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Palate-pleasing pumpkin: When it's holiday time, bring out this orange edible

December 10, 2008|JENNIFER BRUMMETT

I don't know whether pumpkin is a fruit or vegetable. I looked it up online and I still don't know. My favorite definition, FOUND HERE, reads, "Botanically, pumpkins are classified as a fruit. Culinary, they are used mostly as a savory vegetable and sometimes as a fruit."

Right, then. That clarifies it.

At dictionary.com, it's a fruit. At gardening sites, it's a vegetable because it has seeds. Frankly, I don't care whether it is a fruit or vegetable. I just like recipes that include pumpkin - it seems to be a hallmark of the end-of-year holiday season.

As I contemplated pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread - yummy sweets that are great with warm drinks in cooling weather - I pondered other recipes with this big orange ... frugetable. What would it be good in that's savory? What options were out there?

I went hunting for answers to these questions and came across a couple of winners. The Pumpkin Turkey Chili was hearty and pretty tasty, but the spices definitely need to be bumped up a bit. It came out a tad on the bland side, unfortunately. But it definitely has promise. Increasing the amount of chili powder to at least a couple of tablespoons, and maybe adding a dash or two of cayenne, will improve it.

Also, topping it with sharp cheddar complements the smooth flavors of the chili. A little light sour cream is a nice topping, too. Serving the dish over brown rice also is a toothsome variation.

The Pumpkin Fluff Dip is soooo easy, and quite yummy, too. Again, you can play around with the spice to suit your taste, regardless of what the recipe says. A teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice just seems a bit stingy to me - a tablespoon is more my cup of ... pumpkin.

And dipping cinnamon graham crackers in it? Simply scrumptious.

Enjoy your culinary ventures with pumpkin, a marvelous frugetable for the season.

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Pumpkin Turkey ChilI

1 tablespoon vegetable oil1 cup chopped onion1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper (orange is fine, too, if you can't find yellow)1 clove garlic, minced1 pound ground turkey1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes2 cups pumpkin puree1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper1 dash salt1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese1/2 cup sour cream

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and saut the onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper and garlic until tender.

2. Stir in the turkey, and cook until evenly brown.

3. Drain, and mix in tomatoes and pumpkin.

4. Season with chili powder, pepper and salt.

5. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

6. Serve topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream.

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Pumpkin Fluff Dip

1 16-ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed1 5-ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix1 15-ounce can solid pack pumpkin1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1. In a large bowl, mix together instant vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.

2. Fold in the thawed frozen whipped topping.

3. Chill in the refrigerator until serving with graham crackers, cinnamon graham crackers or ginger snaps.

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