Pump it up
Pumpkin recipes to get you into the fall spirit.
Story By Bailey Gilliam
You don’t have to be named Peter to be a pumpkin-eater. Try these five pumpkin recipes provided by talented local chefs and restaurants. From appetizers to desserts, we’ve got you covered. So don’t throw out the insides from your jack-o-lanterns without trying your hand at some tasty fall cooking.
Top 10 things to do with pumpkins after Halloween
- Pumpkin pie
- Pumpkin soup
- Pumpkin spice
- Roasted pumpkin seeds
- Pumpkin-based stock
- Pumpkin bread
- Pumpkin purée (facial treatment)
- Garden planter
- Bird feeder
- Compost
Gnocchi dokie
While delicious, traditional gnocchi can be extremely fattening. Try this pumpkin variation from Charlie’s Coastal Bistro, and enjoy the indulgence of gnocchi without the guilt.
Pumpkin Gnocchi
Ingredients
1-2 pounds sugar pumpkin (20 ounces, cooked)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt and pepper
1 cup high-quality goat cheese
2 eggs
5 cups flour
1/2 cup butter
3 fresh sage leaves
Directions [1] Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half, remove seeds and membranes, and place in a greased roasting pan. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Allow to cool. [2] Remove the flesh of the pumpkin and place it in a fine sieve. Allow draining overnight in the refrigerator. [3] Using a mixer with the paddle attachment, place the pumpkin in a bowl. Add eggs one at a time. Add goat cheese and combine. Whisk together flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Slowly add the flour mixture until dough forms. On a well-floured surface, form long thin logs with the dough. Cut the logs into small 1-inch pieces. Using a fork, press and slightly flatten the pieces. Place the pieces on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and freeze. [4] When ready to serve, fill a large pot with water over high heat until the water comes to a boil. Work in small batches. Drop the desired amount of gnocchi into the boiling water. The gnocchi are done when they float to the top. Remove from the water, and place in an ice bath immediately. Pat dry. [5] Place butter in a skillet on med-high heat, and allow butter to brown slightly. Add the sage leaves, then the gnocchi. Toss the gnocchi around in the butter with a touch more salt and pepper until heated through. Serve immediately.
Your biggest flan
A classic like crème brulée gets a facelift. Scott Hastings’s pumpkin crème brulée is the perfect dessert to try this Halloween season.
Pumpkin Crème Brulée
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch allspice
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup Turbinado sugar
Direction [1] Preheat oven to 310 degrees. [2] In a saucepan over medium heat, blend together the first seven ingredients. Stir until it just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse into the cream. [3] In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with the white sugar until pale in color. Whisk in the cream and then the purée. [4] Divide the mixture equally into 4 oven-safe ramekins and arrange them in a hot water bath. (A metal deep-sided pan works the best.) [5] Bake on the center rack until set but still soft, about 30-40 minutes. Do not overcook. When done, remove the ramekins from the water bath, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. [6] Before serving, top each with Turbinado sugar. Tilt the ramekins to evenly distribute the sugar. Using a kitchen torch, carefully brulee (or burn) the sugar.
On a roll
Move over, pumpkin pie! Nicole Gardner’s gluten-free pumpkin roll is the perfect eye candy for your next get-together and will satisfy any sweet tooth.
GF Pumpkin Roll
Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Cream cheese frosting
Directions [1] Beat eggs on high for 5 minutes. Add sugar, pumpkin and lemon juice, beating slowly until mixed and creamy in texture. [2] Spread the mixture in greased and floured 15×10 jelly roll pan, or you can also use parchment paper. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar onto a linen cloth. Turn cake on cloth. Roll the cake and place it in the refrigerator for 2 hours. [3] Remove cake from refrigerator and carefully unroll. Fill the cake with cream cheese frosting. Roll cake, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour prior to serving. [4] Remove cake from plastic, sprinkle with powdered sugar, cut into slices and serve.
Keep calm, curry on
Get into fall soup mode with this pumpkin soup recipe from Poseidon. Bonus points for serving it in a pumpkin bowl.
Curry Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
2 cups diced pumpkin
1/2 cup butternut squash
1/4 cup julienne shallots
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 quart heavy cream
3 tablespoons salt and pepper
2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon craisins
1 tablespoon chèvre
1/2 tablespoon parsley, roughly chopped
Directions [1] Warm a medium-sized stock pot on medium heat. Once it warms up, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes. [2] Add your pumpkin and butternut squash and cook for an additional 10 minutes until the squash is tender. Add the heavy cream. Once it begins to simmer, add the curry powder, salt and pepper. [3] Let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and use a hand blender to puree the soup. [4] Pour in either a bread bowl or bowl and garnish with toasted pine nuts,chèvre, parsley and craisins. Top with a light amount of extra virgin olive oil.
Oh, baby!
We’ve discovered another use for those adorable baby pumpkins. After they’ve served their decorating purpose, pop them in the oven and turn them into something delicious like this Ina Garten recipe from Cassandra’s Kitchen.
Ina Garten’s Roasted Baby Pumpkins
Ingredients
6 baby pumpkins
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup applesauce
Directions [1] Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut off and reserve the tops of each pumpkin by cutting around the stem in a circle. Scoop out the seeds with a small spoon and liberally sprinkle the insides with salt and pepper. [2] Place the pumpkins on a greased baking sheet and fill each one with applesauce. Place the tops back on and roast them for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the pumpkins are tender but not mushy.
(Copyright 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved)
Fun Facts
- Pumpkins are 80-90 percent water. The high water content of pumpkins means they’re good for you while also being low in calories. Great news if you’re looking to offset the Halloween chocolate.
- There are hundreds of varieties of pumpkins. Jack o’ Lantern is the best variety for carving and the easiest for beginners to grow. Cinderella pumpkins are considered by many the finest for eating. The Kauai variety contains seeds that are completely hull-less, which are great for toasting.
- 99 percent of all pumpkins sold are for decoration. A whopping 18,000 tons of pumpkins are thrown away each year. Let’s not waste these delicious fruits – put them to good use!
- Uncut pumpkins can be stored for up to three months in a dry, dark, cool place. In fact, the longer you store them, the sweeter and nuttier the flavor becomes. Stock up on pumpkins now and you could be making fresh pumpkin soup until the end of January!!
- As of October 2021, the world record for the largest giant pumpkin stands at 2,703 pounds. The massive squash was grown by Stefano Cutrupi in the Italian region of Tuscany. Cutrupi earned the crown at this year’s European Pumpkin Weighing Championship in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Try roasting that in the oven!
