Roasting a Pumpkin
This weekend I thought about working on my research projects that are all due in another couple weeks. I really did think about it. And then I decided after doing a bit of reading and writing some paragraphs that I would be far more productive in cooking rather than paper-writing. So I decided to cook all weekend:
Acorn squash mashed up with some leftover spaghetti meat sauce (super good)
Split Pea Soup (delicious double batch- though it doesn’t look like much!)
Applesauce Cinnamon Muffins (they were pretty bland)
Pumpkin Pancakes (see note next to Muffins)
I also made eggnog, which apparently tasted quite good (I don’t drink eggnog myself, but I felt compelled to make some. And then forgot the obligatory photograph. Ah well).
And then there was the pumpkin:
I wasn’t sure exactly what to do with the pumpkin that was given to me (a present for us at work, and now that Halloween is over there’s no need for pumpkins- so I decided to keep it for myself). But then I found this post at A Veggie Venture about how to roast a whole pumpkin!
At first it wouldn’t fit in my little oven. So I had to take out one rack and move another rack down as far as it would go. In the process of doing so, I got a little bit too close to the heat of the oven, and accidentally set my oven mitt on fire. Nothing a little energetic beating of mitt against oven door can’t fix! Once I’d gotten the flame out of my mitt, I successfully maneuvered the pumpkin so that it rested on it’s side.
One hour later, the pumpkin was a little burned on one side, but the knife cut right through as smoothly as butter, just like the directions promised!
As I had pulled the pumpkin out of the oven, however, it was a little slippery because it had been coated lightly in olive oil before being put in the oven. This resulted in my dear heavy pumpkin sliding right out of my oven-mitted hands (oven mitts were having a tough day yesterday), landing on the floor with a bang and waking up my sister in the next room over. But by some miracle it did not break open everywhere, and I was able to slice it open easily, scoop out the seeds, remove the skin, cut off the burnt patches, and salvage huge amounts of my pumpkin! It was a messy and lengthy process but well worth the effort:
I am excited to make lots of food with my excessive amounts of pumpkin. But I must admit, I’m rather at a loss as to what I should make! I think I will be putting about half of this in the food processor so that I can have pureed pumpkin to use in baking, but perhaps the other half I will use for cooking- I imagine mashed pumpkin would be tasty, or pumpkin roasted with some other vegetables… at any rate, I’ve got lots of the stuff to play around with. If anyone has any suggestions of great recipes I would love to hear them!
Hmmm. Too bad I didn’t pick up a pumpkin this year! I love me some roasted pumpkin and roasted salted seeds.
Golly, I remember having the best pumpkin bread once, made with fresh pumpkin, that was a Christmas gift from a student. Unfortunately I have no idea what the recipe is. 🙁
I think pumpkin is an unfortunately pigeon-holed squash. Pumpkin pie and bread, and that’s about it. Except for the seeds, of course. It would be cool to find some other creative employment for it.
I am not too familiar with pumpkin, so sorry about not having any ideas there. But, I am glad everything turned out for you!!
YUM!!!!!
Pumpkin = I make a mean pumpkin bread 😉
OOOOH I BEG YOU TO STOP BY THIS THURS FOR GUEST CHEF AND SHARE YER KNOWLEDGE (yes. I did just all caps that :))
Miz.
in the summer, I’m a watermelon girl. In the winter, it’s squash. Which makes sense b/c they’re in the same family, no? I love acorn and spaghetti and butternut squash, plus yams. So warm and yummy and comforting.
hehee. your little oven mitt story made me giggle! glad you are SAFE!!!!
mmm..love roasted salted seeds. Haven’t had a Halloween pumpkin in a while, so unfortunately haven’t had the opportunity to make them.
Pumpkin pie is always good!
I make Hot’n’Spicy Pumpkin Chutney. It is divine. Are you ready to try your hand at canning yet? It’s not at all difficult, and the rewards are worth the effort.
Email me if you want to try the Chutney recipe!
OR
Package your prepared (cut-up, peeled) pumpkin in 4-cup portions in ziploc freezer bags, and pop them in the freezer. When you want to make pumpkin pie, it will be right there for you.
Yeah man, bring on the acorn squash! I have been thinking about making a yeast-raised pumpkin bread. Not a sweet bread, but something more like a cornbread.
Gena- mmm tasty. I’m sure there’s still pumpkins around somewhere.
Melissa- I expect that’s where the majority of my pumpkin will go; into pies and breads. It would be neat to try some random creative recipes though!
Sharon- me too! I was especially glad when I didn’t smash the pumpkin all over the kitchen floor.
Veggiegirl- Want to come make me some pumpkin bread? 🙂
MizFit- I’ll see what I can do! That would be super.
Leslie- I’m all about the squashes and yams! Think I could live on them all winter.
Seeleelive- oh do I ever have stories of kitchen misadventures… 🙂
Missicat- definitely cannot go wrong with pumpkin pie!
Bag Lady- I wouldn’t know where to start with the canning- do you know how to go about it? And I would LOVE your chutney recipe! (although you’re going to have to tell me what chutney is used for. :)).
Monica- that would be so tasty! Let me know how it turns out. I’d be very interested.
I’ve got an Acorn squash on the counter now. It’s a bit cool here now. In the upper 30’s at night lol so thanks for the idea!
I have 2 pumpkins at home. I will definitely roast them now 🙂 I don’t know what I’ll make though – probably pumpkin bread!
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
Man, I feel totally lazy about my weekend now! Very inspiring post, as always.
You can throw mashed pumpkin in almost anything…might as well mash it, then make some more pancakes, oatmeal, etc… I highly suggest the pumpkin pie ice cream I posted a few recipes back.
I truly wish I enjoyed cooking as much as you do. alas, i am destined to reach for the can opener when I want pumpkin. 🙂
Ive never actually eaten roasted pumpkin. Ive had the canned pureed stuff and its a little too much pumpkin for me. yes i realize how dumb that sounds.
your pea soup looks delicious- the less liquid in my soup, the better!
Kelly Turner
http://www.groundedfitness.com
Dr. J- mmm, acorn squash is so tasty. I need to get me another one.
Magpie- hope you share the results with the rest of us! Try not to burn yourself or drop the pumpkin:)
Scrumpy’s Baker- hehe, that’s what happens when I procrastinate from writing papers.
Peanut Butter Boy- that pumpkin ice cream of yours is fantastic. I made it twice and both times I intended to get other people to taste it too- but then I ended up eating it all myself because it tasted so good. Oops:)
Cammy- if only I enjoyed CLEANING as much as cooking…
Kelly- I kind of know what you mean about it being too much pumpkin. Pumpkin by itself isn’t appealing to me- but mixed with other things I like it a lot! And the pea soup is fantastic. So thick!
Very tasty looking! Thanks for sharing!
ahhhhhhhh that pumpkin looks awesome! im curious if the flavor of your fresh one tastes much better than the canned variety? you’ll have to let us know!
Hi Sagan – here’s a good recipe for pumpkin cake – tried, true and a small Ontario Town Fair winner to boot! I also have a whole stuffed pumpkin recipe buried somewhere – that I used for a grade 8 harvest dinner prepared in 1975?????? As I recall it was yummy (even at age 13), with browned ground beef, raisins, olives, tomatoes, onions, peppers, blended and stuffed into a pumpkin and baked…..scored big marks with my Home Ec. Teacher but I’ve never made it since (and only because I’ve never had the right audience to appreciate it!).
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Preheat oven to 350F
Grease thoroughly an 8 in sq cake pan dust lightly with flour
Sift together:
1 1/3 cups of pastry flour (very flexible – I’ve always used regular flour – with whole wheat added etc. as necessary – lots of room here to add part wheat germ/flax seed flour whatever you want )
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Blend together:
1/2 c butter
1 cup sugar
Beat in 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla
Add sifted dry ingred. to creamed mixture with 1 cup of sour cream and 1 cup pumpkin. Mix thoroughly. Spread ½ the batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with ½ of mixture of:
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon (I’ve added pumpkin pie spice, allspice etc. whatever you like!)
2 tbsp finely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
Cover with remaining batter. Sprinkle with remainder of topping. Bake 45 to 50 min. Serve warm (or cold or whatever….great any way at all!). (I make 1 ½ times the recipe and fits in a bundt pan…)
Moist and yummy!
Auntie K
Loveofoats- I’m curious about that too! It should be interesting to see how it goes.
Auntie Kelly- that cake looks fantastic! Thanks for the recipe. Devin is now nagging me to make it:) (also I made Grandma’s blueberry lemon loaf today and it was super super tasty!).
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