Patrick Oconnell
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin is a variety of pumpkin known for its resemblance to a wheel of cheese. It is an heirloom vegetable with a sweet, delicate flavour and dense, orange flesh. While it fell out of favour in the 20th century due to its odd shape and tough rind, it is making a comeback in dishes such as pies, soups, and roasted or stuffed recipes. This pumpkin variety is ideal for cooking because of its thick walls and minimal stringy flesh.
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What You'll Learn
How to make a pumpkin soup
Long Island Cheese Pumpkins, also known as Cinderella pumpkins, are a great choice for making pumpkin soup. They have a sweet flavour and dense, creamy orange flesh that makes for a thick and creamy soup.
To make a pumpkin soup with a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin, start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Carefully halve the pumpkin, and scoop out the seeds. You can save the seeds to roast later as a snack. Slice each pumpkin half into quarters. Brush or rub the pumpkin flesh with olive oil and place the quarters, cut-side down, on the baking sheet. Roast the pumpkin for 35 minutes or longer, until the orange flesh is easily pierced through with a fork. Set the roasted pumpkin aside to cool.
Once the pumpkin has cooled, heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Cut the pumpkin into 3cm slices, then cut the skin off and scrape out any remaining seeds. Cut the pumpkin into 4cm chunks and place it into the pot, along with one chopped onion, three crushed garlic cloves, and two cups of vegetable broth. You can also add a teaspoon each of ground turmeric, ginger, and cumin for a warm curry flavour. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer rapidly for about 10 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender.
Remove the soup from the heat and use a stick blender to blend it until smooth. If you don't have a stick blender, you can use a regular blender, but be sure to work in batches and protect your hand from the steam when blending hot liquids.
Once the soup is smooth, stir in a cup of coconut milk and a tablespoon of maple syrup. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning or sweetness as needed. If the soup is too thick, you can add some water to adjust the consistency.
Serve the soup with crusty bread or homemade croutons on the side. Enjoy!
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Roasting the pumpkin
Roasting a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin is a great way to prepare this fruit as a meal. The pumpkin gets its name from its resemblance to a wheel of cheese, and it is an old-fashioned variety that fell out of favour due to its odd shape and time-consuming preparation. However, its sweet flavour and dense, creamy, orange flesh make it a tasty option for roasting.
To roast a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin, you will first need to preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, cut the pumpkin into wedges or slices. You can rub the pumpkin slices with olive oil and place them seed-side down on a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil. Alternatively, you can stuff the pumpkin with a mixture of your choice, such as cornbread, spinach, and gruyere cheese before roasting.
If you are roasting plain pumpkin slices, they should cook in the oven for about 50 minutes to an hour, or until a sharp knife can easily pierce the skin and flesh. If you are roasting a stuffed pumpkin, the cooking time will be longer, around one hour and 45 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and the stuffing is puffed and bubbly.
Once the pumpkin is roasted, remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving. If you are making a stuffed pumpkin, you can scoop out the stuffing and serve it alongside the roasted squash.
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Preparing the pumpkin for stuffing
The Long Island Cheese pumpkin is an excellent variety for stuffing due to its thick walls and minimal loose, stringy flesh. Its unique shape, resembling a wheel of cheese, makes it a fun and impressive dish to serve.
Once you have scooped out the seeds and flesh, your pumpkin is ready to be stuffed. You can fill it with a variety of ingredients, such as bread, cheese, meat, vegetables, or a combination of your choice. After stuffing, the pumpkin is baked for about an hour and a half, or until tender.
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Making a pumpkin puree
To make a pumpkin purée, you'll need a pumpkin that's suitable for pumpkin pie, such as a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin. Avoid using a Jack O'Lantern pumpkin, as these are watery, stringy, and hard to convert into a purée.
First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash your pumpkin and cut off the stem, slicing the pumpkin in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds, or you can roast them for a snack. Place the pumpkin halves, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.
Once the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scoop the soft flesh into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, adding a tablespoon or two of water if needed. For a thicker purée, drain the mixture over a cheesecloth to remove excess water.
You can store your homemade pumpkin purée in the fridge for up to a week or freeze it for up to three months.
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Preparing the seeds
Once you've collected the seeds, clean off any remaining pumpkin flesh or meat. Place the seeds in a colander and rinse them under water to separate them from the flesh. Next, soak the seeds in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes to remove any remaining flesh. Then, strain the seeds from the water and place them in a bowl.
From here, you can season the seeds as you like. One option is to mix in olive oil, salt, charissa, and brown sugar. Then, pour the seeds onto a baking sheet and cook them in the oven until they are golden brown and fragrant.
Alternatively, you can save the seeds for future use or discard them. If you want to roast the seeds without seasoning, be aware that they may not get crunchy. One source recommends cooking them for "a lot longer" than 5 minutes to get them crunchy, but another source notes that even after cooking them longer, the seeds were hard to chew and not worth it.
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Frequently asked questions
To make a cheese pumpkin soup, first, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub the pumpkin halves with olive oil and place them seed side down on a sheet tray lined with aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for about 50 minutes or until a sharp knife can easily pierce the skin and flesh. Meanwhile, sauté carrots, onions, and apples, and fry sage leaves in olive oil. Once the pumpkin is cooked, scoop out the meat and blend it with the sautéed vegetables, apple, and vegetable stock. Finally, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with pumpkin seeds, sage leaves, and a drizzle of pumpkin-sage oil.
There are several recipes for stuffed cheese pumpkins, including ones with gruyere, spinach, and cornbread; goat cheese, cilantro, and maple-lime butter; potatoes and sausage; and bread, gruyere, thyme, bacon, garlic, herbs, and heavy cream. To make a stuffed cheese pumpkin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut around the top of the pumpkin to create an opening, remove the seeds and loose flesh, and scoop out the insides. Prepare your desired stuffing and fill the pumpkin. Bake for about an hour and a half, or until the pumpkin is tender.
Cheese pumpkins, specifically Long Island Cheese Pumpkins, are an heirloom variety of winter squash. They are named for their resemblance to a wheel of cheese and have beige skin with deep ridges. Cheese pumpkins have a sweet flavor similar to butternut squash and are often used for pie and soup.
To make a cheese pumpkin puree, choose a pumpkin variety meant for pie, such as Long Island Cheese. Cut the pumpkin into wedges or slices and roast it in the oven for about an hour, with the skin side exposed, until it is very soft. Let the pumpkin cool, then scoop out the flesh and place it in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth, then drain off any excess liquid using a colander or cheesecloth. The puree can be frozen and added to baked goods like pancakes, pie, and cookies.
