A visit to the Pumpkin Patch: The Spooks & The Spicy
Fall is here and so is Halloween, so we made our trip to the farm with the kids. It is a yearly ritual for us, picking the pumpkins, taking a hay ride through the mazes and petting and feeding the farm animals. This time the animals would not eat at all. I guess they were too tired & bored with all the zillion kids feeding them. They just sat in the shade and chewed on with a drowsy look.
Along with the pumpkins & the animals were some very pretty but monster size sunflowers.
Can you spy the bee?
The eye of the pumpkin?
This Group of Jack O Lanterns are going to ITB OCTOBER: Halloween Pumpkins.
The Jack O Lantern is going to DK’S Pumpgrins.
Now for the Spicy…
Pumpkin with Homemade Harissa
I have never used such a spicy sauce with pumpkin before. But sweet of the pumpkin flesh was very well complemented with the spice of the Harissa.
This is being sent off to AFAM: PUMPKIN (OCTOBER 2008) hosted by Madhuram, & started my Maheswari.
& Also to ITB October: Halloween Pumpkins! hosted by Julia from A Slice of Cherry Pie.
Ingredients:
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2 tablespoons Olive Oil
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1/2 teaspoon Roasted Cumin Powder
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1 tablespoon of Tomato Puree
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Sea Salt
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3 Tablespoons of Harissa
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1 Small Yellow Onion Cut into half and sliced into to thin slices
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1/2 cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro/Coriander
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2 cups of Yellow Pumpkin Cubed
Preparation:
Heat Oil in a thick bottomed flat Pan. Add the onion slices and stir fry till they are glazed and just start to brown.
Add the cubed pumpkins and sea salt and fry tossing them around at high heat till the sides of the pumpkin start to brown.
Add the Harissa, tomato puree ( adjust the quantity of the Harissa.. use less if you want it less spicy) and stir till the sauce coats the pumpkins.
Add the chopped cilantro & the roasted ground Cumin and stir it for about 5 minutes. Cover it and cook at low heat till the pumpkins are soft enough to be pierced with a fork easily.
Serve with Flat Breads, Rice, Couscous or as an accompaniment to any dish.
Wow !!
What a post !! lovely photos….. !!! I already guessed by now that you are a great cook ! Today, am confirmed you have got trememdous creative eye as well !
Your kids must have had a great time on the farm!
Soma, this sounds superb! And what a beautifully carved pumpkin! You rock gal.
That is too creative..And the dish looks lovely.
Hey awesome pics and recipes.. love them. thanks for visiting my blog Soma.
Appreciate it.
Beautiful pictures, Soma. I loved the first one and the carving.
A new recipe to me as well.
You have carved them so well..spooky indeed!
Hi Soma, thank you for stopping by my blog! Came to check yours. It’s lovely. Love your pumpkin dish. Looks delicious! I am going to subscribe to you to keep updated and will add you to my links. Keep up the good work!
beautiful pic and pumpkin carving s very nice. Yr recipe is diffrnt and looks yum…
Wishing u Happy Halloween…..its really a spooky post…….Just kidding….
Lovely post and Pumpkin Harissa looks lips smacking….I am drooling over the pictures…
Hi Soma, this is my first time here. Thank you for participating in the event. It was so nice of you to share your experience and photos of pumpkin picking. Actually my son’s pre school had scheduled for a field trip to a pumpkin patch nearby and it was cancelled due to heavy rains. So we didn’t make it this year.
I was recently introduced to Harissa, so this combination is definitely new to me. We did like the flavor of harissa so much, so no wonder this side dish turned out lip smacking.
Thanks all of you. I feel so elated for u guys appreciating the carving:-D I really enjoyed doing it even tho it took a long time, esp. with 2 little ones with their demands.. I feel so sorry to see the pumpkins collapse.
& if u like spicy do try out dishes with Harissa.
Such great snaps Soma! Am definitely going to try the Harissa. 🙂
Sweet pumpkin with harisa sounds good!
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