Pumpkin safety tip!

In a recent kitchen adventure, I found myself facing a whole pumpkin, desperate for a chunk of it. I had pumpkin soup on my mind. Or pumpkin cake. I can't remember which it was, but either way - I needed pumpkin! 

And the only pumpkin available to me was locked inside the protective rind of a home-grown Queensland Blue. The one I planted only to have it take over the garden and give me more than a dozen delicious cucurbits. 

Oh, and I should say I was also recovering from an operation on my knee so I was a bit unstable on the pins. I had a big knife, a tough-skinned pumpkin, a touch of anxiety about how stable I was and a slightly slippery chopping board. 

The stakes were high. 

And then I had a brainwave: why not roast the pumpkin whole! Far form being the original idea I thought it was, it turns out that this is something proper professional chefs do also. 

My reasons were practical and inspired by the fear of wounding myself... but the end result was fantastic. The rind softened, and that allowed me to easily cut into the pumpkin and scoop out the delicious golden flesh. The pumpkin I 'harvested' after baking was golden, tasty and easy to manage. I even froze some for later use. 

Additional benefits of roasting the pumpkin whole

Aside from the fact that I'd found a way to prepare the pumpkin that eliminated the risk of stabbing or slicing myself in the process, I also had:

• pumpkin flesh that was perfect for soup or cake or patties or salad, because it was drier than you'll get from steamed or even microwaved alternative.
• a lot less pumpkin wasted, as I could more easily remove the skin. 

Tips for roasting a whole pumpkin

I put the pumpkin on a large tray lined with biodegradable baking paper.

Unfortunately, I can't remember how long it was in the oven, but I do remember the oven was at 180 degrees centigrade. You can see from the image that there some toasty-roasty colouring happening around the edges. So if you want to experiment, that will give you something to look for. 

Pictured: golden pumpkin ready to use (and freeze)!