Pumpkin pies. Pumpkin cake. Pumpkin muffins. Pumpkin everything!
Written By Kathy Witt
October is here and so are the pumpkins – ready and waiting for you in the fields and at the market stores of some of Georgetown’s Kentucky Proud farms. Before you pick your fruit, get the inside scoop on the best pumpkin for your homemade fall desserts.
“When choosing a pumpkin to use in baking or cooking, you do not want to find a big regular jack-o’-lantern pumpkin,” advised Stephen Fister, owner of 185-acre family farm, Bi-Water Farm and Greenhouse. “It’s flavor is not the best for cooking and it’s not the most intense. The jack-o’-lantern pumpkin is bred basically for carving and display purposes. Not flavor.
“You want to choose the smaller pie pumpkin or, as some people call them, sugar pumpkin,” he added. “They are the best. They are more intense in flavor and there is less seed cavity in them. So you end up with more useable pumpkin for your recipe.”
Good advice to take to the pumpkin patch, and Bi-Water Farm has both a pick-your-own pumpkin patch and pre-picked pumpkins for those who prefer not to hike into the fields.
Additionally, Bi-Water has its annual AutumnFest activities up and running, seven days a week. Thirty attractions – Spooky Farmhouse, Lost Pumpkin Mine, Pirates Cove, Sky High Slide and so much more – make this Kentucky’s largest fall farm festival. See all activities and find ticket package pricing info here. For updates, visit the farm’s Facebook page.
Fifth-generation family farm
Evans Orchard and Cider Mill has a pumpkin patch that stretches over 20 acres – and somewhere out there, your perfect pumpkin is waiting for you to find it. Come pick your own and then stick around to play outdoors on the Swings and Tire Climbs, Rat Racers Big Wheel Track and Pedal Cart Track, Jumbo Jumper and other cool contraptions.
Stock up on cider and apples, choose an arrangement of U-cut zinnias and cosmos, chow down on cider donuts and fried pies. Don’t forget to say hi to the barnyard animals. Find activities and ticket information here. Find updated information on the farm’s Facebook page.
Need to round out your menu of fall produce?
Stop by Elmwood Stock Farm for fall squash, roots crops, leafy greens including salad lettuces, arugula and baby kale plus sweet potatoes and fresh ginger.
“We are also offering CSA subscriptions as well as the online store for pre-orders for pickup/home delivery,” said Ann Bell Stone, who manages the CSA Farm Share, product marketing and poultry and sheep flocks with her husband, Mac Stone.
Due to COVID-19, this sixth-generation family farm is not currently offering U-pick or farm tours; however, Elmwood Stock is open for organic meat, egg and vegetable pickup, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Sign up for Elmwood’s newsletter at the website. Updates may be found on the farm’s Facebook page.
Learn more about what Georgetown’s farms offer throughout the seasons at www.georgetownky.com.
Recipe: Pumpkin Date Cake With Bourbon Eggnog Sauce
Need some pumpkin inspiration? Look no further than the cookbook, More Please! (See October ChatSnap on Georgetown’s Old Jail for more details.) The book, compiled by the Scott County Arts Consortium, features several pumpkin recipes, including this oh-so-Kentucky bourbon-sauced pumpkin cake.
Cake
Ingredients:
- 2 c. sugar
- 1 c. vegetable oil
- 3 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. Allspice
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 2 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 tsp. Baking soda
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 4 eggs
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 c. pitted, chopped dates
- 1 c. raisins
- 1 c. chopped nuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300°. Grease and flour a large tube pan. Cream sugar and oil. Add cinnamon, allspice, salt, pumpkin, baking soda and baking powder. Mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Roll dates, raisins and nuts in part of flour. Add to pumpkin mixture along with remaining flour; mix well. Pour into prepared pan; bake 1 hour and 40 minutes. Serve with Bourbon Eggnog Sauce.
BOURBON EGGNOG SAUCE:
Ingredients:
- 1 c. butter, softened
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 oz. bourbon
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar; add egg and beat well. Add cream; put into double boiler, stirring constantly over medium heat until thick. Remove from heat; add bourbon. To serve, slice cake and spoon sauce over each slice. Sauce keeps several days in refrigerator.
Find other tasty recipes from Georgetown restaurants here.
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