Talking about the benefits of eating seasonal food is easy. However, in practice, it’s not as simple as it initially seems. To spark fresh ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, let’s focus on what is perhaps the healthiest local December product — pumpkin. Choose the brightest orange varieties if you prefer a sweet, "carrot-like" beta-carotene taste, or pale yellow-orange elongated ones for a more "vegetable-forward" flavor. The delicate taste of any variety allows for quick preparation of diverse dishes: from creamy breakfasts and light salads to hearty vegetable mains or even dessert ingredients.
Pumpkins are rich in vitamins A, B, C, PP, E (which helps prevent wrinkles and aging when consumed regularly), fiber, and minerals like calcium, iron, sugar, copper, fluoride, and zinc. They also contain the rare vitamin T, which aids in digesting heavy meals, and pectin, which helps eliminate cholesterol, radioactive substances, toxic metals, radionuclides, and pesticides from the body. The combination of beta-carotene and vitamin E in pumpkin makes it a fantastic immune booster, helping to prevent colds and support eye health. Knowing all this, it’s impossible not to cook with pumpkin.
- 500 g pumpkin
- 1 small white onion or shallot
- 15 g ginger
- 350 ml boiling water
- 60 ml coconut milk
- pinch of chili
Sauté onion, ginger, and diced pumpkin in olive oil in a skillet until softened. Add the broth, coconut milk, and chili. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 25 minutes (for larger quantities, cook for up to an hour). Let cool slightly, then blend until smooth. Serve with fresh herbs like mint or green onion, and optionally drizzle with lime or lemon juice or a bit more coconut milk on top.
For an alternative method, you can use pre-roasted pumpkin instead of sautéing.
Sauté onion, ginger, and diced pumpkin in olive oil in a skillet until softened. Add the broth, coconut milk, and chili. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 25 minutes (for larger quantities, cook for up to an hour). Let cool slightly, then blend until smooth. Serve with fresh herbs like mint or green onion, and optionally drizzle with lime or lemon juice or a bit more coconut milk on top.
For an alternative method, you can use pre-roasted pumpkin instead of sautéing.
