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Food for thought this Halloween

22 Oct 2007

pumkin soupIt’s the scariest time of the year again…and as across the country thousands of pumpkins go under the knife, this year people in Wales are being challenged to use them for more than just the fright-factor.

A carved pumpkin is the centrepiece of any Halloween celebration, but every year the insides are scooped out and thrown in the bin, to be followed soon after by the used pumpkin shell. So this year Waste Awareness Wales is asking people to think a little greener, and see if they can make more use of their Halloween delicacies to reduce the staggering amount of food waste sent to landfill each year.

Councillor Richard Parry-Hughes, chairperson of Waste Awareness Wales said:
"It is easy for our pumpkins and Halloween meals to generate extra food waste which could end up being sent straight to landfill. Much of this food is perfectly useable, so throwing it away is a real waste. By making the most of our food we can help save both the environment and our wallets – and some food that can’t be eaten, like the pumpkin shells can be composted instead of thrown away, to help make this a truly green Halloween."

Tips from Waste Awareness Wales on reducing food waste this Halloween:

  • Use the flesh of the pumpkin to make warming pumpkin soup, or turn it into pumpkin pies, pumpkin and feta cheese tarts or roasted pumpkin risotto. Pumpkin is also a great replacement for sweet potato – and is much cheaper.
  • Even the pumpkin seeds can be used – toast them in a dry pan or roast in the oven then keep in an airtight jar. Sprinkle them over soups, pasta, muesli or salads or use them as a healthy snack.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup (serves 4)

Chopped flesh from one medium sized pumpkin

One onion, finely chopped

One carrot, chopped

One potato, chopped

Two cloves of garlic, crushed

Two chillies, deseeded and sliced

One teaspoon ground cumin

One pint of vegetable stock

One teaspoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to serve

Half a cup of milk

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add onion, garlic, chillies and cumin and sauté until onions are soft.
  2. Add the pumpkin, potato and stock and bring to a gentle boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until pumpkin is soft.
  3. Puree soup in a blender or food processor and return to the pan. Add the milk and reheat gently, seasoning to taste.