By KAREN MADORIN
Seeing photos of my granddaughter’s visit to a pumpkin patch reminds me why these seasonal venues draw visitors from miles around.
Walking among vines to eyeball, and then select and carry home great orange globes connect kids and adults to soil that grew that particular squash and to sun and rain that nurtured it. It’s like holding an electrical wire and getting the full buzz without any shock and spasms.
In addition to linking visitors to the earth, such moments remind folks of simpler times when families united to put up harvests.
Freshly butchered meat cured in smoke houses while attics and cellars swelled to bursting with canned goods and dried crops that kept well through the winter. Pumpkins, squash, and root crops brightened hearts and hearths. Over the winter, cooks retrieved what they needed to create nourishing soups, stews, side dishes, and desserts.
Ironically, many families today have never eaten freshly baked or roasted pumpkin. We served a homemade pie one Thanksgiving to guests who, like us, were born during Eisenhower’s presidency. One of their first comments was, “What is this?” Fresh made pumpkin pie bakes up lighter than that made from a can, making it look unfamiliar. “It tastes like what you expect only different,” another friend explained.
Following our meal, discussion continued about using pumpkins for more than jack-o-lanterns and center pieces in fall décor. It reminded me of the first time I roasted seeds for our daughters. Digging raw seeds out of slimy strands inside pumpkins had both of them squealing, “Gross, yucky, ooooogh!”
It’s hard to imagine anything eliciting such responses would generate “Mmmm, yummy! Can we make more?” It’s amazing how cleaning the seeds, spritzing them with Worcestershire-enhanced butter, and roasting followed by a sea salt sprinkle can make a treat kids and adults love.
Not only were the pumpkin seeds tasty and healthy, the baked pumpkin flesh created delicious soups and side dishes. It took creativity to interest our kids in pumpkin soup or bars, but with coaxing and family cooking activities, they experimented until they accepted this new flavor. Their dad already loved pumpkin pie, so that helped to encourage the girls to explore this new food.
When our vines produce abundantly, our oven warms brisk evenings as cleaned and halved pumpkins roast slowly in the oven. Once the timer buzzes, I scrape soft pumpkin flesh from rinds, puree it , and store it in freezer bags in two cup increments, perfect for most recipes. Throughout the year, I retrieve a bag to concoct warming soups, cookies, healthy breads and puddings, and the always popular traditional pumpkin pie.
Pictures of pumpkins did more than connect me to the patch that grew it and to memories of old-time harvests. It sent me on a search for new recipes I can use to cook up those lucky decorations on our back porch. I’m thinking pumpkin chili or maybe fudge will add adventure to our meals.
Karen Madorin is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover and sixth-generation Kansan.