10 Ways to Use a Pumpkin

Pumpkins are one of our favorite harvest foods: Sweet, earthy and overflowing with health-promoting beta-carotenes. Here they are combined with leeks, apples and cider to make a spicy, hearty soup, perfect for gathering the family around a steaming tureen. Warm and nourishing, this harvest pumpkin soup makes us happy it is autumn.

Recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (instructions below), or 4 cups freshly-baked pumpkin chunks (if using fresh pumpkin, bake seeded pumpkin at 400F until tender, then peel and chop coarsely)
1 large leek, cleaned, white parts chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 celery root, peeled and chopped
2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and chopped
7 cups good-quality vegetable broth
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon crumbled fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Sea salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Dash of nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar (optional)

1. Gently steam the leeks, onion, celery root, and apples in a large Dutch oven or soup pot with 1/2 cup of the broth until soft, about 10 minutes.

2. Add remaining stock and pumpkin. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add ginger, sage, thyme, salt, turmeric, nutmeg, and a few grinds of pepper. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired.

3. Process about half the soup in a blender or with a hand-held blender. Return the pureed soup to the pot and stir in the cider and yogurt. Soup should be slightly chunky. Gently heat, but do not boil. Sprinkle each bowl of hot soup with a little Cheddar, if using.

Serves 8.

Any soup, stew, or chili would be pleased to share star billing with these tender autumnal biscuits, but they‘re also right at home on the breakfast table, where they can give your day a sunny start. Canned pumpkin makes them a snap to make and gives them a nutritional boost of beta-carotene as well.

Pumpkin Biscuits would also be a welcome addition to your Thanksgiving table, so be sure to save this recipe! Here’s how to make them:

Recipe:

INGREDIENTS

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup regular milk, or soy milk for vegan version
3 tablespoons melted butter, or corn oil for vegan version

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Lightly oil a baking sheet and set it aside.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and allspice in a large bowl, then set aside.

3. Combine pumpkin, milk, butter, and maple syrup in a medium bowl and stir until smooth.

4. Combine the flour mixture with the pumpkin mixture. Stir just until the mixture holds together; avoid over mixing, or biscuits will be tough.

5. Roll dough out on a lightly-floured work surface and roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter or a drinking glass, cut out dough into rounds and place on prepared baking sheet. Reroll dough scraps and continue to cut out until all dough has been used.

6. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, until tops are golden brown. Serve hot.

Makes about 20 biscuits.

8. CARVED PUMPKIN AIR FRESHNER

We are so over commercial air fresheners and their blanket of perfumy toxins, and we’re having some serious doubts about mass-made scented candles too. But now the house smells like dogs. This autumn we are going for the old stand-bys like simmering potpourri, but also came across a sweet idea that uses hollowed-out pumpkins to create aromatic pumpkin candles. They are seasonal, safe and delicious smelling, with the added bonus of being wonderfully decorative. Learn how to make them here.

Although we’re pretty sure Martha Stewart’s house does absolutely not smell like dogs, she does provide a pretty cute pumpkin pie potpourri idea on her web site. We have expanded on that idea and are happy to have another natural and non-toxic alternative to commercial air fresheners. So, thank you to the craft mavens over at MS.

It’s a pretty simple project—if you’ve carved a pumpkin before, you have all the expertise you need:

1. Cut off the top of a medium pumpkin, clean the interior and top. (See How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds for a healthy snack)

2. Cut holes in the sides to vent. Use an apple corer. You can place the holes randomly for a mod look, or symmetrically for a more classic design. Alternatively, you could carve a jack-o-lantern.

3. Rub your favorite seasonal spices on the inside of the pumpkin top. Try cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice. You can press some cloves or star anise in the top as well, or rub on some fresh vanilla bean. (Don’t use vanilla extract—the candle flame may ignite the alcohol.)

4. Place a beeswax tea light candle in the bottom of the pumpkin.
Light and let burn. (And never leave a burning candle unattended!)

9. SLOW-ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

When slow-roasted with a little salt and butter, pumpkin seeds make delicious snacks rich in nutritious minerals such as zinc. When I was growing up, carving pumpkins always meant that my mother would ask us to help her collect and wash the pumpkin seeds. She would then roast them in the oven until they were golden brown, filling the house with their rich, nutty aroma. I’ve never been able to make them as perfectly as she did, but this is her recipe:

• pumpkin seeds from 1 or more pumpkins
• 1 tablespoon butter
• salt

Wash the pumpkin seeds to remove all the pulp, and place in a bowl. Melt the butter in a pan and then pour, bit by bit, into the nuts, tossing while you go. They key is not to use too much butter, but just enough to lightly coat the seeds. Smaller pumpkins may require less than 1 tablespoon of butter, larger ones more. Add salt. Preheat the oven to 250F; spread the seeds out over a baking pan and bake, turning occasionally, until crisp and lightly golden browned. Overcooking causes the nuts to toughen and lose flavor.

American Indian Variation
Wash the pumpkin seeds thoroughly, and place them in a bowl. Cover with cold water to which just enough salt has been added that it is still drinkable, and let soak overnight. Drain the seeds, place them on a cookie sheet, and cook in a low oven—-250 F—-until they are crisp and golden brown

10.CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE

You don’t have to have pumpkin pie to still enjoy pumpkin and spice in a holiday dessert. This tender, moist cake uses pureed pumpkin to replace much of the fat and is delicately seasoned with classic holiday flavors.

Recipe:

For the Cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup granulated organic sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree (below)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
1 large egg at room temperature
1 large egg white at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Glaze & Garnish
1/2 cup packed organic confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon non-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips or toasted chopped nuts (see Tip)

To prepare cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 12-cup Bundt pan.

2. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl.

3. Blend 1 cup buttermilk, pumpkin puree and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Beat in whole egg and egg white. Stir in oil, corn syrup and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

4. Bake the cake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on the rack, about 2 hours.

To glaze & garnish cake:

Combine confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon buttermilk in a small bowl, stirring until completely smooth. Place the cake on a serving plate and drizzle the glaze over the top; garnish with chocolate chips (or chopped nuts) while the glaze is still moist.

Tips: To warm an egg to room temperature, either set it out on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge it (in the shell) in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.

To toast chopped nuts & seeds: Cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Makes 16 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 234 calories; 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat, 3g mono unsaturated fat); 13 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 238 mg sodium; 159 mg potassium.

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How to Roast a Pumpkin and make Puree
Halve the pumpkin crosswise and scoop out the seeds (roast them) and strings. Place halves, hollow side down, in a large baking pan covered with aluminum foil and add a little water. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 1½ to 2 hours or until fork-tender. Remove. When cool, scrape pulp from shells and puree, a little at time, in food processor or blender.

To use pumpkin puree for recipes, it must be drained first: Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth, paper towels or a dish towel and let the pumpkin sit to drain the extra moisture.