Pumpkin Season Year Round

Pumpkins are always in season in Singapore but the time of the year that brings to mind pumpkin carvings and pies, and all that is this versatile gourd is known for, is the season of autumn, and the month of October in particular. Versatile is an understatement when referring to this vegetable. It is used in soups, salads, entrees, sides and desserts. All parts can be consumed. You can carve a pumpkin for decor before you eat it too!... my fav (see NYC archive entry for cool pumpkin carving idea). I love toasting the seeds with a sprinkle of kosher salt the way my dad used to for a delicious snack and the mushy insides can be ground for just about any type of flavor added to fillings and foods. The bright colored meat (and skin if you're into that sort of thing... I am) can be cooked up and used in just about any meal. SO Kay and I used pumpkin as the staple of our smorgasbord one night in Singapore. We boiled slices of Japanese pumpkin (the one that is widely available here in Asia... though there are plenty of varieties) for a diced pumpkin appetizer - tossed in salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste - along side whatever we could find in the fridge... which turned out to be fried bacon wrapped cabbage (finely diced and crunched by hand free of it's natural liquids - which to my surprise turns out to b the same form as sauerkraut), a board of freshly chopped cheeses and prosciutto and my dad's bruschetta which is nothing more than fresh tomato, oregano, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Don't forget the dessert of ritter and haribou grapefruit and a game of Jenga for a perfect night in! 

l