White Pumpkins & Photos

I had two things in mind when we went to a local pumpkin patch on Saturday. One was I wanted lots of photos which I succeeded at. Of course, they are not perfect by any means. They turned out pretty well considering my daughter is in the no picture taking phase and my son is just five months old. It would have been nice to get a family of four photo but that just did not happen.

The second thing I wanted was a white pumpkin. White is the new orange at least when we are talking about pumpkins. White pumpkins are everywhere. I see them in home decor stores, on pinterest, and in magazines. I am not sure why I thought they may be hard to come by. I thought I possibly would not find one of these albino pumpkins. I was wrong. There were plenty. I must have influenced my daughter by talking the white pumpkins up. She was immediately drawn to them. Mila pointed and showed me where all the white pumpkins were. When it was time to pick out pumpkins, Mila chose three white and just one orange pumpkin. The small white pumpkins she chose are called baby boos. How cute!

I researched white pumpkins on the internet and found out some interesting facts. Although they are a bit pricier than their orange cousin, they are easier to carve. The skin is less tough and a knife should go right through it. Also, I am sure they are easier to paint. We are not into carving quite yet but I know Mila would love to paint one of these ghost pumpkins.

The white pumpkin is simply just a different variety of the fall favorite. White pumpkins can be substituted for orange pumpkins in many recipes. The texture and taste are similar. Here is a recipe I came across that I definitely want to make.

ROASTED WHITE PUMPKIN SOUP RECIPE

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  1 hour 30 mins

Total time:  1 hour 45 mins

Yield: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups white pumpkin (about a 5 pound pumpkin)
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves finely minced garlic
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
• ¼ cup dry amontillado
• ½ heavy cream
• Salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Half and seed pumpkin. Slice each half into quarters. Place on baking sheet cut side up then drizzle with olive oil; add salt and pepper. Roast for about 1 hour, or until pumpkin is lightly brown and tender when pricked with a fork. Remove from oven and cool. When pumpkin is cool enough to handle, remove skin and set aside.
2. Add ¼ cup olive oil, garlic, and onion to stockpot; sauté until onion is almost translucent. Add amontillado and cook for about 3 minutes more.
3. Add pumpkin and stock to sauce pot. Add salt and pepper to taste; simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Using an immersion blender, purée mixture until completely smooth. Add cream and mix well. Adjust salt and pepper as necessary.

White pumpkins have been around for a while. I feel like this year they are the popular choice. White goes a lot better with my decorating style. White pumpkins will be an ongoing Halloween purchase at my household from now on. Orange pumpkins are so yesterday!