Baby Bear, Sugar Treat and Funny Face may sound like names for your sweetie, but they’re also some of the many varietals of pumpkins, which are native to North America and were a healthy dietary staple long before they became jack-o-lanterns. Pumpkin pie is thought to have originated when colonists sliced off the pumpkin top, removed the seeds, and then filled it with milk, spices and honey; the pumpkin was then baked in the hot ashes of a dying fire.

SELECTION AND STORAGE

The pumpkin is a winter squash, known for its thick, hard skin. Look for mature pumpkins that give a woody note when tapped (like a hollow log), feel heavy and have a sturdy stem. Leave the ones with wrinkled surfaces, cuts or bruises behind. Uncut, pumpkins and other winter squash will keep for months when stored in a cool, dark ventilated place and on straw or cardboard (not on the cement floor or your nice rug). Cut jack-o-lanterns will last longer if soaked in a solution of one teaspoon of bleach per one gallon of water overnight (cover the whole pumpkin in the solution, then invert it the next morning to drain and dry). Spray the same formula on the cut pumpkin daily to prolong its time on your porch.

DID YOU KNOW?

October is “Celebrate PlacerGROWN Month,” and there’s a Farm and Barn Tour, Crop to Tabletop Dinner, Machado Orchards Apple Festival and other special events—all guaranteed to be delicious. It’s a beautiful month to be out and about in Placer County, and most events are family-friendly. For details, dates and links for tickets, visit placergrown.org.

Leek and Pumpkin Soup with Mandarin Brown Butter

Recipe by Courtney McDonald

• 6 lbs. RougeVif d’etampes, Musque de Provence or other pumpkin, seeds removed and cut into wedges for roasting
• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, + 4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter for browning
• 2 leeks, green tops removed, washed well and sliced crosswise
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
• Chicken or vegetable stock (enough to cover squash)
• Zest and juice of 1 mandarin

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the pumpkin wedges on a large baking sheet and toss with 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast, turning once, until pumpkin is soft—about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Scoop pumpkin flesh from the skin and set aside.

In a large soup pot over medium flame, heat the remaining olive oil and 1/4 cup butter until butter is melted. Add the leeks and garlic (if using), celery and carrot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are soft and fragrant—about 15 minutes. Add the cooked squash and enough chicken or vegetable stock to barely cover vegetables. Bring the pot to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until all vegetables are very soft—about 30 minutes. Purée soup in a blender in batches and return to the pot. Adjust seasoning and add cream, if using.

While soup is cooking, heat the remaining 4 oz. butter in a medium sauté pan or sautior over high heat. Allow the milk solids to begin to caramelize on the bottom of the pan. Once the butter begins to smell “nutty,” remove from the heat and immediately add the mandarin juice and zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep in a warm spot until ready to use.

Heat soup back to a simmer and serve. Serves 6.

— Carol Arnold 

PlacerGROWN © Diana Taliun/fotolia.com. For details on where to buy Placer County farm-fresh produce, wine, meat and other products, visit placergrown.org and foothillfarmersmarket.com.