Pumpkin and Winter Squash
Winter squash is a low-calorie food and a good source of complex vegetable carbohydrates and dietary fiber. It is an excellent source of vitamin A, a great source of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, and manganese, and a good source of folate, omega-3 fatty acids, copper, tryptophan, and vitamins B1, B3, B5, and B6. It is also a source of iron and beta-carotene.
Mrs. Sigg's Fresh Pumpkin Pie
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This has been my "go to" pumpkin pie recipe ever since we started growing pumpkins. It has never failed me. |
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Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet lined with lightly oiled aluminum foil. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes or until the flesh is tender when poked with a fork. Cool until just warm. Scrape the pumpkin flesh from the peel. Either mash, or puree in small batches in a blender. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
In a large bowl, slightly beat eggs. Add brown sugar, flour, salt, 2 cups of the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and evaporated milk. Stir well after each addition. Pour mixture into the unbaked pastry shell. Place a strip of aluminum foil around the edge of the crust to prevent over browning. Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees F, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove the strip of foil about 20 minutes before the pie is done so that the edge of the crust will be a light golden brown. Cool pie, and refrigerate overnight for best flavor. From allrecipes.com |
Pumpkin Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
For the frosting
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Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees. Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet lined with lightly oiled aluminum foil. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the flesh is tender when poked with a fork. Cool until just warm. Scrape the pumpkin flesh from the peel. Either mash, or puree in small batches in a blender. Measure out 2/3 cup and save any leftovers for another use.
Increase oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a large rimmed half-sheet pan, about 9" x 13"; or line the pan with greased parchment. Beat the oil and the sugars together until well blended. Beat in the eggs, then the pumpkin purée. Stir the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spice into the wet ingredients, then stir in the flour, beating gently to combine. Stir in the nuts and raisins. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it onto a rack to finish cooling, or leave it right in the pan if you've lined the pan with parchment. To make the frosting beat the cream cheese and butter together. Beat in the maple syrup, then mix in the confectioners' sugar and salt. Adjust the consistency of the frosting with additional maple syrup or confectioners' sugar if necessary. It should be nicely spreadable. Frost the bars and sprinkle with the toasted walnuts. Once the frosting has set somewhat, cut into squares or rectangles. Adapted from King Arthur Flour |
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
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For the Cupcakes:
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet lined with lightly oiled aluminum foil. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the flesh is tender when poked with a fork. Cool until just warm. Scrape the pumpkin flesh from the peel. Either mash, or purée in small batches in a blender. Measure out 3/4 cup, and save any leftovers for another use.
Make the Cupcakes: Increase oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, both sugars, and the vegetable oil until completely combined, making sure to break up any chunks of brown sugar so no lumps remain. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixture in two additions, folding with a rubber spatula until no flour pockets remain. Divide the batter between the baking cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. Make the Frosting: With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese, maple syrup, and salt, and continue to beat for an additional 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the powdered sugar gradually, and mix until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a decorating bag and large star tip or an offset spatula, frost the tops of the cupcakes. The cupcakes can stay at room temperature for a few hours, but should be refrigerated for longer-term storage up to 4 days. Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker |
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
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Place the squash pieces cut-side up on a baking sheet lined with foil. Melt 1 tbsp butter and brush it over the squash halves. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast at 425° until knife tender, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Set aside to cool.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the apple, onion, and sage, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh of the squash into the saucepan with the sautéed apples and onions; discard the skins. Add the broth, water, salt, and pepper, stir to combine; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir and break up any large pieces of squash. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cream. Using a blender, purée the soup in batches until smooth, removing the small cap from the blender lid and covering the space with a kitchen towel. Or use an immersion blender. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. |
Roasted Fall Vegetables with Thyme
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Preheat oven to 375 - 400 degrees. You can vary the temp to suit whatever else you are cooking.
Dice the vegetables into bite-size chunks (about 1 inch cubes for the squash and sweet potato, smaller for the rutabaga - it takes longer to cook) and place in a large bowl. Add garlic, thyme, and salt. Drizzle the olive oil and maple syrup over the vegetables and toss them so they are covered in both. Roast for approx 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to caramelize. |
Roasted Root Vegetables and Butternut Squash
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Place the butternut squash, carrots, sweet potato, and rutabaga into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper, and place the vegetables into a deep roasting pan. Roast in the preheated oven until the vegetables have lightly browned around the edges and are tender, about 45 minutes. Stir once as the vegetables roast to ensure even cooking. |