What's in Season!?!?!?
Pumpkins!
This is my big Halloween carving pumpkin for the year:
This is my little cooking pumpkin:
So, let's talk p.u.m.p.k.i.n.s.
One of my favorite things to do with pumpkin puree is substitute for butter in a recipe. That's a pretty easy way to make a recipe vegan and add a little taste of fall.
If you feel like getting a little more DIY and rustic this year, it's pretty easy to make your own pumpkin puree rather than buying a few cans of it. Here's how:
1. Cut a pie pumpkin in half (it's best to use a pumpkin carving knife for this - I do it for all my squash, because cutting a butternut squash with a regular knife is a pain in the A)
2. Pull out all of the seeds and the pumpkinnards. Compost them if you don't want to roast the seeds. But you really should roast the seeds.
3. Oil a cookie sheet and put the pumpkin halves, cut side down, onto the sheet. With your oven on 350 deg(F), let your pumpkin cook for about 45 minutes - or until you can pierce the skin with a fork pretty easily.
4. When the pun'kin is cool, scoop out the insides and put them into a blend or food processor with a bit of water (I think I ended up using about half a cup - but use your judgement on this one).
5. Blend until the pumpkin is the consistency you want. You can use the puree in any recipe or freeze it until you need it!
Remember, this is an interactive series of posts! I want to hear what you are doing with those pumpkins!! Here's how you can contribute:
- in the comments section, tell me and other PL&B readers what you like to do with pumpkins
- post a picture on the Peace, Love & Bagels facebook page of a dish you used pumpkin in
- mention @peaclovebagels in a tweet about how you use pumpkins
- add a picture or discussion topic to the What's In Season? Flickr group
- leave a recipe in any of the above forums
