Passionate About Pumpkins

Each Fall sees the return of one of the season’s biggest stars: the pumpkin. Whether depicted in seasonal décor, for sale at the market or incorporated in tasty treats, pumpkins are a beloved Autumn staple. In honor of the iconic symbol, we asked a few Blackberry team members about their favorite ways to use pumpkin.

Leann Breazeale, Floral Supervisor and Haifaa Tirey, Lead Floral Designer

Fall is such a beautiful time at Blackberry Farm, and pumpkins always play a big part in the seasonal decor. Our favorite way to use pumpkins is by incorporating a variety of sizes and colors to create a layered, natural look. We love using small white and orange pumpkins in tablescapes for a subtle yet festive touch, while larger pumpkins are great for outdoor displays, especially around the entrance and walkways.

Pumpkins are versatile and bring warmth and texture to both indoor and outdoor settings. The contrast of their organic shapes and vibrant colors against the landscape or table setting creates a cozy, inviting atmosphere. Whether it’s accenting a floral arrangement or enhancing a rustic outdoor display, pumpkins always bring that perfect Fall charm!

Jonathan Metcalf, Pastry Chef at The Barn

Pumpkin is one of my favorite things to work with for the Fall. There is a lot of nostalgia surrounding pumpkin for me. In fact, the very first thing I ever learned to make on my own was a pumpkin cake.

You absolutely can’t go wrong with the traditional pumpkin items, but one of my absolute favorite things is to add chocolate to pumpkin. It’s something that a lot of people (pumpkin purists) won’t entertain, but they work so well together.

My chocolate pumpkin sandies are my favorite treat to make in the Fall for my nieces and nephews. One of my nieces has an egg allergy, and pumpkin is a great egg substitute! Also, for a few Thanksgivings, when I was pastry chef at the Main House, we served a chocolate pumpkin pie with the Taste of Turkey. It’s a great spin on a classic!

Tina Cheema, Wellness Supervisor

Being in wellness, I am always looking for ways to get creative with exercise! Pumpkins are actually a great way to get a strength workout in - you can use them as an at-home dumbbell or kettlebell. You can hold them in front of the chest in a “goblet rack” while doing squats and lunges. Or, use them as a surface for toe taps and one-hand incline pushups. You can even hold them by the stem for kettlebell-inspired swings. The options are endless!

Veronica Krebs, Larder Manager

My favorite way to use pumpkin is actually in curry. I know that is not very traditional for the Fall season, as most people think of pumpkin pie and other desserts, but I really enjoy and prefer the harmonious blend of pumpkin and spices. Besides that, I really enjoy carving pumpkins with my siblings and seeing what designs they come up with.

Alyssa Hoo, AM Sous Chef at Three Sisters

My husband and I recently started making our own dog treats for the dogs. It all stemmed from having pumpkins after the holidays. While I don’t really enjoy pumpkin, I hate wasting food more. I couldn't stand to see pumpkin thrown out, so I cooked it off for Willie Nelson and Geordi (my dogs) because dogs deserve good food too!

A must for the treats is a good dark syrup. Fun fact: I keep a half gallon of Hilltop Boiler syrup (we use this brand at Three Sisters as well on our pancakes) in my fridge at all times because it's so good in so many things and the best syrup I have ever tasted. So, we use that to sweeten the treats with. It has to be a super dark robust flavor for me because my husband will find his way into the treats too.

Then, I use Amish flour from a local community and apple sauce that I can myself every year. If I have any bananas hanging around that are past their prime, I throw that in the dough as well. I mix everything up, roll it out and cut into fun shapes and bake. I love to see my dogs’ eyes light up when I bring this treat out!

Janene Hoffman, Sommelier at the Main House

Here at the Main House, we can make a delicious pumpkin spice latte! The recipe is as follows:

1 Tbsp pumpkin purée
1 Tbsp spiced maple syrup (spiced with cinnamon and star anise)

Froth milk with the above mixture. Make espresso shots. Split frothed milk into two 8-ounce cups. Top with foam. Recipe should make two 8-ounce lattes.

Kendall McCullough, Pastry Sous Chef at the Dogwood

Pumpkin was such a fun a nostalgic Fall tradition in my house growing up. While we were more of a sweet-potato-eating family, we were definitely a pumpkin carving house. In a house with three kids and a mom who loved Halloween, we were always so excited to pick out our pumpkin to carve. Of course, with carving comes some goopy leftovers, but our favorite was always the seeds. My mom would clean off the seeds and roast them with cinnamon and sugar or just salt, and it would be a delicious snack.

My first year of working at the Dogwood, I had really wanted to put a pumpkin cake on the menu. We tested about five different versions of a pumpkin cake, but unanimously our favorite ended up being a shocking winner: vegan. This cake had no eggs or dairy but was somehow the most moist and pumpkin-forward cake out of all of them. We wanted to keep it pumpkin forward, so we only added a touch of cinnamon and left the direction of Fall spice and went toward savory.

We added a tahini meringue (sesame seed), giving the cake a savory, almost umami-like quality. I was able to honor my childhood nostalgia by adding toasted pepita butter (ground pumpkin seed paste). We finished it by adding toasted benne seeds, candied hazelnuts and a mixed sesame tuile. When making this cake for vegans, we do a tahini vegan frosting instead and everything else stays the same. This cake gets brought back each Fall and has been a favorite of mine ever since.

Catie Byrd, Senior Sous Chef at Three Sisters

My favorite way to use pumpkin is a more savory approach. I love making Thai curried pumpkin soup with coconut milk and lime. The sweet earthiness of the pumpkin and its super creamy texture make a great base for soups and work so well with the curry spices and coconut milk. Perfect soup for Fall and a great way to use the decorative pumpkins that have been sitting on the porch!