Having attending multiple culinary workshops over the years with Ms. Carin Smeets (lovingly referred to as "the pumpkin lady"), her famous pumpkin cooking courses are still my favorite. Bright orange, yellow, and yes, even green pumpkins flood the garden and infiltrate every corner of the house. The cozy autumn atmosphere warms the heart of each aspiring cook attending Carin's annual Pumpkin Culinary Workshop.
The magical day begins in the living room with Carin introducing herself and the types of pumpkins that will be used in the recipes. All the pumpkin varieties are grown in a local field by Carin and her husband themselves, each one offering a different taste and texture.
Moving to the coffee table prepared in the sunroom, workshop attendees enjoy coffee and tea with some of Carin's already-prepared pumpkin pies and pastries. With only 8-10 attendees, people can easily get to know each other before cooking commences.
Meanwhile, Carin explains the recipes and hands out cookbooks for everyone to make their own notes and take home with them later. She then assigns "cooks" to each recipe on the agenda. The menu can vary year-to-year, but usually includes the following:
Pumpkin soup
Pumpkin chutney
Stuffed mini pumpkins
Pumpkin quiche
Pumpkin jelly
Pumpkin soufflé
...and more
Before cooking begins, the group ties up their aprons (borrowed from Carin for the day) and heads outside for "pumpkin smashing"....yes, it's exactly what it sounds like! Because larger pumpkins are needed for some recipes, the easiest way to open them up is by utilizing gravity! After all the desired pumpkins have been smashed, everyone continues to their cooking station to start their assignment.
While participants are each assigned to a specific recipe, Carin calls everyone over to a workstation when someone is about to do something important with the ingredients. This way, everyone knows what to do when they make the recipe by themselves at home.
Once all the food is ready in the afternoon (about 3 hours of cooking later...), everyone is happy to sit back down at the table and enjoy the pumpkin feast. After a day of hard work in the kitchen, the pumpkin delicacies taste even more special. And because the recipes are made in large batches, each person is sent home with a tray of leftovers, either to share with their family or keep for themselves!
Carin hosts several workshops each autumn season at her home "Op den Donck" in Posterholt, NL. Course dates depend on the pumpkin crop that year and how the season goes, but she usually runs pumpkin culinary workshops throughout September and October. Courses are offered in English, German, and Dutch, so contact Carin directly at carin.smeets@home.nl to determine which date the workshop is being hosted in your own language.
In addition to her famous pumpkin courses, Carin hosts other culinary workshops throughout the year featuring other themes such as Christmas pastries, Dutch pies, traditional high tea, savory dishes, and more. To receive updates on Carin's upcoming workshops, email her directly at carin.smeets@home.nl.