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pumpkin recipes

Family-friendly Halloween fun from the farmers’ market

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By Julia Howard

 

  My kids talk about their Halloween costumes nearly year-round, so it’s fair to say that Halloween is a big deal in our house. For us, Halloween is more about celebrating the spirit of the season; roasting pumpkin seeds, making festive snacks, selecting pumpkins and carving them, making crafts, and exploring nature as fall takes hold. Weekly visits to the farmers’ market enhance these activities and experiences, creating tangible and meaningful Halloween traditions.

Halloween-themed foods allow for creative and fun cooking, especially when preparing food with children. Apple slices sandwiched with nut butter suddenly become monster lips. Add roasted pumpkin seeds for teeth. Cut carrots into rounds and top with chèvre and halved black olives to make spooky eye snacks. You get the idea. Except for olives, all these ingredients are available at the farmers’ market.

Burgers Market Garden, photo by Pattie Garrett

Roasting pumpkins and having fresh purée on-hand offers so many possibilities. A small pumpkin (about 3 lbs) will make roughly 4 cups of purée. Start by cutting the pumpkin in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and strings. Save the seeds for roasting. Brush the pumpkin flesh with oil, sprinkle with salt, and place the flesh side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pierce the skin a few times with a fork to let steam escape. Roast at 350 degrees for approximately 50 minutes. Once cooled, purée in a food processor. You can add pumpkin to cinnamon rolls, smoothies, curries, soups, macaroni and cheese, oatmeal, and many other foods.

mother and daughter making Halloween pumpkin, outdoor shot

If you’re not feeling too creative or lacking time, you can get Halloween goods straight from the Saratoga Farmers’ Market vendors. Burger’s Market Garden will have hand-painted mini pumpkins, and Saratoga Suds ‘n’ Stuff will have spooky soaps.

Saratoga Suds ‘n’ Stuff, photo by Graciela Colston

For the sweeter side, visit NightWork Bread for their incredible chai snickerdoodles, and TogaNola will have their ‘fan favorite’ pumpkin spice granola. Muddy Trail Jerky Co. has mulling spices perfect for simmering with cider from Saratoga Apple. 

Let’s enjoy a final Saturday market at High Rock Park, as next Saturday, November 5, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market will move to its indoor home at the Wilton Mall food court. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park through the end of October. The market will be open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court starting November 5th. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Pumpkin Dip

By

by Nicole Cunningham Furman, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table

Ingredients:
* Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg *
1 teaspoon cinnamon *
16 ounces cream cheese*, softened
2 cups pumpkin puree *
Instructions:
Mix together the sugar and spices. Whip together with the cream cheese and pumpkin. Refrigerate until firm. Serve with apple slices* or ginger snaps*.

Fresh Pumpkin Puree*
This year skip the canned pumpkin and make your own pumpkin puree. It’s not as difficult as you might think and it’s delicious. You may never go back to canned.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut pumpkin* in half from top to bottom, remove the seeds and pulp. Place the halves cut side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Roast until easily pierced, 45 to 60 minutes. Turn over the pumpkin and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Allow to cool enough to handle. Scoop out the flesh and puree in a food processor. Drain puree in fine mesh strainer over a bowl for 1 hour or more. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days. It also freezes nicely for future use.

Halloween Party, Farmers’ Market Style

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By Pattie Garrett

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market for perfect pumpkins to paint, carve and cook, and to get a sack full of other Halloween treats too! Between now and October 31, come to the market at High Rock Park any Saturday 9 am – 1 pm or Wednesday 3 – 6 pm to pick out products for constructing your own Halloween party, and on Wednesday October 31, come join ours!
Halloween’s mascot is the pumpkin, and at the market we celebrate this special squash in fresh baked goods, hot and cold beverages, decorations, dinners and desserts; we even have unique, locally made, pumpkin-spiced marshmallows! The tradition of carving pumpkins dates to Irish immigrants who came to America to escape famine. Legend says that Stingy Jack was a thief and trickster who even fooled the devil into making a promise not to take his soul when he died. The devil kept this promise, but God wouldn’t let an unsavory person like Jack into heaven. With just a burning coal in a turnip to use for a light, Jack’s been roaming the earth ever since. Because of this, children in Ireland put a glowing coal into a carved potato, turnip or beet to frighten away Stingy Jack. Once in America, pumpkins made the perfect lanterns. That is where we get Jack-O’-Lanterns.
Big pumpkins make the perfect carved jack-o-lantern, while small sugar pumpkins are delicious for roasting to make puree for pies, dips and pumpkin bread. Save the seeds of either to sprinkle with your favorite spice and roast as a quick crunchy snack.
If a party is on your Halloween schedule, try these tricks for some healthy and unusual treats: Use a small pumpkin or other gourd as a bowl. Fill it with a sweet pumpkin dip accompanied by sliced apples on the side, or try a savory dip or hummus with vegetable sticks.
Another fun idea is to make kebabs of fruit, veggies or cured meat and cheese. Stick them in a painted or carved pumpkin. It’ll make a wonderful centerpiece for your party table.
And on Halloween itself, come celebrate at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market! Trick-or-treat for candy at the vendors’ booths, win prizes in our costume contest, and paint a pumpkin in a mess-free craft! Before heading home, grab some veggies, a delicious prepared dish and a jug of sweet cider for a quick dinner on this spookiest evening of the year.