gourd, Cucurbita ficifolia, or “fig-leaf” gourd. In Spain it seems to be grown for only one purpose—the confection of cabello de angel, “angel’s hair,” a golden confiture of candied strands of the squash. Angel’s hair is used as a filling in many traditional pastries. 

Tart with Angel’s Hair and Almonds  (Tarta Mondoñedo)

This Galician tart combines the angel’s hair with almonds in puff pastry. Pumpkin jam can be substituted for angel’s hair.

Shortbread Bars with Angel’s Hair Filling. (Cortadillos de Cidra)

Made with rendered lard and filled with angel’s hair confiture, cortadillos are a pastry typical of winter’s hog butchering, when lard is plentiful. They are made for the Christmas holidays. 

Pumpkin-Almond Pudding.  (Arnadí)

And, to end with nuts! Made with ground almonds and spiced pumpkin puree, this pudding is like a gluten-free, dairy-free pumpkin pie.