Here's What You Can Make With This Year's Pumpkins

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Best to Eat: The Hokkaido Pumpkin

Currently, the low-fiber Hokkaido pumpkin is probably our most popular pumpkin. It is easier to peel and transport than giant pumpkins and its nutty taste is particularly effective in soups. When it's cooked, you can eat the peel and you don't have to peel it at all.

The Hokkaido pumpkin is probably the easiest and healthiest pumpkin to incorporate into your diet. Significantly smaller than your typical Jack-o-Lantern pumpkin, they're easier to transport from the supermarket or farmer's market to your kitchen, and peeling them is a lot more simple. Their nutty taste gives soup an extra bit of flavor, and they also work well in a pumpkin risotto.

This little pumpkin is also high in nutrients in comparison to their relatives as their flesh contains less water than most varieties of pumpkin. It's rich in vitamins B1, B2, and B6, as well as vitamins C and E. Small but mighty!

Here's how you can make Hokkaido pumpkin risotto:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup Arborio rice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 onion
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups broth
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp sage (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp natural yoghurt 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Peel the Hokkaido pumpkin and cut into chunks. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 20 min. until chunks are tender.
3. Meanwhile, chop onion and garlic and sauté in a skillet with olive oil.
4. Add rice and allow to fry with onion and garlic for 3 min. The rice should be glistening.
5. Slowly pour in white wine and let the rice absorn it. Make sure to stir
6. Add 3/4 of broth a little at a time until it has completely absorbed. Add remaining broth.
7. Sprinkle over 1/2 the parmesan cheese and 2 tbsp of sage. Allow everything to simmer for 5 min.
8. Once the rice is al dente, add the remaining parmesan, remaining sage, apple cider vinegar, and natural yoghurt. Mix together before adding the pumpkin chunks.
9. Season to your liking and serve immediately.