What’s That Pumpkin in the Window?

Yes, it is that time, we have lots of pumpkins everywhere. Unfortunately, I have also seen that some people have smashed a few in yards. What a waste! 

You know, what is so cool about this season is that the fruits and veggies we harvest or buy can be frozen and used in the upcoming months for the holidays. 

One thing that I love making is soup. And I have had many wonderfully tasty pumpkin ones. I received the following soup recipe from the gluten-free club I belong to. The more we can make things gluten free or sugar free or even fat free, the better. If we made one or two items at all holiday meals like that we would ease our way into a little more healthy cooking.
Now, I am not trying to be preachy. I’m just giving my opinion. There are so many allergies, and around the holidays there are just too many things people cannot eat. So I have a recipe here for a gluten-free pumpkin pie followed by a traditional pumpkin soup from the Food Network.
When I make any soup, keeping in mind that I want it to be vegetarian, I always use my own veggie stock and soy milk. If the recipe calls for milk products, I simply use soy. So if you have a basic recipe that you like to use, changing it to gluten or vegetarian is simple.
Of course the other thing about all the soup and pie we make during this time of year is that we can freeze it. When you take the time to put the effort into a day of cooking, why not just make a batch of it and be done? Then in the middle of winter, when you do not want to leave your house and maybe would prefer to just curl up and read a book, which I know we all love to do, all you have to do is go to the freezer and pull out a pie or some yummy soup.
In fact, if you are going to bother with any large amount of time invested in cooking, if you can make more of it and freeze it, go for it.
By the way, this last weekend I catered at a pumpkin patch (hmm, maybe how I got on the pumpkin roll here). The place is called Dakota Carriage Pumpkin Patch, located west on County Road 20 off I-29. I had no idea that it was even around. What was great to see was that it is absolutely made for kids. There were all sorts of games, wagon rides, and a huge bonfire area.
So just think, you could make all that great, warm comfort food and have a fun time outside in fall weather. 

Hope you enjoy the recipes and make some fun meals.

Pumpkin Pie

Contributed by Angie Halten

Ingredients:
-8 oz / 225g short crust potato pastry
-3 eggs
-4 oz / 100g sugar
-½ tsp / 1g ground allspice
-½ tsp / 1g ground cinnamon
-¼ tsp / 0.5g ground nutmeg
-salt to taste
-1 lb / 450g pumpkin purée
-½ pint / 280 ml whole milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F 200ºC. Line the bottom and sides of a shallow 25 cm pie dish with the pastry. Beat the eggs together with the sugar and spices. Beat in the pumpkin purée and then the milk until well mixed. Place the mixture in the pie pastry dish. Bake for 40 minutes until the mixture is set and the top brown.

Pumpkin Soup

From The Food Network

Ingredients:
-2 medium pumpkins (for recipe)
-1 large pumpkin (for tureen)
-2 cups chicken broth
-1 cup water
-1/4 cup maple syrup
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon ginger
-1 cup half and half
-Toasted pumpkin seeds, optional

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the 2 medium pumpkins in half, scoop out the seeds, and place skin-side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until soft.

Scoop out the pumpkin flesh into food processor and puree until smooth. Pour pureed pumpkin into a saucepan and add the chicken broth, water, maple syrup, and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the top off the large pumpkin to create the soup tureen. The hole should be wide enough to fit a ladle. Hollow out the seeds, checking for holes and line with plastic, if necessary.

Remove the soup from heat and stir in the half-and-half. Pour the soup into the pumpkin tureen and serve garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Until next week, eat well and stay safe.
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