Newspaper Article

Pumpkin eaters

Mayle, Peter

2009

Overview

\"Do you mean to tell me,\" he said, \"that pumpkins all over America are massacred, with all that good honest flesh tossed away, simply to provide a primitive decoration?\" He took a swig of rose. \"Do our American friends know what treasures they're missing? Pumpkin fritters! Pumpkin and apple sauce -- so delightful with sausages! Then, bien sur, there is Toulouse-Lautrec's sublime gratin of pumpkin. \"And it must be said that Mme. [M. Farigoule] makes, during the season, a most exquisite pumpkin risotto.\" He shook his head again. \"No -- to sacrifice a pumpkin for such a frivolous purpose as alowine is a waste, a terrible waste. Whatever next?\" He allowed me to refill his glass while he recovered his composure, and our conversation moved on. The secret is in the preparation of the pumpkin. After removing seeds and fiber, cut the flesh into chunks, leaving the skin still attached. With your hands, mix the chunks in a bowl with 2 or 3 tablespoons of the best olive oil, salt and pepper, a tablespoon of fresh marjoram and a teaspoon of dried oregano. Lay the chunks on a baking tray, skin side down, and put them in the oven, which you have preheated to 425 degreesF. When the chunks of pumpkin are soft and the edges are tinged with brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool, scrape the flesh from the skin and shred with a fork. Prepare your risotto in the usual way and once the rice is ready, stir in the pumpkin, along with freshly grated Parmesan and butter. (Mme. Farigoule's tip is to be extra-generous with both cheese and butter.) Add a sage leaf for decoration, and a sprinkling of Parmesan, et voila.

• Publisher: New York Times Company
• Subject: Farigoule, M