Few things are more inviting than an assortment of pumpkins – decorated or not – arranged on the front porch in fall. But you shouldn’t judge this gourd for its appearance alone.
Did you know that pumpkins are super foods? It’s not news to Sam’s Pumpkin Patch, which has grown pumpkins locally in Pickerington for more than 30 years and provides a wide variety of pumpkins for carving and baking. And pumpkins aren’t just for fall. The current owner of Sam’s, Terry Dunlap Sr., says pumpkins can be preserved throughout the year.
“There’s one lady I trade six pie pumpkins for four pies. I have one for now, I have one for Thanksgiving, one for Christmas and one for whenever I want to thaw it out,” he says. “I really love making pumpkin soup, you know, because I got someone else who makes good pies.”
Baking with Pumpkin
More than 40 varieties of pumpkins exist that can be utilized for seasonal spiced lattes or baking. All varieties of this fruit contain a great deal of carotene, beta-carotene and fiber, according to the National Foundation for Cancer Research. These nutrients can help lower the risk of cancer in the pancreas, throat, skin, breast and stomach. Just like you’ll find in apples, some pumpkin varieties are tastier than others.
“Pik-a-pie is a good one,” Dunlap says. “They make a nice mix when you’re decorating and you can even eat it afterward.”
Pumpkins contain many antioxidants that your body converts into vitamin A and are a reliable source of fiber aiding in weight loss, lower blood pressure, reduced inflammation and a reduced risk of colon cancer. That means an extra dose of healthfulness when you add pumpkins to your cooking or baking.
“People make cookies, people make cakes, … all kinds of weird things,” Dunlap says. “Pumpkin soup is really good, people make that, there’s a lot of things you can do with pumpkin and each family has their little tradition that they normally do.”
Dunlap says he simply uses the pumpkin flesh, some heavy cream, a little salt and pepper, and sometimes sugar as a sweetener.
“I have a big sign that says pie pumpkins so that they know these are the ones that make the better pies with the smoother flesh,” he says.
Fun in the Flesh
Fairfield County, the scarecrow capital of Ohio, has the annual Trail of Scarecrows where you can vote for your favorite scarecrow across all the communities in the county.
“The only year we entered that, we won it,” Dunlap says. “The number of votes we got was more than any scarecrow in Fairfield County that year, even more than Lancaster.”
Sam Patterson, the founder and namesake of Sam’s Pumpkin Patch, lived in Pickerington since 1961 and immediately sold produce starting with cabbage and potatoes along with sweet corn. In 1988 Patterson started selling pumpkins from his front yard, thus beginning the legacy of Sam the Pumpkin Man.
Courtesy of Terry Dunlap Senior
With continuous love and support from the community, Patterson was able to give back in 2013, when he added pink pumpkins to his variety, and a portion of the proceeds to the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research for each one sold.
Sam’s Pumpkin Patch is a small space in Pickerington that shares a long tradition of love for the fall season and never spares the fun.
“The kids get out and grab a little red Flyer wagon and they don’t care if they get a pumpkin or not, if they pull the wagon, they have a good time,” Dunlap says.
Grady Libertini is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal Bars:
Ingredients
2 cups of rolled oats
2 tsp. of pumpkin spice (mixture of ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg)
1 tsp. of baking powder
¼ tsp. of salt
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1 ¼ cup of milk of choice
2 large eggs
2 tsp of vanilla
⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
Topping of choice: Raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, etc.
Directions
First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Then, mix the oats, pumpkin spice, baking powder and salt together in a medium size bowl.
Next, stir in the pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla, milk, and honey or maple syrup.
Spread into a greased, eight-by-eight baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Finally, add whatever topping of your choice.
Recipe courtesy of The Natural Nurterer. www.thenaturalnurterer.com Copyright 2021 The Natural Nurterer. All rights reserved.
