We are right in the middle of them. Only a few weeks ago I drove past a whole field of pumpkins waiting to be picked, and now they are for sale all over town. Some months are just synonymous with certain foods, and for October and November one of those foods is the pumpkin. After all, would Halloween and Thanksgiving be the same without jack o' lanterns and pumpkin pies? Those are but two ways to use pumpkins. When pumpkins are around I try to find more than just a few recipes for them. We all know how labor intensive cutting open and cleaning a pumpkin can be, but I have found that smaller ones put up less resistance. Microwave ovens also offer an easy-open solution. First, make lengthwise cuts through the skin to allow steam to escape and prevent bursting. Place pumpkin on a microwave-safe plate or paper towel and cook 1 - 2 minutes on HIGH (100%). Cut through and scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp. Cool, peel and use according to your recipe. What ever method you choose, you'll need sharp knives and rolled up sleeves, but it's well worth the effort to put these symbols of Fall to delicious use.
Sauteed Pumpkin with Szechuan Pepper
Serves 4 - 6
1 pumpkin (2 - 3 lbs)
4 tablespoons Szechuan peppercorns*, coarsely crushed
Sea salt
5 tablespoons olive oil
Cut open, clean and peel the pumpkin. Cut into 3/4- inch thick slices about 5-inches long. Sprinkle peppercorns evenly on a plate. Press both sides of the pumpkin slices into the peppercorns to coat. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Heat oil in a saute pan over moderate heat. Cook pumpkin slices, in batches if necessary, for about 8 minutes per side or until the point of a knife pierces the flesh easily. Add more oil during cooking if needed. Serve as a side dish.
Pumpkin Gratin
Serves 4 - 6
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
3 lb pumpkin
4 strips bacon
4 scallions, thickly sliced
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
Soak sun-dried tomatoes in 1 cup of hot water. Cut open, clean and peel the pumpkin. Cut into 1/2 - inch thick slices about 3 - inches long. Par- boil the slices about 5 minutes (if you microwave-open the pumpkin, you can probably skip this step). Dice and cook the bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels. Add scallions to the pan and cook about 3 minutes over moderate heat. Drain sun-dried tomatoes. Strain and reserve the soaking liquid. Slice sun-dried tomatoes. Arrange pumpkin slices in an oiled baking dish and spoon over the onions, bacon and sun-dried tomatoes. Mix herbs, eggs, cream, 2 tablespoons cheese, reserved tomato soaking liquid and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour over the pumpkin and sprinkle with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake 30 minutes or until pumpkin is tender, egg mixture is set and topping is golden brown.
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