Pumpkin Recipes
Baby Jane feeling the pumpkin vibes
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Long Pie Pumpkins curing in the greenhouse
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Young 'Rouge Vif d'Etampes' pumpkin
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About Pumpkins
Pumpkins are really just a type of winter squash. You can substitute any winter squash for pumpkin recipes. To prepare you can cut a pumpkin in half, remove the seeds and bake cut side down in a hot oven until soft. Then scoop out the flesh and mash, draining away any extra water. Use two cups of mashed pumpkin can replace a can of pumpkin. We especially love the heirloom variety ‘Long Pie,’ which makes the best pies but is also good cubed and made into pumpkin curry. Pumpkins can put on display on a shelf or table and admired for weeks until ready to eat. Pumpkin flesh is great in soups, cookies, pies, breads, and casseroles.
Spicy Coconut Pumpkin (adapted from Farmer John’s Cookbook)
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs olive oil
1 lg onion, sliced thin
1 Tbs minced ginger
2-3 tsp curry powder
1 small jalapeno or Serrano pepper, chopped
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground cardamom
1 ½ pounds pie pumpkin, peeled, seeded & cut into 1” pieces
1 ½ cups coconut milk
1 tsp maple syrup or brown sugar
Salt & pepper
Heat butter & olive oil over medium heat. Saute onions until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Add ginger, cook 3 more minutes. Add jalapeno, cloves & cardamom. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add pumpkin, coconut milk & maple syrup or brown sugar. Cover & cook until pumpkin is tender, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and if sauce is thin, cook uncovered until sauce thickens, 5 minutes. Serve over rice.
Mamie’s Pumpkin Cookies
Cream together 1 C butter and 1 C sugar. Add 1 C cooked pumpkin, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla and beat well. Sift together 2 C flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg & ½ tsp salt. Mix together pumpkin and flour mixtures. Drop by Tbsp on greased cookie sheet & bake @ 375 for 10-15 minutes. Cool on rack.
Pumpkin Spice Bread (adapted from Pumpkin Nook’s Cookbook)
1 ½ C flour
¾ C sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ C vegetable oil
1/3 C water
2 eggs
1 C pumpkin puree
¾ C walnuts
Preheat oven to 350. Sift together flour, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt & baking soda. Add walnuts. Beat eggs. Add vegetable oil, water and pumpkin puree. Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients. Do not overmix. Pour batter into a large greased, floured bread pan. Bake 1 hour or until a toothpick tests clean.
Pumpkins are really just a type of winter squash. You can substitute any winter squash for pumpkin recipes. To prepare you can cut a pumpkin in half, remove the seeds and bake cut side down in a hot oven until soft. Then scoop out the flesh and mash, draining away any extra water. Use two cups of mashed pumpkin can replace a can of pumpkin. We especially love the heirloom variety ‘Long Pie,’ which makes the best pies but is also good cubed and made into pumpkin curry. Pumpkins can put on display on a shelf or table and admired for weeks until ready to eat. Pumpkin flesh is great in soups, cookies, pies, breads, and casseroles.
Spicy Coconut Pumpkin (adapted from Farmer John’s Cookbook)
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs olive oil
1 lg onion, sliced thin
1 Tbs minced ginger
2-3 tsp curry powder
1 small jalapeno or Serrano pepper, chopped
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground cardamom
1 ½ pounds pie pumpkin, peeled, seeded & cut into 1” pieces
1 ½ cups coconut milk
1 tsp maple syrup or brown sugar
Salt & pepper
Heat butter & olive oil over medium heat. Saute onions until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Add ginger, cook 3 more minutes. Add jalapeno, cloves & cardamom. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add pumpkin, coconut milk & maple syrup or brown sugar. Cover & cook until pumpkin is tender, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and if sauce is thin, cook uncovered until sauce thickens, 5 minutes. Serve over rice.
Mamie’s Pumpkin Cookies
Cream together 1 C butter and 1 C sugar. Add 1 C cooked pumpkin, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla and beat well. Sift together 2 C flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg & ½ tsp salt. Mix together pumpkin and flour mixtures. Drop by Tbsp on greased cookie sheet & bake @ 375 for 10-15 minutes. Cool on rack.
Pumpkin Spice Bread (adapted from Pumpkin Nook’s Cookbook)
1 ½ C flour
¾ C sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ C vegetable oil
1/3 C water
2 eggs
1 C pumpkin puree
¾ C walnuts
Preheat oven to 350. Sift together flour, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt & baking soda. Add walnuts. Beat eggs. Add vegetable oil, water and pumpkin puree. Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients. Do not overmix. Pour batter into a large greased, floured bread pan. Bake 1 hour or until a toothpick tests clean.