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Pumpkin Puree

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Recipe by Tonia Schemmel, Feasting at Home

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Yields 1 ½ – 3 cups (1 small pumpkin equals approximately one 15 oz. can)

Making pumpkin puree from scratch is simple and an excellent alternative to canned pumpkin. Add puree to smoothies, baked goods (like pancakes, muffins, scones, bread, and pumpkin pie, of course!), soups, and even baby food. The puree can also be frozen in portions for later use.

Ingredients

  • 1 or more pie pumpkins from the farmers’ market
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy middle part. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.
  3. Place halves, flesh side down, on a baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 50 minutes or until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
  5. Once the pumpkin is cool, scoop out of the skin and process in a food processor or blender until completely smooth.

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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Adapted from the recipe for Maple Roasted Pumpkin Seeds by Sylvia Fountaine, Feasting at Home

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Yields approximately 1 cup

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds
  • salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F
  2. Soak pumpkin seeds in a bowl of water and massage them a bit to help remove the pulp. Scoop out the seeds and discard the pulp.
  3. Place 1 cup of pumpkin seeds in a small pot,  with 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, do not rinse, and pat dry.  
  4. Once dry, place on a parchment-lined sheet pan and place on the middle rack in the oven, and stir every 5 minutes. Watch very carefully between minutes 10-15. You want them to toast, but not burn. 
  5. Remove from oven, fluff them a bit with the spatula, then let them cool completely, about 20 minutes.  They should be beautifully golden and crispy.

NOTES

Variations galore! Before roasting, toss pumpkin seeds with 1 teaspoon olive oil and add desired seasonings: 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup, smoked paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, sesame seeds, cumin, etc.

Apple & Carrot “Superhero” Muffins

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Recipe by Cookie and Kate

Prep & Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 12 muffins 

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 2 cups packed almond meal or almond flour (10 ounces)
  • 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Optional mix-ins: ½ cup chopped walnuts, raisins, chocolate chips
  • ½ cup honey* or maple syrup*
  • 3 eggs*
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup grated apple* (about 1 ½ apples)
  • 1 cup peeled and grated carrots* (about 3 carrots

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper muffin cups.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and optional mix-ins, if using.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the honey, eggs and butter. Whisk in the grated apple and carrots. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
  4. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each to the brim. Bake until the muffins are nicely browned on top and a knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool completely before storing.
  5. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. If you like them warm, reheat them on low power in the microwave.

Notes

MAKE THEM NUT FREE: (The muffins will no longer be gluten free with this variation) 2 cups whole wheat flour can be used as an alternative to the almond meal. Increase the butter to 8 tablespoons (1 stick) and reduce the oats to 1 cup.

Fried Green Tomatoes

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By Christina Musgrave of Tasting Table

Prep time: 15 min

Coot time: 20 min

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3 eggs*, beaten
  • ½ cup buttermilk*
  • 4 large green tomatoes*, sliced
  • 2 cups vegetable oil

Directions

  1. Combine 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 2 tablespoons of garlic powder, and 1 cup of breadcrumbs in a bowl. Stir and set aside.
  2. Pour 1 cup of flour into a shallow bowl or on a plate and set aside.
  3. Combine 3 eggs and ½ cup of buttermilk in a bowl. Dip the tomatoes in the flour, then the egg mixture, then the breadcrumbs. Repeat until all tomatoes are coated in the breadcrumb mixture.
  4. Heat 2 cups of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add tomatoes in batches and cook for 2 minutes per side. Repeat until all of the tomatoes are fried. Serve with a creamy sauce, and enjoy.

Five Flavors Chicory Salad

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Recipe provided by Andrea Grom of Green Jeans Market Farm

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

For the salad:

  • 1 sugarloaf and/or Chioggia radicchio and/or other chicories*, chopped crosswise into ¼-inch strips
  • 1 apple*, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 fennel bulb*, finely sliced (optional)
  • ½ cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup parsley*, finely chopped
  • Shaved parmesan cheese* (optional)

For the dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey*
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard*
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Plunge the chopped radicchio in cold water for 5 minutes to leech out some of the bitter juices. Spin dry with a salad spinner. Use what you need for the salad and put the rest in a plastic zipper bag. Add the remaining ingredients and toss with the dressing.

 

Note: All chicories can be used in this recipe: radicchio, Italian dandelion, escarole and frisèe.

 

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Brown Butter and Thyme

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Adapted from recipe by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt of Serious Eats
YIELD: Makes about 3 quarts, serves 6 to 8

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

  • 1 medium sugar pumpkins or kabocha squash, about 4 1/2 pounds total*
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil*
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 whole stems thyme, plus 1 tablespoon picked thyme leaves*
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter*
  • 2 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, quartered lengthwise, and finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)*
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely sliced (about 3/4 cup)*
  • 1 quart homemade or store-bought low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup*
  • 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon

Directions

  • 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Split pumpkins in half with a heavy chef’s knife. Scoop out the seeds and discard or save for another use. Rub pumpkins on all surfaces with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side-down on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Scatter whole thyme stems on top. Roast until tender, flipping halfway through cooking, 1 to 1 1/2 hours total. Remove from oven and let rest until cool enough to handle.
  • 2. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add stock and maple syrup and bring to a simmer.
  • 3. Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh out of the pumpkin and add it to the pot. Discard stem and skins. Let simmer for 15 minutes longer, then remove bay leaves and discard.
  • 4. Puree soup in a blender in batches until completely smooth, straining through a fine mesh strainer to catch any particles or fibers. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.
  • 5. To serve, heat remaining four tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat, swirling constantly, until foam subsides and butter takes on a deep brown color with a nutty aroma, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add remaining tablespoon thyme leaves (they’ll crackle as they hit the hot butter). Add lemon juice and season brown butter to taste with salt.
  • 6. Ladle soup into serving bowls and drizzle with thyme brown butter. Serve immediately.