Pumpkins celebrated in Laujar

FARMERS in Laujar say that there are few farmers and winemakers that don’t dedicate a patch of their land to growing pumpkins.

With this in mind, pumpkin has become a large part of the local diet with many recipes being passed through the generations. This year, the autumn festival has a section devoted to this vegetable. Visitors to the festival will be able to enjoy various recipes featuring this humble vegetable with giant pumpkin competitions, children’s workshops, cookery master classes and restaurants offering various dishes. A prize fund of €300 has been set aside for the largest pumpkin. In 2013 an 86 kilo pumpkin won the first prize.

The festival will also feature an olive oil tasting, with the golden liquid coming from local olive groves. The Pumpkin, Hunting and Wine festival runs from Thursday October 23 and culminates on Sunday 26 with a craft fair.

The final part of the festival is a rambling walk where people can search for chanterelle and Monterey mushrooms, as well as other wild growing autumn fruits and vegetables themselves.