The last post in the Kürbisfest 2023 series.
Good news: Other people also keep their pumpkins around until the end of February. This Muskat was in the window of a café/specialty foods shop in the Hauptstraße.
When the third UFO started to get a little soft, it was time to say goodbye. I had bought it with the intention of roasting it one day when I was home alone for supper, but this day never came. I decided to put it into some Kartoffelstampf (mashed potatoes with some structure left in).
This was a stupid idea, as I had to peel off all that shell. Use a different variety for your mash and purees.
The ratio of pumpkin flesh to potato was pretty small. I’m not sure what the optimal ratio is, but this was not it. There was very little pumpkin taste, but I used warmed cream, so the mash was fantastic.
February 2024
Anyway, as long I was processing forlorn gourds, I decided to roast and puree the remaining Lakota, using roughly the same process as before.
February 2024
That pink meat slurry next to it in the oven? Leberkäs, much beloved in Bavaria. You can buy it in supermarkets and cook it at home yourself, which I had never done before, because even though it’s cheaper to buy it that way rather than ready to eat, I’m not sure you save any money after you factor in running the oven for 80 minutes. But since I was roasting anyway… (It was delicious, but it was too much for two people.)
There are four cups of pumpkin puree in the freezer, ready for action. Maybe some nice fall treats for Easter.
“That’s cheating, Radish! I expected you to use all those pumpkins!”
Hey, I cooked all those pumpkins, that’s good enough for me to declare this project a success.
Until next September!