The Pumpkin Cookbook, 2nd Edition

Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Chapter 1: Versatile Pumpkin

Chapter 2: Starters, Snacks & Beverages

Black Bean Dip

Holiday Pumpkin Dip

Pumpkin-Shaped Cheese ball

Herbed Parmesan Twists

Thai Curried Pumpkin in Phyllo Cups

Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin Chutney

Pepita Party Mix

Pumpkin Seed Gorp

Spicy Pepita Nuts

Black Bean Quesadillas

Orange-Banana Smoothie

Mango Pumpkin Smoothie

Chapter 3: Soups & Salads

Roasted Ginger Pumpkin-Pear Soup

Caribbean Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

Creamy Kale Pumpkin Soup

Southwest Chicken Pumpkin Soup

Lentil-Pumpkin Soup with Spinach

Mushroom-Pumpkin Soup

Tarragon Pumpkin Soup

Roasted Carrot-Pumpkin Soup with Parsley Cream

Harvest Pumpkin Soup

Split Pea Pumpkin Soup

Thai Pumpkin Soup

Roasted Corn Pumpkin Chowder

Italian Pumpkin Soup with Crushed Amaretti Cookies

Great American Beer Soup

Winter Salad with Maple Pumpkin Dressing

Spinach Salad with Bacon and Pepitas

Red Cabbage and Maple-Roasted Delicata Salad

Composed Cannellini Bean and Chicken Salad with Pumpkin Dressing

Sliced Greens with Purple Pepper and Orange

Roasted Potato Pumpkin Salad

Spring Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Pepitas

Autumn Toasted Couscous Salad

Chapter 4: Side Dishes

Grilled Squash

Mashed Potatoes and Pumpkin

Pumpkin Purée with Almond Topping

Grated Candied Pumpkin

Spinach and Pumpkin

Cape Malay Pumpkin

Golden Roasted Vegetables

Wild Mushroom Pumpkin Risotto

Sage-Pumpkin Risotto

Apple, Cranberry, and Pumpkin Stuffing

Golden Pumpkin Corn Pudding

Roasted Pumpkin and Barley Pilaf

Roasted Pumpkin Parmesan Polenta

Cabbage Braised in Pumpkin Ale

Kadu (Afghani Sweet Pumpkin)

Pumpkin Gratin with Caramelized Onions

Chapter 5: Main Courses

Blue Cheese and Pumpkin Galette

Rich Pastry Dough Used in Blue Cheese and Pumpkin Galette

Pumpkin Pizza with Gorgonzola

Chicken-Pumpkin Tacos

Pumpkin-Filled Ravioli with Fried Sage

Cheddar-Pumpkin Tart

Savory Tart Crust Used in Cheddar-Pumpkin Tart

Crêpes with Spinach and Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

Pasta with Pumpkin and Wild Mushrooms

White Bean, Chicken, and Pumpkin Chili

Chicken in Pueblan Green Pumpkin Seed Sauce (a.k.a. Pipiàn de Pollo)

Moroccan Chicken and Pumpkin Stew

Barbecued Chicken Thighs with Spicy Pumpkin Sauce

Roast Chicken with Harvest Vegetables

Mexican Pumpkin Lasagna

Pumpkin-Turkey Medley

Grilled Salmon with Pepita Crust

Creamy Shrimp and Rice

Ham and Cheese Pumpkin Soufflé

Maple Glazed Ham and Pumpkin

Tex-Mex Chili

Meatloaf with Pumpkin Glaze

Spicy Beef Stew in a Pumpkin Shell

Punkin' Joes

Pork Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce

Apricot Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Pistachio Crust

Pork Stew with Pumpkin and Prunes

Armenian Lamb Stew in a Pumpkin Shell

Lamb Kebabs with Red Peppers, Onions, and Pumpkin

Thai Green Lamb Curry

Braised Cabbage with Sausage and Pumpkin

Spaghetti with Peppers, Onions, and Sausage

Northern Italian Pumpkin Lasagna

Creamy Fusilli, Sausage, and Pumpkin

Chapter 6: Breads

Hazelnut-Pumpkin Biscotti Iced with Chocolate

Almond-Pumpkin Biscotti

Currant-Pumpkin-Oat Scones

Lemon-Pumpkin-Cranberry Scones

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Cornbread

Cranberry-Orange-Pumpkin Bread

Banana-Pumpkin-Nut Bread

Orange-Pumpkin Pancakes

Date-Nut-Pumpkin Muffins

Spicy Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

Pumpkin Popovers

Lemon-Cranberry-Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Pumpkin-Walnut Biscuits

Chapter 7: Pies

Piecrust Pastry Dough

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Traditional Pumpkin Pie

Southern Pecan Pumpkin Pie

Date-Nut Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Chess Pie

Meringue Pumpkin Pie

Spicy Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Gingersnap Pecan Crust

Oat Crumb Crust

Pumpkin-Pear Galette

Chapter 8: Cookies

Pumpkin-Molasses Snaps

Pumpkin-Currant Cookies

Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Crisps

Jack-o'-Lantern Cookies

Pumpkin Pops with Lemon Icing

Chocolate-Pumpkin Brownies

Graham Cracker Pumpkin Tannies

White Chocolate, Pepita, and Apricot Pumpkin Bars

Orange-Walnut Pumpkin Bars

Chapter 9: Cakes

Surprising Pumpkin-Orange Cheesecake

Pumpkin Roll with Mascarpone Filling

Caramel Sauce

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Graham and Zwieback Crust

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Chocolate-Pumpkin Cake

Pumpkin Cake or Jack-o'-Lantern Cake

Spice Cake with Pumpkin Mascarpone Icing

Pumpkin-Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Gingerbread with Pumpkin-Ginger Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce

Chapter 10: Desserts & Delicacies

Pumpkin Baked Alaska with Pumpkin-Ginger Ice Cream

Lemon-Pumpkin Strudel

Orange-Pumpkin Spanish Cream

Pumpkin Mousse in Phyllo Cups

Pumpkin-Rice Pudding

Pumpkin Panna Cotta

Almond Bread Pudding with Crème Anglaise

Crème Anglaise

Pumpkin-Ginger Ice Cream

Peachy Pumpkin Crisp

White Chocolate Pumpkin Fudge

Pumpkin Fudge

Frozen Pumpkin Dessert with Nut Crust

Metric Conversions

Index

Other Storey Titles

Copyright

Share Your Experience!

Acknowledgments

Writing a cookbook is an act of love in large part because those you love and live with must eat your successes and failures. My husband, Jack, jokes that he gains 10 pounds for every cookbook I write. Fortunately, there has been time in between for him to lose it. He has been my best critic and most supportive pal throughout the writing of this book, and for that I am most grateful. Our family's Sunday pizza nights were diverted into tasting sessions for various recipes, thanks to the palates of Meg and Jezz, Dick and Lisa, Lennie, Molly, and Emrich. Having eaters on hand is essential for a cookbook writer, and my new neighbors in California pitched right in. The next-door Reidy family — Bill and Gina and their four kids, Chelsea, Olivia, Sam, and Elliot — took the job of tasting very seriously.

Recipe testers were invaluable for their careful testing and forthright commentary. Thanks especially to the stalwarts who kept coming back for more: Wendy Taylor, Donna Elefson, Judy Madden, Andy Shatken, Susan Smith, and Marcia Mallory. Thanks also to my daughters, Kate Stovel and Meg Holland; my brother and his wife, Dennis and Susan McCoy; my niece, Maura Kahn; and Sandy Jorling, Mimi Jorling, Polly Friedrichs, Larrie Rockwell, Kelly Martin, Lara Sellers, Becky Pettit, Mary Tierney, Joe Zeeman, Kimmie McCann, Jane Stuebner, Esther Christensen, Lynda Scofield, Pam Turton, and Pam Wakefield.

For ideas and inspiration, I thank Barby Linnard. Judy Witts shared wonderful recipes. Dianne Cutillo, former editor at Storey Publishing, was most helpful and supportive in getting this project launched. Andrea Dodge, my editor, has been enthusiastic and encouraging throughout.

Preface

My love affair with pumpkin began badly. As an aspiring ballerina longing for a tutu or, at the very least, a ballerina dress, my costume for the recital was puffy, not graceful; shiny and bright orange, not subtle and romantic. I was a pumpkin, not a twirling, leaping dancer in a lovely costume! It was the end of my ballet career, but not the end of the shiny orange costume my mom had lovingly sewn for me. The costume lived on in kid plays and for many Halloweens until, no longer puffy or shiny, the limp and shredded orange satin was retired to the trash.

When my second daughter was born, my mom came up to help out. For some reason I have yet to fathom, my husband and I thought that helping with a baby, running after a two-year-old, and helping to run our house would not keep her busy enough. Since she was a wonderful cook and expert pie maker, and it was pumpkin season, we asked her to make a pumpkin pie from scratch. Only after we had wiped the last delicious crumbs from our lips did she tell us she always used canned pumpkins in her pies and had never before used a fresh pumpkin.

Things started to improve when this same daughter was a little older and needed her adenoids removed. We gave her a huge Teddy bear to take to the hospital. She promptly named the bear "Pumpkin" for reasons known only to her. A very worn and weary Pumpkin now sits on a big-girl bed and is much beloved by the new generation.

And here I am, many years later, riding on this family theme by chopping and peeling fresh pumpkins, opening can after can of prepared purée, and becoming utterly fascinated with the versatility and flavor of pumpkin as an ingredient in all kinds of recipes. This amazing gourd, which appears in many cuisines and cultures around the world, has gotten my creative juices flowing, as you will see in the following pages.

1

Versatile Pumpkin

When I told people I was writing a pumpkin cookbook, I got one of two reactions. "Ohhhh, I LOVE pumpkin, how exciting, when is it coming out?" or "You are writing about WHAT? Pumpkin? Why would you want to do that?" This book is clearly for the first group, but the second group will find there is a lot to love about pumpkins, clearly a superfood!

Pumpkins happily grow in all climates across the United States. In fact, they grow on every continent except Antarctica. One of the many winter squashes, pumpkins have long been prized for their nutrition, adaptability, and staying power. The sturdy outer skin allows them to be stored in a cool place for months. Native to North America, pumpkins have been cultivated for about 9,000 years. For the indigenous people, pumpkin was a mainstay of their diet, and it has served as such for succeeding cultures. Pumpkin offers protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamin C, potassium, and huge amounts of vitamin A and beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A. It is high in fiber and low in calories. For sustenance, pumpkin is hard to beat.

Since pumpkin has been around for so long, and since it is found in cuisines across the globe, it is not surprising that pumpkin shows up in appetizers, soups, breads, desserts, salads, and savories of all kinds. It offers much more than the annual slice of pie at Thanksgiving, and I have by no means exhausted all the possibilities in this book. The mild, slightly sweet flavor lends itself to numerous ingredients. I had a great time adding pumpkin to my old favorite recipes, thinking up new combinations, and adapting ideas from other cultures. While in some cases the pumpkin flavor is almost too subtle to detect when used with strong, savory ingredients, it always adds texture, color, and nutrition. In other cases, the sweetness of pumpkin is the featured flavor, deepened by the addition of sugars and spices and leaving no doubt of its presence. A number of my recipe testers reported that they could not "taste" the pumpkin. True sometimes, but not a problem, because the lovely color is always there, as is the nutrition and the smooth texture.

Types of Pumpkins

Pumpkins are members of the gourd family, technically Cucurbitaceae, affectionately known as cucurbits. The vines of this great family include hundreds of species, from cucumbers to melons to squash. Thin-skinned summer squash do not include pumpkin, which belongs in the category of thick-skinned winter squash. In some countries, pumpkin is a term used for all hard-skinned squash. Of the many types of winter squash, the most well-known and readily available are pumpkin, butternut, acorn, hubbard, and buttercup. However, finding fresh pumpkin in markets during spring and summer is a bit of a challenge.

Pumpkin has a number of varieties, all of which are edible, but some are superior to others. The large ones that we carve into jack-o'-lanterns tend to be dry and stringy. Giant pumpkins, which may weigh over 1,000 pounds, follow suit. The original Halloween pumpkin is the Connecticut Field variety, which also makes a good pie. For the best eating, however, choose a denser, sweeter variety such as sugar or pie pumpkin; the pale-skinned Long Island Cheese pumpkin; a delicious Japanese pumpkin known as kabocha; bright orange French Red or Cinderella pumpkin; dusky peachy Sonia pumpkin; or blue-skinned Australian Queensland pumpkin. Don't forget the wonderful delicata with its edible skin. The names may change with the location, but taken together they form a subtly colored palatye of the fall harvest that can be roasted, steamed, boiled, microwaved, grated, stuffed and served up in more ways than you can imagine.

There are cute little guys also, which are fun for decorating or using as little serving dishes when lightly roasted. Perfectly round baseball pumpkins, ribbed munchkins, Baby Bear, Jack Be Little, or Baby Bo can mark places, fill a bowl, or decorate the hall table.

Storing, Preparing, and Cooking Fresh Pumpkins

Many think of pumpkin as existing solely in dessert, especially in pie. In fact, pumpkin is a wonderful vegetable by itself in addition to being an adaptable ingredient in all kinds of savory dishes. Its mild flavor and soft texture when served with salt, pepper, and a dab of butter provide a wonderful background to more highly seasoned poultry, meat, and fish.

Fresh pumpkins are abundant in the fall but practically nonexistent in the market during winter, spring, and summer months. In the United States, most pumpkins are sold in the fall, when 80 percent of the crop is snatched up for jack-o'-lanterns and decorative pieces to create the harvest mood. The one exception I have found is the Japanese kabocha pumpkin, which sits alongside butternut squash throughout the year. I find sugar, cheese, and kabocha pumpkins the most satisfactory to use. If these are not available — it can be hard to get your hands on a fresh pumpkin once the supply of fall pumpkins is gone — butternut squash is an excellent substitute, with its smooth, creamy texture. It is reliably available in grocery stores everywhere throughout the year. The scarcity of fresh pumpkin after late fall or early winter is one reason to cook up entire pumpkins and store the leftovers in the freezer for late-winter dishes.

Alternatively, keep whole fresh pumpkins during winter months by storing them in a dark, cool, dry place — not a refrigerator. A basement is perfect. For those without basements, store them outside and under cover from rain and rodents.

Cutting and Peeling

Sugar pumpkins are the easiest to cut because of their small size. Wash the skin and, with a large knife, cut the pumpkin in half. Remove the stem. Scrape out the seeds and fibers with a large metal spoon and cook (see Cooking Pumpkin, below).

For large pumpkins, like the Long Island Cheese pumpkin, be sure to use a large, sharp chef's knife and a stable cutting board. Put a damp paper towel under the board to hold it in place. Slice a small amount from the bottom so the pumpkin won't wiggle while you cut. Start at the top and rock the knife back and forth as you cut the pumpkin in half from top to bottom. Remove the seeds and fibers and lay the cut sides on the board. Cut into quarters at least, or into smaller pieces if called for. Cook and peel as indicated in the recipe.

If a pumpkin is very hard to cut, you might try using a cleaver. If all else fails, throw the pumpkin on a concrete surface to smash it or at least crack it open, then use your knife. This is obviously a method of last resort, but it really works, especially if you can drop the pumpkin from a few steps. You may need to resort to such drastic measures if your pumpkin is several months old because the skin becomes harder with time.

To peel an uncooked pumpkin, place the pumpkin cut-side down on a cutting board. With a sharp paring knife, cut the skin toward the bottom cut edge. Cut away from yourself. A cooked pumpkin is much easier to peel. When cool enough to handle, simply use a sharp paring knife to lift the skin from the pumpkin flesh.

Cooking Pumpkin

For all methods, scrub the outside of the pumpkin before cooking. Except for roasting whole or ­miniature pumpkins, pumpkins should be cut in half and the seeds removed. Pumpkin is done when the flesh is easily pierced with a fork.

Using the Pumpkin as a Serving Bowl

Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). To prepare a small or mini pumpkin for individual servings, wash the skin, rub lightly with oil, and bake for 30 minutes, or until it is easily pierced with a fork. When cool enough to handle, cut a ­circle as you would for a jack-o'-lantern, about 2 inches from the stem. Remove the top and scrape out the seeds and fibers. Fill small pumpkins with salads, soups, risottos, puddings, or whatever you fancy. They make nice individual serving bowls.

To prepare a large pumpkin for use as a serving bowl for soups and stews, choose a creamy Long Island Cheese, a blue-skinned Queensland, or a bright orange Cinderella. Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Wash the pumpkin, cut off the top with a large knife, and scoop out the seeds and fibers with a large metal spoon. Rub the inside and outside lightly with oil and place the pumpkin and top on a jelly-roll pan. Bake the pumpkin and top for 30 minutes. Remove the top and continue baking the bottom for 15 minutes longer, or until it can be pierced with a fork but does not collapse. The pumpkin should be able to stand on its own.

Roasting