I will admit to becoming rather attached to the 19th arrondissement of Paris, especially now that I’ve discovered the Marché Joinville. Looking out upon the Canal Saint Martin, this market is what you would expect from a real Parisian market. The produce is as cheap as one euro a kilo, the fish are fresh, the olives spicy, and there is a buzzing energy as people push their way through the crowded rows of vendors.
Now that fall is well on its way, the products of season include apples, pears, squash, and my favorite… pumpkin or potiron. The great thing though is that you don’t have to buy a whole huge pumpkin, which is often the case back home in the States. Here you can tell the vendor how big of a slice, tranche, you want and he’ll cut open the pumpkin just for you. I took a nice big forth of a pumpkin, which cost a mere euro.
Roasting pumpkin is much easier than you might think. All you need is an oven, some water, foil, and, of course, pumpkin. Once the pumpkin is cooked and soft, you can make any number of recipes: pumpkin pie, pumpkin puree, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup… Or you can simply eat the roasted pumpkin as is with a sprinkling of sea salt or a drizzle of honey.
Roasted Pumpkin Potiron grillé
Begin by washing the outside of the pumpkin. If you’re using a whole pumpkin, cut it in half and scoop out the insides with a spoon (you can keep the seeds for roasting). Cut the pumpkin into thick slices and lay in a baking pan with about an inch of water in the bottom. Cover with foil and bake for about an hour in a 400 degree Fahrenheit (200 degree Celsius) oven. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Let cool to touch before scraping the flesh from the skins.
My grand-mother lives in Joinville-le-Pont, maybe you’ve passed by her since she goes to the market every week