Post by Madhatter on Oct 30, 2009 21:21:02 GMT
Published to Atherstone forum Friday 30th October 09
Pumpkin carving and creativity is underway, and Warwickshire Waste Partnership is encouraging local residents to make the most of their fillings - instead of sending them to landfill.
This halloween about one million pumpkins will be sold across the country. And the vast majority of these are carved into lanterns for celebrations on 31 October and then tossed into the bin once Hallowe'en is over.
Residents are being reminded that as well as using the shells for carving, they can also make use of the insides of the pumpkins to make many delicious recipes such as pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup or even pumpkin lasagne.
Roasted Pumpkin and coriander soup
1 small pumpkin
2 red peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon juniper seeds
100g celery, chopped
2 small red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
Large bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
Salt
Black pepper
2 tablespoons of crème fraiche
Pinch of paprika
Instructions:
Quarter the pumpkin, remove the seeds (don't discard them, they are lovely when roasted and make a great nibble). Cut the red peppers in half, remove the seeds and place them with the pumpkin onto a roasting tray. Drizzle the flesh with a little olive oil and place into a pre heated oven set at gas mark 6/200C/400F and roast for about 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Scrape the flesh from the skin of the pumpkin and place to one side along with the roasted pepper.
Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan; add the chopped onion, crushed garlic, juniper seeds, celery and red chillies. Cook for a few minutes until the onions and celery are soft. Add the pumpkin and red peppers, the stock and finally the chopped coriander. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and then process the soup in a blender to make it smooth.
Serve with a spoonful of crème fraiche over the top sprinkled with a little paprika.
Also, any bits of the pumpkin that aren't used - such as the seeds and the old lantern shell - can be put in their home composting bin, where they will break down safely and help provide a nitrogen rich ingredient to make compost, which is a nutritious addition to your garden soil.
By minimising food waste like pumpkin remains, residents can divert a huge amount of organic waste from landfill sites. When sent to landfill, the organic waste breaks down without oxygen and produces methane - a greenhouse gas. But when added to the compost bin, the waste breaks down aerobically, and no methane is produced, which is good news for the environment.
More information on recycling, your kerbside recycling containers, or for handy hints and tips on what can and can't be recycled www.warwickshire.gov.uk/recyclewarks
News article courtesy of Warwickshire County Council.
Pumpkin carving and creativity is underway, and Warwickshire Waste Partnership is encouraging local residents to make the most of their fillings - instead of sending them to landfill.
This halloween about one million pumpkins will be sold across the country. And the vast majority of these are carved into lanterns for celebrations on 31 October and then tossed into the bin once Hallowe'en is over.
Residents are being reminded that as well as using the shells for carving, they can also make use of the insides of the pumpkins to make many delicious recipes such as pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup or even pumpkin lasagne.
Roasted Pumpkin and coriander soup
1 small pumpkin
2 red peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon juniper seeds
100g celery, chopped
2 small red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
Large bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
Salt
Black pepper
2 tablespoons of crème fraiche
Pinch of paprika
Instructions:
Quarter the pumpkin, remove the seeds (don't discard them, they are lovely when roasted and make a great nibble). Cut the red peppers in half, remove the seeds and place them with the pumpkin onto a roasting tray. Drizzle the flesh with a little olive oil and place into a pre heated oven set at gas mark 6/200C/400F and roast for about 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Scrape the flesh from the skin of the pumpkin and place to one side along with the roasted pepper.
Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan; add the chopped onion, crushed garlic, juniper seeds, celery and red chillies. Cook for a few minutes until the onions and celery are soft. Add the pumpkin and red peppers, the stock and finally the chopped coriander. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and then process the soup in a blender to make it smooth.
Serve with a spoonful of crème fraiche over the top sprinkled with a little paprika.
Also, any bits of the pumpkin that aren't used - such as the seeds and the old lantern shell - can be put in their home composting bin, where they will break down safely and help provide a nitrogen rich ingredient to make compost, which is a nutritious addition to your garden soil.
By minimising food waste like pumpkin remains, residents can divert a huge amount of organic waste from landfill sites. When sent to landfill, the organic waste breaks down without oxygen and produces methane - a greenhouse gas. But when added to the compost bin, the waste breaks down aerobically, and no methane is produced, which is good news for the environment.
More information on recycling, your kerbside recycling containers, or for handy hints and tips on what can and can't be recycled www.warwickshire.gov.uk/recyclewarks
News article courtesy of Warwickshire County Council.
