Tag Archives: Pumpkins

Winter Squash and Gruyere Gratin

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Serves 4

Crookneck squash or pumpkin also works well in this recipe.

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock or canned broth
  • 2 medium butternut squash (1 1/2 pounds each)
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 medium leek, white part only, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • One 12-ounce can evaporated skim milk or 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
  • 2 ounces of a baguette (thinly cut into 8 small slices) or 2 slices peasant bread (cut into 4 equal pieces), toasted
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • 8 basil leaves, shredded

Preheat the oven to 400°. Halve the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place the squash, cut side up, in a baking pan. Season with 1/2 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper and cover tightly with foil. Bake for about 1 hour, until the squash are tender but not mushy. Let cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the leek, olive oil and 2 teaspoons of water. Cover and cook over moderately low heat until the leek is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Uncover and stir in the wine. Increase the heat to high and boil until the liquid is reduced to approximately 3 tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Stir in the stock, milk, sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. Using a big spoon, scoop the flesh from the squash in large pieces. Place in a medium bowl.

To assemble the gratin, preheat the oven to 400°. Bring the leek mixture to a boil. Spoon half of the squash into a 6- to 8-cup casserole. Ladle half of the leek mixture over the top and cover with half of the toast and half of the Gruyère. Repeat the layers with the remaining squash, leek mixture, toast and Gruyère. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake the gratin for 30 minutes, or until the top is browned and bubbly. Garnish with the basil and serve.
From Food and Wine  Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes, The Best Squash Casserole Recipes. Published November 1993

Winter Day Pumpkin Soup

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A subscriber sent us this great tip and recipe that would work for both pumpkins and winter squash. “We just halve, seed, and bake all the different types of pumpkins. When cool, scrape out the meat and blend in a food processor. Then, we spooned all the pumpkin mash into ice cube trays, froze, and then store the cubes in a large ziplock for use later.

Winter Day Pumpkin Soup

Saute one small onion in 2 Tbsp. butter until soft and translucent. Add two cups water and one cube of veggie boullion and heat until almost boiling. Add about 12 cubes of frozen pumpkin and stir occasionally until all the pumpkin is thawed into the soup. Turn down the heat and stir in about 1 cup of half and half. Heat until hot, but don’t boil. Makes a yummy winter lunch – serve with break, sliced cheese and sliced apples. Perfect! It is so quick and easy and results in a delicious homemade and hearty soup.”

Pumpkin with Soup Inside

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  • 7-8 lb. pumpkin
  • 4 cups vegetable or beef broth
  • 4 Tbs. melted butter
  • 1 cup peeled, chopped tomato
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup rice
  • 1 cup minced leek
  • Bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup minced carrot
  • 1 cup sour cream (optional)
  • 1/2 cup minced celeriac or celery
  • 3 Tbs. chives (optional)

Cut a lid from pumpkin, leaving on stem as handle. Clean out seeds. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and brush on inside. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, with lid on, in preheated 400-degree oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté minced vegetables in 2 tablespoons butter until wilted, 5-10 minutes. Add broth; heat to boiling point. Add tomatoes and season to taste. Place uncooked rice in pumpkin. Add boiling broth and veggie mixture and float bay leaf on top. Cover and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender, but not soft. Place on serving dish. To serve, ladle out soup, scraping out portion of pumpkin with each serving. Garnish with sour cream and chives, if desired.

Serves six to eight.

Pumpkin Cookies

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  • ½ c. butter
  • 1 ½ c. brown sugar
  • 1 c. cooked, mashed pumpkin
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1 t. cinnamon
  • ½ t. allspice
  • ½ t. ginger
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 2 ½ c. flour
  • 3 t. baking powder
  • ½ c. walnuts

Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs, add pumpkin and vanilla.  Mix dry ingredients, add to creamed mixture, and stir in nuts.  Spoon onto greased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart, in round spoonfuls.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Cool slightly and spoon over glaze if desired.

Glaze:

  • 1 ½ c. powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 3 Tbsp. pumpkin puree
  • 1-tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. allspice.

Indian Pumpkin Curry (Sambar)

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The Indian curry served in most western countries is usually a rice dish covered with a thick, yellow sauce containing commercial curry powder. In authentic Indian cooking, there is no specific dish called curry, but there are many dishes with sauces, each made with its own special spices and ingredients. The delicious sauce in pumpkin curry is made with coconut milk and lentils. If you can’t get fresh pumpkin, try making this southern Indian specialty with a winter squash such as acorn or hubbard.

  • 1 small pumpkin or winter squash, about 3 cups chopped
  • 1 cup brown or split red lentils
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek
  • 1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 curry leaf, optional

Cut pumpkin into quarters, scrape out seeds, cut off peel, and chop into 1-inch squares. Place lentils in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Remove any inedible objects from lentils while washing. Put 4 cups of water in a large kettle. Add cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, and salt and bring to a boil. Add lentils, cover, and lower heat. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender. If you are using split red lentils, they will cook in about 15 to 20 minutes. Add pumpkin squares to lentils. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender. Add coconut milk to kettle and stir. As soon as mixture begins to boil, remove from heat and set aside. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add fenugreek, mustard seeds, onion slices, and curry leaf and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, or until mixture is brown. Add onion-and-spice mixture to kettle. Cover kettle and let stand 5 minutes. Stir pumpkin curry before serving over rice.

Elegant Stuffed Pumpkin

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  • 1  pumpkin
  • 2 to 3 cups brown rice, cooked
  • 2 cups crumbled dry whole wheat bread (or part corn bread or other bread)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 to 1 cup chopped celery and leaves
  • 2 apples (tart and unpeeled), chopped
  • 1 cup roasted chestnuts or a handful of cashew nuts, cut in half
  • Herbs: Sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, and paprika to taste
  • 1 to 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup butter, melted, or safflower oil
  • Soy sauce or salt to taste

Cut off top of pumpkin to make a lid. Remove the seeds and scrape out any stringy pulp.   Combine brown rice, bread, onion, celery, apples, chestnuts or cashews, and herbs in a large mixing bowl and mix well with hands. Add stock and butter, and mix well, adding soy sauce and salt if desired. Stuffing should be moist but not wet. Pack loosely into pumpkin, replace lid, and bake on oiled cookie sheet for 1-1/2 hours or more at 325 degrees F. It is done when a fork pushes easily through the pumpkin. Transfer to a casserole dish and serve at the table, scooping out some of the tender pumpkin flesh with each serving of stuffing. You may eat the skin too. (If you have too much stuffing for your pumpkin, place extra in an oiled casserole, cover, and bake for 1 hour.)

Yield: 5 servings Recipe

Source: The Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook by Lucy Moll

Curried Pumpkin Soup

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  • 1 large onion, diced
  • ¼ c. butter
  • 1 tsp. curry powder
  • 2 ½ c. chicken broth
  • 3 c. pumpkin puree
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 2 c. half and half
  • sour cream (optional)
  • fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute diced onions in butter until softened.  Sprinkle in curry powder.  Pour mixture into blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Return to saucepan and add chicken broth, pumpkin, salt and half and half.  Heat through over medium heat.  Do not bring to a boil or soup will curdle.  Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and chopped parsley, if desired.

Serves 4-6.

From Portland’s Palate.