W&W WRITING PROMPT

Pumpkin Everything and Everywhere

Plus one yummy recipe

There’s a female comedian who has a few Netflix specials that I find hilarious. In one of her shows, she states that women love the fall season due to the clothes, decorations, weather, and of course, “pumpkin everything!” I couldn’t stop laughing when I first saw it because that’s me. I love the fall.

The reason why I remembered the skit was due to the pumpkin field nearby my apartment in Germany. As soon as I saw the sea of orange, my first thought was “Pumpkin everything!”

Our family went on a hike on a Sunday afternoon. We hiked through cornfields with no end in sight. The agricultural season goes from March to October in Germany. Soon, we will see the farmers harvesting their crops in the next month. A perfect example of nature’s bounty. In our area, the farmers grow corn, potatoes, pumpkins, wheat, sunflowers, tomatoes, lettuce, and berries.

We noticed some of the empty fields on occasion as they rotate them through the season and/or year. There are times when we also get that particular manure smell when they fertilize those fields, and we hope for that must-needed wind shift.

On Saturdays, we have the option of attending the farmer’s market to buy yummy veggies, fruits, poultry, jams, eggs, and even homemade pasta. Prices are always ideal and products are fresh. I love attending the farmer’s market because, at times, we even see hard-to-find vegetables, such as plantains.

But one of my favorite activities to do during the harvest season involves a visit to Ludwigsburg where they present the Kürbisausstellung (Pumpkin exhibition).

There’s so much talent presented during the exhibition. People do competitions on who grew the biggest pumpkin, others use massive pumpkins as a sort of kayak to paddle to the finish line, and others create nature art as seen in the photos below.

The little kid in me always enjoys visiting the pumpkin fields, carving pumpkins, and especially, eating pumpkins! Some of my favorite recipes include pumpkin soup. I include carrots and onions and submit them into a puree that I mix with coconut milk to create a creamy soup. I make it every year without fail. However, the recipe I love eating the most is one I will call pumpkin pancake, not to be confused with your everyday breakfast pancake.

The ingredients are quite simple and include one small pumpkin, one egg, flour, cinnamon, vanilla extract, sugar, and salt. The pumpkin is steamed and the puree is then mixed with the rest of the ingredients. Afterward, a spoon full of it is fried in some, but not a lot, vegetable oil until it is cooked through. The result is a small, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, pancake. Delicious.

We usually eat it as a side dish along with rice and beans. I grew up eating this tiny pumpkin pancake as my mom used to make it during the season. My daughter doesn’t love it as much as I do, but it’s always a hit with the husband.

I’m always grateful for nature’s bounty, and I find the best foods to eat are those that are currently in season. I eat mostly plant-based foods, so living near local farms helps me create yummy recipes. I also love to experiment and use different ingredients or replacing common ones with plant-based options. Sometimes there’s a miss, but I’m open to the learning process.

Thanks to Dennett for the Nature’s Bounty writing prompt idea.

I’m a freelance writer and editor and I love to write about travel, photography, and self-development. Check out my full list for more stories. Become a Medium Member today for more reads.