Pie Pumpkins

This week the Farm and FamilyFix recieved a pie pumpkin. If you don’t have a pie pumpkin, you can follow the same preparation and recipes with a butternut or honeynut squash. We will show you how to prepare a sugar (or pie) pumpkin so that you can use it in various recipes. It’s much easier and faster than you might think and the flavor of a fresh roasted pumpkin is quite different from the canned variety; it’s a bit earthier and nuttier. For fun, you might want to try a side-by-side taste comparison of canned pumpkin versus freshly roasted pumpkin. You might find It’s worth the extra work now and then. As a rule of thumb, 1 small pumpkin should make enough puree to equal one 15-oz. can. 

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How to Cook a Pie Pumpkin

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Use a sharp knife to slice the stem off before slicing in half so you don’t have to slice through the stem. Then slice the pumpkin in half.
4. With a sharp-edged spoon (such as a metal tablespoon with a sharp edge or a metal ice cream scoop), scoop out the seeds & guts. Make sure you clean & save the seeds for roasting.
5. Brush inside the pumpkin with oil and place face down on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Roast at 350F for about 45-50 minutes. The exact time will vary depending on the size of the pumpkin(s) and you may need more time. The skin will be slightly darker and wrinkled and you should be able to poke a fork quite easily through.
7. Let the pumpkin cool for 10 minutes before handling. Use a large spoon to peel away the very thin skin. It comes off almost effortlessly. At this point, you can use the flesh in all kinds of dishes – soups, casseroles, risotto, pies, etc.
8. If making a puree: Place the pumpkin flesh into the blender and blend until smooth. Drain the pureed pumpkin in a cheesecloth to remove excess water or you can use it as is. 

Harvest Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Bread

For this recipe, you do not need to drain the pumpkin puree, instead you just cook it a little longer to remove excess water.
Ingredients (8 Servings)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter 1 large potato
1 large onion
41⁄2 c. chicken broth
15 oz. pumpkin puree (or 1 can)
Freshly ground pepper
1⁄4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1⁄2 pt. heavy cream
Directions:
1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add potato and onion and cook, stirring occasion- ally, until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Stir in pumpkin. Using an immersion blender, purée mixture until smooth. (Or, use a blender to purée mixture in batches, then return to pot.) Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in cream and heat thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper a serve hot. 

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This recipe makes 2 loaves– eat one now and freeze the other.
Ingredients (2 loaves)
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
15 oz. pumpkin puree (or 1 can)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional) Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Mix in walnuts.
2. Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using sharp knife, cut around edge of loaves. Turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely.