Pumpkin Recipes

What's Up With All These Leftover Pumpkins? 


So Halloween is over and you've got a boatload of pumpkins left over? What are you going to do with them all. Well for starters you could hold your own pumpkin chuckin' contest in the neighborhood.... or maybe not. Don't tell them the folks at the Harvest Moon Bed and Breakfast Told you to do so.

Lancaster County Pumpkin Recipes

Or you could become a chef and do some really groovy things with them. Below are a couple of recipes to get you started... Be careful though, only use the ones that have not been carved and ones that are still fresh... Pumpkins are so good!

And if your still into chuckin' pumpkins... I say go for it and send us a picture of your Pumpkin Chuckin' Contraption!

I grabbed this one from Back Road Bistros and Country Farm House Fare by Jane Sigal.... The author of my favorite french cookbook.

Soupe Au Potiron In bourgeois homes throughout France, the evening soup was generally simple like this one from Brittany, in which pumpkin, onion, and potato are simmered in water and then pureed until smooth. But in these affluent kitchens, a dollop of thick cream as in this recipe or cream butter and egg yolks commonly enriched the soup base. Also the croutons replaced the bread crusts of peasant cooking.

Brittany

Pumpkin Soup

One 1 ¼ pound wedge pumpkin or other hard shelled squash

1 tbls unsalted butter

1 Medium onion finely chopped

1 Medium all – purpose potato, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and thinly slice across

4 cups water

Salt and Pepper to taste

½ cup crème fraiche or heavy whipping cream

Lancaster County Pumpkin Recipe

Chervil sprigs, snipped chives or scallion greens for garnish

Croutons

3 slices day old firm white bread, crusts removed

½ cup vegetable oil

Peel Pumpkin or squash with a knife and cut it into 1 inch chucks

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin chunks, potato, water, and a little salt to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, if making croutons, cut the slices of bread into ¼ inch cubes. In a frying pan, heat the oil until hot but not smoking. Test the oil by dropping in a cube of bread. If it browns instantly, the oil is too hot; adjust the heat. Add the remaining bread without crowding the pan and brown the cubes on both sides, using wooden tongs and chopsticks to turn them. Drain on paper towels.

Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor and, using a rubber spatula, scrape the puree into a large saucepan. For extra smoothness, work the puree through a food mill into a large saucepan. The soup can be made to this point a day or two ahead and chilled. If it thickens too much on reheating, thin it with a little water)

To finish bring the soup to a boil. Add the crème fraiche or cream and pepper and taste for seasoning. Serve the soup, steaming hot, in a warmed tureen, soup plates, or bowls decorated with the herbs, if you like. Pass the optional croutons separately.

 Recipe extracted from Back road Bistros, Farm House Fare by Jane Sigal

This is one of my favorite recipes. A soup again, however it blends so while with the thyme cream fraiche. I think you'll like it.

Roasted pumpkin and leek soup served with Parmesan croutons and thyme crème fraiche.

A perfect way to begin a holiday party. Warm, steaming soup that reflects the season.

Two cups of chopped diced pumpkin in ¼ inch cubes

One cup of chopped leeks

6 cups of chicken stock or bouillon

One clove of garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp of thyme

2 tbls of butter

1 cup of cubed French bread

2 tbls of olive oil

2 tbls of Parmesan cheese

½ cup of sour cream

½ lemon

Sauté pumpkin, garlic and leeks in butter till leeks are translucent and pumpkin has just a bit of color. And chicken stock and allow to simmer. Add thyme, salt and pepper and adjust to taste.

Prepare croutons by mixing cubes with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Bake in oven till golden brown at 350 degrees.

Prepare a quick crème fraiche by mixing the sour cream and juice of half a lemon.

Lancaster County Pumpkin Recipe

Here is one more for those crisp late fall mornings.... this one you will love with a warm cup of coffee! 

Sour cream pumpkin coffeecake

Topping

One Tbl of sifted flour

1 ¼ tsp cinnamon

¾ c of dark brown sugar

2 tbl unsalted butter

3 ½ ounces corn flakes

Stir dry ingredients except for corn flakes in a bowl. Cut in the butter till it resembles coarse meal. Do not over mix. Stir in the corn flakes and crush a bit. Set at room temperature.

Cake

2 c of sifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp double acting baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

Scant ¼ tsp salt

4 ounces unsalted butter

1 c granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 ½ cups of purred pumpkin

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside.

In a large bowl of a mixer, beat sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated. On low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the sour cream, beating only until incorporated after each addition. Remove bowl from mixer and slowly fold in the pumpkin. Turn into greased 13*9*2 pan and add topping. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven.