Surround Sound

By Mia Dias Laia Spragg

Tis’ the season for all things pumpkin, and as we approach Halloween, stacks upon stacks of pumpkins are entering our supermarkets. Pumpkin carving is a quintessential Halloween activity, one which all age groups take part in, pridefully displaying our spooky designs outside front doors or windowsills in the run-up to Halloween. 

However, just like Halloween, there is a darker side to this annual tradition. According to Sustainable Food Trust, “out of the 39.9 million pumpkins that were bought this year [2022], 22.2 million will go to waste,” a staggering figure which highlights the sheer amount of food-waste occurring every year just from pumpkins. Pumpkins are amazingly nutrient-filled, and though they unarguably look aesthetically pleasing for this spooky season, pumpkin has so many other uses. An alarming statistic from Hubbub also revealed that only 59% of people are aware that pumpkins are edible. So, if you are part of this 59% don’t feel ashamed, instead feel excited that there are so many delicious and comforting pumpkin recipes to choose from. Below, I will list some of my favourite pumpkin recipes, one which are perfect to fuel yourself with this autumn season, from soups and salads to pies and brownies. 

Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin soup is a classic staple for the autumn months–it’s delicious, filling, and straightforward to make. There are various recipes out there with long ingredient lists, but really, all you need is:

• Your pumpkin
• 1 small brown onion
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• 750ml vegetable stock
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Spices of your choice – I would recommend black pepper, nutmeg, and paprika. 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C Fan
2. Cut your pumpkin up into cubes, not too thick as this will increase the cooking time. Make sure to remove all seeds and skin. 
3. Peel your onion, cut it down the centre and separate some of the layers. 
4. Line a baking tray with baking paper/tin foil.
5. Onto it, place the cubes of pumpkin, layers of onion, and cloves of garlic in an even layer. 
6. Drizzle all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 
7. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring halfway. 
8. To make sure your vegetables are ready, poke a knife into the pumpkin – if the pumpkin is soft to the touch it’s ready! 
9. Let cool for a few minutes. 
10. Tip the roasted pumpkin and onion into a saucepan, and squeeze the garlic from its skin into the pan.  
11. Add the 750ml of vegetable stock and blend until smooth, or your desired consistency. 
12. Change the seasoning levels if necessary, at this point you should blend in the nutmeg and paprika if you wish. 
13. Serve and enjoy! (I would recommend having bread and butter on the side too). 

Pumpkin and goat’s cheese salad

This salad is a good choice if you want to incorporate pumpkin into a fresher but nonetheless filling meal. Minimal cooking is required too, only necessary for roasting the pumpkin! 

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin
• Salad (my favourite to use is baby leaf) 
• Goat’s cheese 
• Pine nuts (optional)

For the seasoning:

• White wine vinegar 
• Olive oil
• Dijon mustard
• Honey
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C Fan
2. Cut the skin from your pumpkin and remove the seeds.
3. Cut your pumpkin into cubes and place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper/tin foil. 
4. Drizzle the pumpkin with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. 
5. Place into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until soft. 
6. Once cooked, begin to plate your salad. I like to put about a handful and a half of salad into a bowl. 
7. Place your roasted pumpkin, goats cheese, and a handful of pine nuts (optional) on top of the salad. 
8. Pour vinaigrette on top of the salad and toss to cover salad leaves. 

How to make vinaigrette dressing: 

1. To make just enough for one salad portion, I like to put about 1 tbsp of vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper, 1 tsp of honey, 1 tsp of mustard into a glass and whisk. 

Pumpkin pie

I had to add pumpkin pie– it’s a classic! Nothing screams autumn like a pie, and it’s great for those who don’t have a massive sweet tooth but still want an autumnal treat. Pumpkin isn’t naturally very sweet, so you can level it up by adding ice cream or whipped cream if you wish. 

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• Roll of ready-made sweet shortcrust pastry (I find the Jus-Rol ones to be the best)

For the filling:

• 450g of pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
• 75g brown sugar 
• 1tsp of cinnamon 
• ½ tsp of nutmeg
• ½ tsp of allspice
• 275ml double cream

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C Fan.
2. Roll out the ready-made pastry and line a 23cm/9inch pie plate. Blind bake for 20 mins, then let sit.
3. For the filling, cover a baking tray with a layer of pumpkin, cover with foil and let roast for approx. 30 mins (or until soft).
4. Once roasted, lightly press on the pumpkin with a paper towel to remove liquid and drain any excess. 
5. Set your pumpkin aside until it is cool. Then either blend in a food processor, or mash into a puree.
6. Whisk eggs and extra yolk together in a large bowl.
7. Pour 275ml double cream into a pan, along with the spices and sugar. Bring this to a simmer, whisking to ensure everything combines.
8. Pour in the eggs and whisk again. 
9. Now add in your pumpkin puree and mix until everything is of an even consistency. 
10. Reduce oven temperature by 20°C, so 180°C/160°C Fan.
11. Pour filling into the pastry case and bake for 35-40 minutes.
12. Remove pie from oven and place the tin on a cooling rack.
13. Serve hot or cold with some whipped cream or ice cream. 

Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting

This pumpkin cake recipe is the perfect one to make during the transition into November, with Christmas on the horizon. Packed with spices, sultanas, and orange, this cake has everything you could want in a deliciously festive cake, also providing a perfect remedy necessary after the Halloween festivities come to an end. 

Ingredients:

• 300g self-raising flour
• 300g sugar
• 3 tsp mixed spice
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 175g sultanas
• A pinch of salt
• 4 eggs
• 200g butter (melted)
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 tbsp of orange juice
• 500g peeled and grated pumpkin

For the frosting:

• 200g soft cheese
• 85g butter (softened)
• 100g icing sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C Fan
2. Butter and line a baking tin with baking paper 
3. Into a large mixing bowl, put the flour, sugar, spice, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas, and salt and mix together
4. Mix the eggs into the melted butter, stirring in the orange zest and juice.
5. Mix this mixture into the dry ingredients until combined. Stir in the pumpkin. 
6. Pour the batter into the baking tin and bake for 30 minutes. 

To make the frosting:

1. Beat together 200g soft cheese, 85g softened butter, 100g icing sugar, orange zest, and 1 tbsp of orange juice until smooth. Place the frosting in the fridge. 
2. When the cake is done, let cool for a few minutes and then place onto a cooling rack. 
3. Prick the cake all over and drizzle the remaining orange juice whilst still warm. Leave to cool. 
4. Beat the frosting to loosen, and spread over the top of the cake.

Pumpkin spice latte

This recipe only requires 2 tsp of pumpkin puree, so if you have some pumpkin left over–or want to store up some pumpkin puree to use later on–this is a great and quick little treat to make. Skip the Starbucks trip this year, and instead make your own pumpkin spice latte with this simple recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp pumpkin puree
• Pinch of mixed spice
• 30ml espresso
• 250ml milk of your choice

Method:

1. Put the pumpkin puree in a mug or heatproof glass.
2. Mix in the spices and espresso.
3. In a saucepan, heat up the milk on a low heat. 
4. Pour into the mug or glass and stir to combine. 
5. Dust with cinnamon and enjoy!

Even if you’re not a fan of baking, you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to use up your pumpkin! Roasted pumpkin on its own is delicious, and can easily be put on top of any salad, or on the side of any dish as an extra dose of potassium and vitamin C. Reducing waste and enjoying seasonal foods is what is most important, so make sure to use your pumpkin in more ways than one this Halloween season.