When we buy our pumpkins from the farm, I always make sure to grab a couple of cooking 
pumpkins. They have a higher sugar content than carving pumpkins, and their flavor is definitely less "woodsy". They almost taste like sweet potatoes when you cook them. This weekend I bought my usual Mammoth Gold pumpkin, which I immediately brought into the kitchen to butcher, cook, and eat. The new one I haven't tried before is a Cinderella pumpkin, aptly named because it has the more squat shape of the pumpkin turned into a coach by the dear Fairy Godmother. It's also a beautiful reddish orange color that is mesmerizing. Here is a photo of the Cinderella.
pumpkins. They have a higher sugar content than carving pumpkins, and their flavor is definitely less "woodsy". They almost taste like sweet potatoes when you cook them. This weekend I bought my usual Mammoth Gold pumpkin, which I immediately brought into the kitchen to butcher, cook, and eat. The new one I haven't tried before is a Cinderella pumpkin, aptly named because it has the more squat shape of the pumpkin turned into a coach by the dear Fairy Godmother. It's also a beautiful reddish orange color that is mesmerizing. Here is a photo of the Cinderella.The Mammoth Gold pumpkin is a lovely smooth-skinned light pinkish-orange pumpkin with a rather pointed flower end. I've always used this kind for cooking, and my pies, soups, and whatever else I make turn out with a nice texture and delicious but mild pumpkin taste.
On Saturday I cut up my fresh gourd and put about three quarters of it in the oven to roast at 
350 degrees for about 45 minutes. I use a baking sheet with sides because pumpkins produce a lot of water. Did you know that once the pumpkin flower is fertilized, the fruit has as many cells as it will ever have? The cells just continue to absorb nutrients and water in their vacuoles as they grow and the pumpkin cells swell. (This is true of most fruits). Thus, there is a lot of water in a pumpkin. I had to use a turkey baster to suck out water from the pan as the pumpkin roasted. After about 30 minutes I flip the pieces over to let the underside face the heat for another 15 minutes. Once the flesh is easily pierced with a fork, I take the pumpkin out. After cooling, the 
flesh can easily be scraped from the skin with a spoon. I put it in a collander to drain for a couple hours, stirring occasionally. Once the flesh is well-drained I pack it into containers and freeze it.
350 degrees for about 45 minutes. I use a baking sheet with sides because pumpkins produce a lot of water. Did you know that once the pumpkin flower is fertilized, the fruit has as many cells as it will ever have? The cells just continue to absorb nutrients and water in their vacuoles as they grow and the pumpkin cells swell. (This is true of most fruits). Thus, there is a lot of water in a pumpkin. I had to use a turkey baster to suck out water from the pan as the pumpkin roasted. After about 30 minutes I flip the pieces over to let the underside face the heat for another 15 minutes. Once the flesh is easily pierced with a fork, I take the pumpkin out. After cooling, the 
flesh can easily be scraped from the skin with a spoon. I put it in a collander to drain for a couple hours, stirring occasionally. Once the flesh is well-drained I pack it into containers and freeze it.With the remaining quarter of the pumpkin, I make pumpkin soup. The kids love it, and though Jay isn't thrilled with any kind of orange food, he eats it and acts like he likes it. I think it tastes delicious. I pare the skin off the raw pumpkin and cut it into 1.5-inch cubes. I put this in a steamer in the microwave for about 15 minutes. Once 
the bright orange flesh is very soft, I stir it up a bit to mash it and let it drain for a couple hours. You don't have to drain it so long, but if more water remains in the pumpkin you need less liquid in the soup recipe.
the bright orange flesh is very soft, I stir it up a bit to mash it and let it drain for a couple hours. You don't have to drain it so long, but if more water remains in the pumpkin you need less liquid in the soup recipe.To make the soup, I saute some chopped onions in a soup pot, and then add salt, white pepper, and curry powder to taste. The somewhat mashed pumpkin is then added and stirred until the mixture is hot and soft. Using a hand-held blender, I puree the pumpkin until it is very smooth. Then I mix in half and half or whipping 
cream. The latter makes the soup a bit thicker. Seasonings can be adjusted to taste. For the kids' portion of soup, I put some steamed mashed pumkin in a separate pan without onions. I add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves (optional...my kids don't like cloves too much) and a bit of salt. You can also add sugar to taste. Once the spices are mixed in, I puree the mixture, and then add half and half to make the appropriate soup consistency. The soup must not be heated to boiling once the milk is added.
cream. The latter makes the soup a bit thicker. Seasonings can be adjusted to taste. For the kids' portion of soup, I put some steamed mashed pumkin in a separate pan without onions. I add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves (optional...my kids don't like cloves too much) and a bit of salt. You can also add sugar to taste. Once the spices are mixed in, I puree the mixture, and then add half and half to make the appropriate soup consistency. The soup must not be heated to boiling once the milk is added.
The pumpkin I roasted is now in the freezer awaiting pumpkin pies. I'm going to commit the Cindrella pumpkin to the same fate soon, and she will also take a place beside the Mammoth in the freezer. I plan to make them both into separate pies and see which one I like best.
The final thing we did with the pumkin was to roast the seeds. My mom used to do this when we were kids, and I love them even more now that we get the much fatter seeds with the Mammoth Golds. Merrilee separated seeds from the pulp, and we rinsed them and laid them out in a single layer in a baking pan. I sprinkled Kosher coarse salt on the seeds and put them in a 250-degree oven for about 30 minutes, making sure I stirred and turned them every ten minutes or so. The dry roasted seeds must be kept in a sealed container to keep from getting soft from ambient humidity. They're not so good if they don't stay crisp.
