If October had a color, it would undoubtedly be orange. A pumpkin orange, because this is the queen fruit of autumn. And yes, we have said fruit and we have said it well, because that is the pumpkin, because inside it contains the seeds from which another pumpkin can be born, which is the factor that differentiates fruits from vegetables.
At Peris we work with pumpkin all year round, mainly grown in Spain, in order to maintain a constant supply of fresh pumpkin. Right now we are at the time of cutting and harvesting of pumpkin in our country, it comes entirely from orchards of Valencia. Murcia and Castilla La Mancha.
Integrating pumpkin into our autumn-winter diet is a great decision. It is a versatile fruit that can be consumed in a thousand ways: grilled, as crudités, roasted as a delicious and healthy dessert, and of course in cream, which are delicious. So much so, that at the end of this post we give you a spiced pumpkin cream recipe that the whole family will love.
In Vicente Peris we are specialists and producers of several varieties of pumpkins. We introduce them to you and tell you about their best uses:
- Peanut squash: it is one of the most common and appreciated for multiple recipes, since it is delicious in any way: baked, fried, boiled, roasted and even raw. Once cooked, you can even eat it with its skin on, especially if it is an organic pumpkin, which will provide your recipes with an extra dose of fiber. From conventional and organic farming.
- Carruecano pumpkin: they are usually elongated pieces of larger size than peanut squashes. Its skin is veined and alternates between orange and green. With it you can prepare creams, sautés and stews. It was originally consumed in northern Spain and the Canary Islands, although it has now spread throughout the peninsula. This variety is usually purchased cut, as the pieces weigh between 8 and 25 kg each.
- Roteña pumpkin: do you remember Cinderella’s pumpkin that turned into a carriage? Well, that pumpkin was a Roteña. It is the classic warty skin, round and flattened. They are large pieces, which can reach up to 5 – 8 kilos in weight. Because of its natural sweetness, it is mostly prepared roasted in the oven and the result is a delicious dessert or snack, ideal for mid-afternoon, as it will give us extra energy to finish the day. It is also the base for the famous pumpkin fritters and pumpkin pies.
Properties of pumpkin what it brings to your diet
Maybe you’ve already noticed, but at Vicente Peris we are big fans of pumpkin, that’s why we work with it all year round. Because we like our customers’ diets to have a good dose of vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium, fiber, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. In addition, pumpkin is low in calories, so it is perfect for weight loss or weight control processes, as long as we cook it without adding other ingredients that increase its caloric intake.
In addition to the whole pieces that we serve to greengrocers and greengrocers throughout the country, we also produce roasted pumpkin, which we bake ourselves in our V Range division. Peris’ roasted pumpkin is of the Roteña variety. We always choose the best pieces, of gourmet quality, which we prepare with controlled temperature and all food safety standards. From there, it goes to the oven to roast at a constant temperature of 180ºC for 90 minutes. The result is so delicious, that we can say without embarrassment that our roasted pumpkin Peris have a large number of fans.
We have also thought of those who prefer to work in the kitchen with the pumpkin already peeled and cut into pieces. For them, we elaborate two formats in the Fresh Cut division , one with larger pieces, perfect for creams, and the other with smaller pieces, to incorporate them directly into stews without having to handle them at home.
Roasted, peeled and organically grown pumpkin. Vicente Peris
Take advantage and do not get lost, because the pumpkin is at its best moment. The next time you go back to your favorite fruit store, or to the gourmet space of your usual supermarket, ask for a Peris pumpkin, cook it with the love it deserves (and that you deserve, because you are going to eat it), and enjoy the result.
Spiced pumpkin cream soup recipe
And now, the spiced pumpkin cream recipe we promised you. To the stove!
Ingredients for 4 people:
1 Peris organic peanut pumpkin (approximately 1 kg.)
1 sweet onion
1 leek
2 garlic
EVOO
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
Ginger powder
Ground cumin
750 ml. milk/vegetable drink/water
Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds, but do not throw them away, because we are going to bake them too.
In a baking dish, place the two halves of the pumpkin and reserve a hole to put the seeds.
Bake the pumpkin at 180º for 45′ or until you see that the pulp comes through without difficulty. Remove the seeds from the oven after 10′ and set aside.
In a saucepan, heat a little EVOO and add the diced onion, sauté for 5 minutes. Then add the chopped leek and the two garlic, sauté for 5 minutes more. Now add the roasted pumpkin in chunks. If it is peanut, you will see that the skin has become very tender and integrated with the pulp, and you can also add it to the saucepan.
Add a pinch of salt, pepper, nutmeg, ginger powder and ground cumin. Mix it all together and add the milk. Allow to cook for 10 – 15 minutes. Check that all the ingredients are tender, remove from the heat and blend.
You can add more milk (or water if you prefer it lighter).
Serve with a drizzle of EVOO and toasted seeds on top.
Enjoy!
If you want to know more recipes with pumpkin, we invite you to visit our website
Pumpkin recipes by Peris.