"Huerta",  Recipes

Harvesting Pumpkins Plus A Vegan Pumpkin Ice-Cream Recipe.

On Sunday, the jungle that was our pumpkin plant plot was transformed back to it’s previous state of being a nice and tidy fruit tree plot. The pumpkins were picked, the land was rotavated and the weeds surrounding the trees were dug up and placed on the ground around them to keep the humidity in the earth as long as poss. The trees now don’t have to battle with the pumpkin plants for water and nutrients.

The fruit trees look happier already

A few days previous Pep had mentioned that Sunday was the day, according to the moon diary, that fruit or veg should be harvested if you’re planning on storing them for a while (and we can’t go against the moon diary). Seeing as we still have some pumpkins (calabazas) and butternut squashes (calabazas cacahuete) left from last year, I think we can certainly assume that this year’s pumpkins will be around for some time so we better do as we’re told.

I must admit, last year we did have a few too many. Even though I use obscene amounts during the year I still haven’t managed to use them all, and that’s with giving some away and selling the odd one too. The plants went bananas and Pep seemed to be endlessly pushing wheelbarrows of the winter squash to our storeroom, along with a couple of hundred melons and watermelons.

This year we’ve harvested them earlier than previous years. Our fruit trees could do with some space and seeing as we’ve still got quite a few left from last year there isn’t much point in leaving the plants any longer. The plants would still produce quite a few but they’re not usually as sweet as the first batch. We can also turn their watering system off and save a few pennies.

We only planted the flat, round pumpkins at our casita this year. These are my favourite. In the cooler months I’m always baking them in the oven with a sprinkling of cinnamon on top and nothing else. They’re soooo sweet and have a sort of stodgy cake-like texture, I actually eat them this way for breakfast. My skin normally has an orange “tinge” to it during the winter due to the amount I eat!! Too much beta carotene me thinks. But I don’t care.

I do use them in different recipes too, although I mostly use the butternut squashes in savoury dishes like soups, risottos, etc. These Pep has planted at his casita in Pinos this year. Occasionally they can cross-pollinate with the flat pumpkins and I don’t want anything tampering with my beloved vegetable, my mornings just wouldn’t be the same!

In the summer I rarely use any sort of winter squash, I find that I just don’t fancy them. It must be the body’s way of telling us to consume seasonal produce, or maybe it’s just ’cause I eat too much during the rest of the year and I need a little break from being orange.

When the weather is cooler I shall be posting different recipes I make to reduce some of our “cosecha” of winter squashes. One of my favourites is “Puré or Crema de Calabaza”, a glorious, thick “soup” that keeps you warm for a few hours. I swear I have that Ready Brek aura when I’ve consumed a bowl of it.

No doubt I will also post a recipe or two for cakes I enjoy making with either of the two squashes. They add a lovely sweetness to baked products and are also the main ingredient in “Bunyols” (Valenciano), “Buñuelos” (Castillian Spanish), a sort of deep fried pumpkin doughnut that my mother-in-law likes to make at certain times of the year. I’ll ask her if she doesn’t mind me tagging along the next time she has a “bunyol” session so I can do a post on the sweet treat.

There is one way I like to use a few of the flat pumpkins in the summer months though (you knew that was coming). Obviously I can’t go the whole summer without eating some, I’d get withdrawal symptoms. And Pep would get most annoyed if I didn’t make one of his favourite desserts. Vegan pumpkin ice cream (“helado vegano de calabaza”) is super rich and creamy, and I’ve just found out thanks to a Canadian friend, even more delicious with a good drizzle of pure maple syrup.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I can’t stand coconut, so using coconut milk or cream for my vegan ice creams is a no-no. Such a shame as I’m told it’s a great substitute for dairy products. Luckily, there are other ways of making creamy ice cream without any animal products at all.

In most of the vegan ice creams I make I use cashews. They have a great texture when blended into the mix and I’ve occasionally used them for today’s recipe too. But if I can avoid using them and use the wonderful almond instead, even better, especially when we have our own almond trees. Also, cashews have a stronger flavour than almonds and can sometimes be too overpowering, especially if you’re pairing them with a delicate fruit like fig, for example.

blanching and peeling almonds
Peeling almonds after they’ve been blanched for one minute.

Almonds have a much more subtle taste, the trouble with using them in ice cream is they don’t normally blend as well as cashews, often giving the end result a grainy texture. But for some reason, when used in pumpkin ice cream, that doesn’t happen. Instead, they make a beautifully creamy dessert and accompany the flavour of the pumpkin perfectly.

To make this marvellous pud (although you could have it for breakfast if you wanted!) you’ll need pumpkin puree (I just scoop out the flesh of one of the flat round pumpkins that I’ve previously baked in the oven, baked butternut squash also works), blanched almonds (or cashews), rice milk or any other vegan “milk”, sweetener of choice (I’ve used maple syrup, raw cane sugar or even a few Medjool dates), some olive oil and cinnamon.

Ingredients for vegan pumpkin ice cream
Ingredients needed for pumpkin ice cream. For the measurements I use a 250ml cup.

All the ingredients get blended together for a few minutes, scraping down the sides of the blender every so often to make sure everything is fully incorporated. The result will be an incredibly thick “custard” that will need chilling before you freeze in an ice cream maker.

I haven’t tried to make it without an ice cream maker but I’m sure it’s possible, just tip into a tub and place in the freezer. After 40-50 minutes, remove and give it a good stir with a fork. Repeat this process every 40-50 minutes until it’s mostly frozen.

I adore this ice cream (or any ice cream for that matter) just when it’s finished freezing in the ice cream maker. But unless you’ve not eaten for a few days you probably won’t be able to eat it all and will need to store the remains in the freezer. So one thing I must mention that I probably haven’t in my other ice cream posts here and here is that, once it’s frozen solid, you’ll need to remove the ice cream from the freezer 20 minutes or so before serving, otherwise you’ll need a hammer and chisel to break it apart. After 20 minutes it should be soft enough for you to be able to scoop some out fairly easily.

I suppose it must seem a bit of an odd idea for ice cream but trust me, it’s worth trying. If you do, please let me know what you think. And if you happen to have some maple syrup on hand, drizzle some on top for a bit of added healthy naughtiness!

Ok, I’ll stop talking pumpkins now, it’s getting late and we’ve got another busy day tomorrow. As usual, I’ll be back on Valley Fm this Saturday between 12pm and 2pm. If you live in the Jalón or Orba valleys you can tune in on 94.5FM or 102.6FM. You can also listen live online. Here’s the link to last Saturday’s spot if you’d like to hear it. I’m on right at the beginning, straight after the first song.

Tally ho for now, I’ll be back soon with more rural adventures!! Thanks for reading. Any suggestions, questions or you just want to say hello, we’d love to hear from you. Take care. Love Georgie and Pep xxx

Pumpkin Ice Cream. Vegan and Gluten Free

A rich, creamy vegan ice cream made with blanched almonds
5 from 1 vote
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 1 heaping cup pumpkin puree I use homemade
  • 1 cup blanched almonds or cashews If using cashews, soak previously in boiling water for 30 minutes
  • 1 cup plant based milk I use rice
  • 4-5 tbsp raw cane sugar or maple syrup or other sweetener of choice. I've also used 6-7 medjool dates for a sugar free version
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients in blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy, scraping the sides down occasionally until everything is incorporated.
  • Tip into ice cream maker and churn until frozen. Serve and enjoy, maybe with a drizzle of maple syrup too.
Keyword Gluten Free,, Vegan

2 Comments

  • Emma

    5 stars
    Buenos días Georgie,

    Your vegan ice cream sounds great! I’m defo going to try it. One thing I love In the summer is the smell of the algarrobas in the sun. I love the trees and the beans. As a child I used to chew on them. I know they’re also beneficial. And I was wondering if you use, algarrobo for sweetner in ice cream? I just bought harina de algarrobo (sorry for Spanish , I don’t know the name in English ) for making a cake.

    When I was living in Alicante I used to go to a vegan restaurant. My friend and I always went there for the tarta de algarroba. So delicious ! Have you by any chance made that cake? I was just wondering that too. Thanks for your reply y osdeseo un día muy buena !

    Saludos 💋Emma

    • Georgie

      Hi Emma!! Thanks for your comment, much appreciated. I also love the smell of the algarrobas (carob beans in English) towards the end of the summer and the trees are wonderful, one of the best trees for shade. As you say, the beans are beneficial for our health although in Spain I think their main use is for animal feed (but don’t quote me on that). Personally, I’ve never liked the taste very much, I’ve tried them in a couple of different things (nothing home made mind you) and wasn’t too keen. I must admit, that cake you mention sounds rather good, I might have to do a bit of googling to see if I can find a good recipe to try it. Do you remember the name of the restaurant in Alicante that used to serve it? I don’t know Alicante as well as I do Valencia and I’d love to go and try out a new vegan eatery. Let me know if you try the ice cream. Have a lovely day. Love Georgie xx