Orange! Orange! Orange!

I'm besotted with orange vegetables at the moment, and this gave me cause to wonder why we don't have orange zucchinis.  Or maybe we do and I've simply not seen them.  The bright, bright yeloow of the golden zucchini is lovely, but I can't help thinking how satisfying it would be to munch into vivid orange zucchini in these colder months.

There's an abundance of pumpkin and kumara being prepared in my kitchen, roasted, steamed, mashed, grated.  Flans, dips, patties, au gratin, warm salads, baby kumara baked whole in its jacket and served with toppings.  Not a drop of pumpkin soup to be seen nor consumed - Blerrrrrggghhh!

Another perennial favourite is the humble carrot.  I alsways keep a container of finely shredded carrot in the fridge ready to add to meal - hot or cold.  Shredded carrot is fabulous for adding nutritious volume to meals to help them stretch further (unexpected guests or simply economising).  It's also great for making leftovers go that bit further too.

Some carroty ideas:

• Add a handful of shredded carrot to sweet or savoury pancake batter  (we love carrot & blueberry, carrot & banana and carrot & sweet corn)
• Saute some shredded carrot and add to an omlette or scrambled eggs
• Great for vegie fritters/burgers
• Saute with finely diced onion, shredded buk choy or wombuk, a little curry paste or chilli sauce then wrap in filo and bake until golden.  We like cocktail sized filo fingers.  You could also use spring roll wrappers and deep fry them
• Add to quiche
• Fabulous nutritious filler in wraps and sandwiches
• Add to baked beans or tinned spaghetti
• Add a handful per person of finely shredded carrot to prepared miso soup to give some real body
• Saute and place a generous scoop in the bottom of serving bowls before adding any kind of soup
• Add to pizzas - I spread sauce over pita bread, spread some shredded carrot and lightly sprinkle grated cheese then add my other toppings
• Add to pasta sauce and lasagne layers - yum
• Stir through hot (fried) brown rice or cous cous.
• Add to almost any cake batter
• Add to stewed fruit
• Add to pet food (cooked or raw)

And the list goes on and on.  We use zucchini in the same way.  Both are terrific in chocolate cake and fruit pies or crumbles.


ORANGE MASH

Pumpkin
Kumara
Carrot
Salt & Pepper (white)
A splash of cream or natural yoghurt (optional)
A pinch of your favourite spice (we like ground cumin or nutmeg) OR
A tablespoon or two or freshly chopped chives or coriander

1. Cube the vegetables and stram or simmer until tender. Drain.
2. Mash quickly to retain heat.
3. Add seasonings and dash of cream if liked.
4. Serve.

This is great as a side dish or as a bed for grilled vegetables, fish or meat.
Yummy cold as a dip or spread for sandwiches, wraps, pide and toast.