One Veg, Five Ways: Spotlight on Pumpkin

With autumn comes one of the most warming seasonal ingredients - the pumpkin.

Whether you're harvesting your own or unpacking one from your veggie box, this humble vegetable (well, fruit, if we're being technical!) can carry you through weeks of meals.

If you're new to the pumpkin scene - or if you're ready for something a little different - here are 5 ways to make the most. No waste, and no boredom!

Roast it.

If you were to cook pumpkin only one way, let this be it! Roasting brings out the natural sweetness and caramelised flavours, plus it gives you a base for plenty of other meals!

Eat roasted pumpkin as a side dish or use it in salads, grain bowls, a mash, pumpkin fritters or atop pizza.

Blend it into soups and stews.

With the cooler weather comes the soup season - and there's no ingredient more classic than pumpkin!

Forming a naturally creamy base without the need for added dairy, pumpkin is just fabulous cooked with onion, garlic, herbs, spices and stock, then whizzed to creamy perfection. Blended pumpkin is also a great way to bulk out stew and pasta sauces, while giving them a rich colour and flavour.

Bake it.

You can go sweet or savoury with this one - pumpkin adds moisture and colour to baked goods, but the flavour is so mild, you barely know it's there!

For sweet, we're talking spiced pumpkin muffins or loaf; pumpkin cake, pumpkin pie and pumpkin pancakes. In the savoury column, we have: pumpkin and feta tart, pumpkin scones and quiche.

Our top tip is to roast and mash the pumpkin before adding it to any baked goods, making sure to drain excess moisture (lest your muffins are soggy!).

Preserve it.

With the right attitude, anything can be preserved! We recommend freezing cubed or pureed pumpkin for future delicacies.

Its also a great addition to chutneys and relish - and have you tried pickling thin strips of pumpkin? Because my word, does it elevate a salad to a whole other dimension!

Use the other bits.

In this consumerist world, it's easy to toss the scraps that aren't so easy to eat… if you're anything like me, you might get a kick out of using every little bit of these delightful orange orbs.

The skin (depending on the variety) is often delicious when roasted, and the seeds can be quickly fashioned into cheap and delicious snacks - just roast them with salt and spices.

As for the fibrous bits and skin you're not so keen to eat, toss them into a homemade stock!