Recipes
There is nothing common about our Sunflowers! There are a whole range of uses for them and Pumpkins are amazing vegetables- theres a lot more to them than spooky lanterns!
Here are our favourite recipes to make with the Sunflowers and Pumpkins you pick from your local Picking Patch!
Roasted Sunflower seeds
Ingredients: 120g sunflower seeds. 2 tbsp salt. 900ml water.
Method: Bring to the boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Drain the water and spread the seeds on a baking tray in a single layer. Roast at 200 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Check on them and return to the oven for 2-4 minutes, checking regularly.
Sunflower seed, Coconut cookies
Ingredients: 65g unsalted butter, 65g coconut oil, 125g brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 125g granulated sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 250g flour, 1tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt, 250g rolled oats, 125g shredded coconuts, 125g roasted sunflower seeds
Method: preheat the oven to 180. Mix together the butter and sugars until smooth, mix together the coconut oil, eggs and vanilla together, in another bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Combine the flour mixture with the wet mixture and mix well. Add the oats, sunflower seeds and coconut. Set out on a banking tray leaving space for the cookies to expand! Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown!
Sunflower seed, Pumpkin seed muesli.
Ingredients: 100g oats, 25g each dried fruit of choice (apricots, raisins, sultanas, prunes) 1tbs pumpkin seeds, 1tbs sunflower seeds. fresh berries and fruits. Milk or yoghurt (or dairy free alternative).
Method: Mix all the ingredients together and serve with milk, yoghurt or alternative.
Pumpkin fondue
Ingredients: 1 edible pumpkin, crusty bread to serve, 100g of emmental, 100r of gruyere, 100g of mature cheddar, 1tbsp cornflour, 100g creme fraiche, 2tbsp white wine, 1 chopped shallot, 1 crushed garlic clove.
Method: Cut a lid off the pumpkin and take out seeds. Put lid on and bake until flesh is soft. (1kg pumpkin = 1 hour approx). Take out, remove lid and discard. Thenn add all other ingredients in the pumpkin. Bake for 30 mins until all bubbling. Serve with bread and potatoes.
Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients: 1.5kg pumpkin, olive oil, 1tsb dried chilli powder, 1tsb coriander, 1 large onion, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 carrot, 1 stick of celery, 1 litre hot vegetable stock (cube) and salt and pepper.
Method: Heat oven to 170C, cut pumpkin into wedges, remove seeds and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle chilli, coriander, salt and pepper over pumpkin. Roast for one hour until soft. Chop onion, garlic, carrot and celery and cook until soft. When squash is ready add to pan with vegetables and add hot stock. Blend with stick blender to required thickness.
Stuffed Pumpkin
Ingredients: 61.5kg pumpkin, salt & pepper, 100g stale bread cut into 1/2 inch chunks, 100g cheese, 100g cheddar cut into 1/2 inch chunks. 2 chopped garlic cloves, 4 slices crispy bacon chopped,pinch of nutmeg and 100ml double cream.
Method: Cut lid of pumpkin and remove seeds. Season inside of pumpkin with salt and pepper and put in casserole dish. Mix bread, cheese, garlic and nutmeg in bowl and season. Fill the pumpkin with the mix. Add the cream and put lid in place and bake for 90 mins or until pumpkin is tender. Remove lid and bake for another 20 mins then serve.
Pumpkin Fries
Ingredients: 1/2 a medium pumpkin, 2tsp of garlic granules, 2tsb dried oregano, salt, oil.
Method: heat oven to 220C. Peel pumpkin with potato peeler and remove all of the seeds. Cut the flesh into thin fries. Put on a baking tray and cover with oil, garlic, oregano and salt.
Bake for approximately 20 mins.
Pumpkin Crisps
Ingredients: 1 medium pumpkin, olive oil, salt and pepper, spices to taste.
Method: Heat oven to 180C, peel pumpkin and remove seeds, cut pumpkin into crisps with potato peeler or mandolin. Spread evenly over tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with olive oil and bake for 10 to 15 mins until brown. Season with salt, pepper and spices.
Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients: 200g of pumpkin seeds, 2tbsp of oil, 2tbsp granulated sugar, 1tsb cinnanon, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of nutmeg.
Method: heat oven to 180C, scoop out inside of pumpkin, separate seeds from pulp as much as possible. Mix oil and seasoning in bowl add seeds and coat. Spread seeds in one layer on greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 mins, stirring every 10 mins. Remove when golden brown.