LISA CUMBIE
Living Editor
As autumn rolls in, leaves are changing colors to beautiful shades of reds and oranges and signs of the season are popping up everywhere.
Though sometimes it’s hard to feel the change of seasons in sunny Malibu, if you look close enough, there are signs of autumn falling all around.
One of the most iconic symbols representative of the harvest season is pumpkin. It makes its grand appearance in October as a carving block for creative minds and plays a subtler role in November as the stuffing for cornucopias.
But the pumpkin’s role goes far beyond the confines of decorations.
It can be found as a key ingredient in more than 100 recipes, including breads, desserts and cocktails. But pumpkin treats are not limited to the pies produced from grandma’s kitchen during the holiday season.
It is even incorporated into the recipes of many retailers and restaurants.
Coffee drinkers await the fall arrival of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks shops, and others curb a sweet tooth with Starbucks’ pumpkin empanadas.
Straying from Italian tradition, the Olive Garden rolls out their specialty pumpkin cheesecake topped with whipped cream, caramel and gingerbread crumbs to include the festive gourd.
And Malibu’s joins the festivities with local restaurant Geoffrey’s, whose executive chef Bijan Shokatfard creates a special pumpkin puff pastry served only one day of the year — Thanksgiving.
Another novelty native to Southern California is its abundance of pumpkin patches. The same climate that is great for the agricultural industry also is great for pumpkins. There are dozens of pumpkin patches within an hour of Los Angeles, according to pumpkinpatchesandmore.org, a pumpkin patch locator Web site.
Pumpkins are popping up all over, and in the fall Calabasas residents love to celebrate the beauty of this unique orange vegetable. Carol Washburn, president and CEO of the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce shares some unique facts about the Calabasas Pumpkin Festival.
“It is a 30-year tradition that we celebrate, and it’s one of the premier events of the season,” Washburn said. “Few people know that Calabasas actually means “pumpkin” in Spanish, so it is a fun even for all ages to seek entertainment.”
Though it may be fairly unobtrusive throughout the rest of the year, pumpkins reach their sales peak in October, when 80 percent of their total sales occur. The many uses for pumpkins aside from the stereotypical pie or pastry during the fall celebration may account for this spike in gourd transactions.
“During the festival along with the performances of several local bands, and arts and crafts booths, we also have a pumpkin pie eating contest and a pumpkin seed spitting contest,” Washburn said.
Whether you can make it to the Calabasas gala or not, at least make an effort to get together with friends, and celebrate the season by trying our recipe with your friends. Remember, October only comes once a year, don’t let the fall semester fly past you, take some time to add sugar and spice to your life, and give thanks for the fabulous pumpkin.
10-04-2007
