The Bountiful Hive—

‘Tis The Season For Pumpkins And Their Varied Delights: Pleasing To The Eye And Savory To The Palate

By Meg Maher-Soto

I don’t know about you, but pumpkins make me smile. Not necessarily jack-o’-lanterns, but plain old Connecticut field pumpkins. It must be their stately shape and vivid orange hue that lifts my spirits. It may just be the aroma of damp leaves, a crisp autumn breeze, and a nearby woodburning stove perfuming the air with its smokiness, that would make anyone take notice of the wonders of a Connecticut autumn.

With this mind, I’ve turned to some homey and comforting recipes utilizing the “great pumpkin.” The following recipes can be prepared with canned pumpkin or fresh. It’s always more fun and more creative to cook your own pumpkin, but truth be told, canned pumpkins such as One Pie and Libby’s use only the best of the crop for their purees — unblemished, perfect sugar pumpkins are the choice of these manufacturers.

If only fresh will do, the only variety to use are the pie pumpkin, the sugar pumpkin and the cheese pumpkin. Pie and sweet pumpkins are small with smooth lightly colored orange flesh, Cheese pumpkins all have a squat shape, like a wheel of cheese, and a distinct fruity smell when cut open.

Pumpkins bring a host of nutrients to your table, particularly beta-carotene, Vitamin C and potassium.

Pumpkin Puree

1 small pie or sugar pumpkin,

  stem and seeds removed

Preheat oven to 375° degrees. Lightly oil a large baking sheet.

Cut pumpkin into quarters and then cut quarters once more. Remove seeds and membranes. Leave skin on.

Place pumpkin chunks on the baking sheet, cut side down and bake until tender, about 30-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes. Scoop out the flesh, discard the skins and puree the pumpkin in a food processor or blender.

Pumpkin puree makes a wonderful side dish for roast meats and vegetarian entrees. Once you’ve scooped out the flesh, add a dab of butter, a teaspoon or two of brown sugar or honey and ¼ to ½ teaspoon of one of the following spices: cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, curry, mace, nutmeg, rosemary, thyme, sage or caraway seed.

Place the puree back in the oven just enough to melt the butter and enjoy a savory side dish. Makes 2 to 2½ cups.

If you do not want a puree, apply the above method to the larger cooked chunks.

This method of cooking pumpkin also yields a delicious result with most winter squash. Try with acorn, butternut, golden nugget or hubbard squash.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Absolutely delicious plain or served with softened cream cheese mixed with chopped dates and walnuts!

1 cup raisins

2 large eggs

½ cup safflower or vegetable oil

1 cup unsweetened pumpkin

  puree

2 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup sugar (dark brown sugar,

  maple syrup or honey can be

  substituted here)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg (freshly grated,

  preferred)

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp salt

½ cup coarsely chopped toasted

  walnuts

 (To toast nuts, place on a baking sheet in a 375° oven for 8 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant)

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9x5x3½-inch loaf pan or line bottom and long sides of pan with a piece of parchment paper (the bread will slip out easily).

Combine the raisins and 1/3  cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir raisins. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and ¼ cup water. Add the pumpkin puree and stir to combine. (Add maple syrup or honey here, if using.)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Stir the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients.

Stir in the undrained raisins and the toasted walnuts.

Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 to 1¼ hours.

Cool on a wire rack. Makes 1 9x5x3½-inch loaf

 

Pumpkin Muffins

(Can be made in a standard muffin tin or mini-muffin tins. Be sure to grease them well.)

1 cup unsweetened pumpkin 

  puree

¾ cup safflower or vegetable oil

1 cup sugar (dark brown sugar,

  maple syrup or honey can be

  substituted here)

2 large eggs

1 cup raisins

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ginger

¼ tsp nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 375° degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, and eggs. Add the pumpkin puree and combine.

In a large bowl, stir together the next seven ingredients (dry ingredients). Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry mixture and combine. Add the raisins and combine. Place batter into greased muffin tins or tins fitted with paper baking cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes until brown.

Pumpkin Butter

1 cup unsweetened pumpkin

  puree

½ cup honey

¼ cup molasses

1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

½ tsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn the heat to low, and simmer until the mixture is thick, about 15 minutes. Be sure to stir mixture often to prevent burning.

Cool and refrigerate overnight. Can also be frozen. Spread on wheat toast, muffins, scones and fresh bread. Makes about 1 cup.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

(Note: This takes two days.)

Don’t toss your seeds, they make a great addition to salads, breads, muffins, or snacking.

2 cups washed pumpkin seeds

1 Tbs safflower oil

Salt to taste

Dry the seeds and place them on a baking sheet lined with paper towel. Let dry overnight.

Place seeds in a large bowl, drizzle oil over seeds and toss thoroughly until coated with oil. Spread the seeds over a baking sheet and bake them in a 350° oven for about 30-45 minutes. Stir every 10 or 15 minutes while they are baking. Salt them while they are warm.

Seeds can also be fried. Place one tablespoon oil in a saute pan. Add the dried seeds and cook over medium-high heat until they begin to swell and pop a bit. Remove from the heat. Be careful of oil splattering slighty. Keep the pan cover handy. Add salt to taste.

(Newtown resident Meg Maher-Soto has worked most of her life in the culinary arts. She currently operates a home-based business with her husband called The Cook and The Baker. Naturally, she is married to a chef.)