a very sincere pumpkin patch

i am really enjoying the pumpkins from my garden this fall. and i smile at how little i did to deserve such a wonderful harvest! these are truly a gift. last fall i got some lovely sugar baby pie pumpkins from a friend's garden. but i had one left over that never got cooked and baked into something yummy or even put in the freezer for later. instead the poor thing was shuffled from the kitchen counter to the laundry room when the fall decorations gave way to christmas. then moved from the laundry room to the mud room when i cleaned one day. by now the pumpkin was looking pretty sad and slightly mushy. mark wondered why i was keeping it and i had to face it: i was not going to get around to cooking up that pumpkin. it had definitely gone by! so it was thrown outside into the flower bed. i noticed that a mouse found it and gnawed a hole in it to feast on the seeds. i'm sure it was quite a windfall for him so late in the winter when his store of seeds must be running low. spring finally came and what was left of the pumpkin was given to the chickens. i welcomed warmer weather and was anxious to get busy in my garden. it was then, while weeding my flower bed, that i noticed something sprouting, maybe sunflowers? i might have spilled some birdseed. but then i realized. these were volunteer pumpkin sprouts! what seemed like hundreds! i transplanted 3 small seedlings into the vegetable garden and sadly weeded out the rest. the little guys did not receive much attention from me over the summer. i think i gave it one good weeding and let nature do the watering. the result was 20 beautiful pie pumpkins, an undeserved gift!

(i know, that is quite a story to introduce this blog post!)

freshly pureed pumpkin

how to make fresh pumpkin puree

after cutting open the pumpkin, scoop out the inside seeds and pulp. (yes! i saved the seeds this time!) next, cut the pumpkin into chunks leaving the skin on. place in a large pot and add a few inches of water. cover and bring to a boil. turn down to a simmer and cook, covered, until pumpkin is soft. when cool enough to handle scoop pumpkin from the skins. puree in a food processor. drain pumpkin in a fine sieve for 10 or 15 minutes to remove any extra liquid. freeze in 2 cup quantities in freeze bags or containers. (2 cups roughly equals a small can of pumpkin)

and in the spirit of the season, i made some pumpkin cutout cookies. :o)

everyday gift: a bountiful harvest of pumpkins

tis the season of pumpkins

okay, read this with your best Forrest Gump drawl...

pun'kin bread, pun'kin muffins, pun'kin pancakes, roast pun'kin seeds, sausage and pun'kin soup, pun'kin souffle, pun'kin tarts, pun'kin pie, pun'kin cookies, pun'kin bars...

we have really been loving our pumpkins this year and i have some yummy recipes to share. enjoy!



cinnamon and sugar pumpkin seeds

4 cups dried pumpkin seeds (remove from the pumpkin, rinse, and spread out on newspaper to dry over night)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar, divided

mix the pumpkin seeds with the melted butter, cinnamon, brown sugar and half of the white sugar. spread on baking sheet and roast at 350* for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. remove from the oven and stir in remaining sugar while still warm. cool. store in an airtight container.



spiced pumpkin seeds

4 cups pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbl seasoned salt
1/2 tsp worchestershire sauce

mix pumpkin seeds, butter and seasonings. stir to coat. spread on baking sheet and roast as described above.



pumpkin & sausage soup

1 pound italian pork sausage
1/2 cup onion, chopped
5 medium mushrooms, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. each of basil, oregano, and thyme
2 cups fresh pumpkin puree (or 15 ounce can of pumpkin)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

brown the sausage, onion, mushrooms, and garlic in a large pot. drain the fat. add the pumpkin, broth, and seasoning. cover and simmer for 20 minutes. add the cream and simmer an additional 10 minutes.



pumpkin scones

2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup white chocolate chips

egg glaze: 1 beaten egg + 1 tablespoon milk

mix together dry ingredients and cut in the butter. in a separate bowl mix together wet ingredients and chocolate chips. add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until they just pull together. do not over mix. transfer to floured surface and knead 3-4 times. pat into a circle and cut into wedges. place on a baking stone or sheet. brush with the egg glaze and sprinkle with sugar. bake at 375* for 20 minutes. serve with pumpkin spice butter.



pumpkin spice butter

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice

combine and mix until creamy.


everyday gift: pumpkin orange