October Culinaria: Blue Pumpkin, Crabapple Jelly, Cornbread

Yes it's a pumpkin, yes it's pale blue. . . and yes it trumps a regular Pumpkin in all regards.  

It has flesh that's densely orange with not much void space and few seeds.
 It has big flavor like a butternut squash, but is a lot larger for the money.  The one shown here was not quite big enough to carve into a Jack-o-Lantern and weighed 12 pounds!

Here it is before gutting.Here it is fresh from the oven.

October is for finding ways to use the embarrassment of riches provided by the harvest.  In this case, this one pumpkin made 6 quarts of thick pureed soup, added colorful chunks to a curry, contributed to a roasted root vegetable dish, and still there was a quart left of cubed flesh to be given away.  After six meals worth, even I had to cry "uncle" and freeze what soup we hadn't eaten.



Then there's the crabapple tree from which we gathered about 15 pounds of good ripe fruit.  I didn't get to using it right away, and the shelf life of these little guys is short - use them within a few days or be prepared to sort out masses of squishy ones - which I had to do.  But still I had enough for a few pints of good jelly.

One important technique to making good jelly is to cook it fast for maximum flavor.  The longer it boils, the more it loses.  I added a bit of enhancement to this batch in the form of coriander and cardamom seeds, which I strained out before pouring into the jars.   From what I tasted in the pan, this is my best batch yet.

I love this color.  

As for cornbread – I use a recipe from the Joy of Cooking, with some tweaks.  One being that I cook the main batch in a 7” wok made of anodized aluminum – this gives the loaf a good crust (as would cast iron) and a lovely UFO shape that makes good wedges when cut.  Also, I bake off a small amount of the batter in a corn stick pan so there’s some to eat right away, as these cook in just a few minutes. 

Then there’s the duck fat.  I like bacon fat also but duck fat left over from making Duck Confit is loaded with the flavor of rosemary, thyme, and garlic – all of which work well with corn. I spoon a 1-2 oz. lump into the hot wok before I add the batter, and the result is great crust with easy release from the pan and a good hit of deep herbal flavor.  If you live in St. Louis and read this blog, I can connect you with a source for this wonderful ingredient.  Just let me know you’re interested.  

I hope your October was bountiful too.

Have a corn stick.