Autumn is such a magical time of year.
The leaves begin to change into a melody of golden orange and red
hues, the weather cools, and the days grow shorter. There are so many
things that I love about this magical time of year, one of the
biggest being PUMPKINS!
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Photo credit: Iguanasan |
Pumpkins really are a versatile
vegetable. There are so many ways to put these great gourds to good
use.
Puree the Pumpkin
When using pumpkins for recipes, look
for smaller pumpkins. Varieties like pie pumpkins or sugar pumpkins
work well. Start by cutting your pumpkin down the middle. Scoop out
the innards and save those for later. Place your pumpkin cut-side
down in a baking dish with about a cup or so of water and bake for
about 90 minutes. The flesh should be tender and the skin should come
off easily. Then, simply scoop out the flesh and puree in a food
processor. Once you have your pumpkin puree, you can use it in all
sorts of yummy recipes. The possibilities are endless. Extra puree
can be stored in the freezer for several months. It will come in
handy again when Thanksgiving comes around.
Yummy Pumpkin Smoothie
½ cup fresh pumpkin puree
½ frozen banana
¾ cup vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp fresh local honey
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp pure maple syrup
1 cup crushed ice
Place all the
ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Makes 2 servings.
Savor the Seeds
Separate the
seeds from the pulp. Its an annoying step that must be done. A trick
that makes this process a little easier is to place them bowl of
water. Most of the seeds will float to the top, while the rest you'll
need to separate by hand. Toss the pulp in to your compost pile and
rinse the seeds and pat dry between two layers of clean cloth kitchen
towels. Preheat oven to 250°.
Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a parchment lined baking
sheet, season (recipes below), and bake for 45 minutes, stirring
occasionally, until dry and toasted. Remove seeds from oven, allow to
cool and enjoy!
The
following recipes are based on a 2 cup output of seeds. Adjust
seasonings accordingly if you have more or less seeds from your
particular pumpkins.
Basic Salt & Pepper Seeds
½
tsp salt (I prefer pink Himalayan sea salt)
½
tsp cracked black pepper
1
Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sugar
& Spice Seeds
4
tsp canola oil
1
Tbsp granulated sugar
1
Tbsp ground cinnamon
Spicy Seeds
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ Tbsp brown sugar
2-4 drops hot sauce
Cheesy Seeds
1 ½ Tbsp melted butter (or olive
oil
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
1
tsp coarsely ground black pepper
Be
creative! Mix up flavors you enjoy and make your own!
Serve the Soup/Stew
As you prepare your hearty fall soups and stew recipes, consider using a hollowed pumpkin as a serving bowl. Simply prepare pumpkin as you would for carving a jack-o-lantern and pour for an easy, organic way to serve your meal.
Pumpkin Planters
Pumpkin planters make great fall decorations. You can make one by preparing a large pumpkin as you would for a jack-o-lantern, cut a drainage hole in the bottom and slip in a container plant of your choice. Ensure that it is a snug fit and the plants container is not showing. If the container sits too low in the pumpkin, add some gravel or dirt to raise the height of the plant.
Jack-0-lanterns
And last but most definitely not least, the ever traditional jack-o-lanterns. This is the one I carved this year. I'm so pleased with how it turned out.
What is your favorite way to use pumpkins? Do you have a yummy pumpkin recipe to share? Let us know in the comments!
Shared with our friends at The Homestead Blog Hop
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