-NEW URBAN YUM- KÜRBIS COMFORT FOR A CHILLY OCTOBER

Okay, so for the Black American expats reading this in Europe, let's be honest: outside of the annual pie that's served every Thanksgiving or Christmas, Pumpkin hasn't exactly been at the top of the US food lexicon, and a good number of of us wouldn't recognize it from our childhood outside the iconic Peanuts cartoon ("It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!"), or Halloween arts & crafts .  Pumpkin has generally been known as a kind of throwaway vegetable that only sees the light of day the last two months of the year as home decoration, or worse, as lackluster holiday desserts (the latter of which actually calling for "canned pumpkin" that factually isn't pumpkin at all).   But my, oh my how times have changed! This brightly hued, but culinarily neglected squash has seen a tremendous boom in both nutritional interest and agricultural growth in recent years in the West - with professional chefs and hobby cooks from all over coming up with bold new ways to enjoy Nature's Forgotten Super Squash.  Here's the skinny on The Great (but humble) Pumpkin, and why it's getting it's garnering such long-deserved attention from grocers and foodies alike:

Although the actual word pumpkin made it's first appearance in the Charles Perrault fairytale Cinderella in the late 17th century,  the squash was known previously as PUMPION in the written works of William Shakespeare. Like many of nature's great superfoods, pumpkin hails from Central America. Its origins date back to 7000 B.C., where it has been an important staple in Mexican and Native American foods for millennia. Pumpkin made it's way over to Europe via Italian explorer Cristoforo Columbo  (that's Christopher Columbus for us English speakers), and it first appears in American folklore at the very first Thanksgiving in 1621, although at the time it certainly would not have been served as pie.  Indigenous, Native American peoples also commonly used the squash for medicinal properties; particularly for issues relating to the skin like snake bites, or sun spots.

As food, pumpkin is rich in Vitamin A (yay, beta carotenes!) and good for eyesight.  It's fiber rich, and contains Omega-3s that can positively impact blood sugar levels & help to lower blood pressure. With healthy fibers and counting in at about 43 calories per 200g serving, pumpkin can also be a great nutritional component to aid in weight loss.  Pumpkin seeds (a.k.a. pepitas) are also a superfood, active in lowering high cholesterol- and similar to its fall table-cousin known as turkey- are also rich in the natural, mood enhancing chemical known as tryptophan...  you know, that chemical that makes you really, really drowsy right after you finish your Thanksgiving dinner.  

Note that you can prepare your own pumpkin to store for future recipes by slicing in halves or quarters, scooping out the seeds, and baking at 375°F/190°C until tender. Clear, unblemished pumpkin skin is edible,  but for those who don't prefer it, you can always easily remove it with a wide cheese peeler. After cooking, you can either take the pumpkin flesh and use it immediately,  or puree it, or freeze it for later use. Pumpkin will keep itself happily in your freezer for 6 months. Sound good so far?  Then lets move on to the eats!  Here are recipes we've tried and absolutely loved. To get the recipes, click on the blog names below each photo:

TAPAS NIGHT

For Tapas Night with friends or Abenbrot with family. Pumpkin Hummus from Lazy Cat Kitchen . 

COFFEE DATE DESSERT

A Coffee Cake revamped to decadent perfection. Pumpkin Bread w/ Streusel Topping & Maple Glaze from Club Narwhal . 

SHEET PAN SIDE DISH

A great pairing for chicken or a Sunday roast. Spicy Roasted Pumpkin w/ Honey & Feta from BOURBON & HONEY

LATTES FOR RAINY DAYS

When it's too rainy to be bothered getting to Starbucks, try this Pumpkin Spice Latte Smoothie from IdeaHacks .

CHEESECAKE, MODERNIZED

I like to replace sugary gingersnaps with haferkeks in this Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake from Kraft Canada .

WEEKNIGHT DINNER

Best Comfort Food Ever: Chickpea & Coconut Korma Curry w/Pumpkin via Cook Republic

We hope you'll seriously enjoy trying out these recipes, because Lord knows, we've seriously enjoyed eating them 😉 .  Join us for future Yum entries as we comb the world wide web for dynamic, healthy dishes to try out in our New Urban kitchens and cooking repertoire.  Until then...

Happy Eating, NUY Divas!