Bring on the pumpkin

Labor Day is nearly over here in the US, and that can only mean one thing: pumpkin season has officially begun. Pumpkin spice-flavored items have sprung up on menus everywhere (pro tip – there is no pumpkin in pumpkin spice), but even better, sweet pie pumpkins are popping up in stores. Of course, canned pumpkin is available all year round, but there is something about the shortening days and cooler weather that makes pumpkin items so much better during the fall.

Pumpkin has played a huge role in the culinary history of the U.S., dating back to colonial times. The website Taste of Home reminds us of this with 30 vintage pumpkin dessert recipes, including favorites like pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin muffins. Williams-Sonoma also offers 30 recipes featuring this delicious orange fruit (although we use it as a vegetable, technically pumpkin is a fruit). Many of the Williams-Sonoma recipes highlight the often-overlooked savory side of pumpkin, with dishes like pumpkin ravioli, chicken with pumpkin mole sauce, and pumpkin cassoulet with caramelized onions and roasted garlic.

Of course the love of pumpkin is not constrained by national boundaries, and it is enjoyed in many different ways around the world. The EYB Library is an excellent resource for pumpkin recipes both savory and sweet and from many different ethnicities. Here are a few Member favorites to get you ready for peak pumpkin season:

• Pumpkin chili from Thug Kitchen
• Roast pumpkin, labneh, walnut gremolata and pomegranates from A Change of Appetite by Diana Henry
• Dal and pumpkin soup from The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater
• Pumpkin cheesecake bars from Baked Elements by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
• Sugar & spice pumpkin pie with brandied ginger cream from Fine Cooking by Elizabeth Pruitt
• Pumpkin stuffed with everything good from Around my French Table by Dorie Greenspan (pictured above)