The Pumpkin Tureen Recipes

PUMPKIN PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Cut the pumpkin in half, stem to base. Remove seeds and pulp. Cover each half with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven, foil side up, 1 hour, or until tender.
• Scrape pumpkin meat from shell halves and puree in a blender. Strain to remove any remaining stringy pieces. Store in the freezer in freezer safe bags.

THE PUMPKIN TUREEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare the pumpkin as though you were going to make a jack-o-lantern, but stop short of carving the face. (Cut off the top; remove the seeds and stringy stuff.) Place onion, bread, cheese, horseradish, and mustard inside the pumpkin. Mix with your hands until well combines. Add milk and broth (as much as will fit - you can adjust the amounts) along with the seasonings. Stir it up. Line the pumpkin lid with a piece of foil, and place it on top. Place the filled pumpkin in an ungreased baking pan. Bake until the pumpkin is tender (about 2 hours). To test for tenderness, remove the lid, and gently stick a fork into the side. It should go in easily. To Serve: Scoop deeply to bring up some pumpkin pieces from the sides and bottom along with the soup. If desired, top with some crunchy rye croutons. Yield: 4 to 6 servings

PUMPKIN SOUP

Steps:

• 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 lining 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.

PASTA WITH PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to a boil. Drop the garlic cloves into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds to temper their sharpness. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cloves to a food processor or blender.
• Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, add the pumpkin seeds and a pinch each of salt and pepper to the garlic, and process until very finely ground. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the basil. Scoop 1/4 cup water from the saucepan with the boiling pasta and pour over the basil. Process the basil until ground to a paste. Add the Parmesan and oil, and pulse just until incorporated. Taste the pesto and season with enough salt and pepper to make it punchy.
• Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water until room temperature. Shake dry, then return to the saucepan, and add the pesto and tomatoes, if using. Stir well until everything is evenly coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among dishes to serve right away or airtight containers to pack for lunch. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and Parmesan, and serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

EASY PUMPKIN PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Snap off the pumpkin's stem and halve the gourd lengthwise. With a spoon or melon baller, remove seeds and rinse for roasting or discard.
• Place pumpkin halves cut-side down on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 1 hour.
• When cool enough to handle, scoop out cooked pumpkin flesh; discard skin. Transfer pumpkin flesh to a food processor; process until smooth.
• Set a colander in a large bowl and line with a double-layer of cheesecloth. Place pumpkin puree in cheesecloth. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to drain, at least 4 hours, and up to 3 days.

PUMPKIN TURKEY CHILI

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook the turkey, yellow pepper, onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, breaking turkey into crumbles; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1-1/2 hours or until chili reaches desired thickness.