THE GREAT PUMPKIN

My boys' masterpieces, ready for Halloween!

In honor of Halloween, I present what may become a multi-volume series about how much I love pumpkin. I've been cooking with it all month - first buying one can of pumpkin, then two at a time, then four. Then one pumpkin at the farmer's market, then three at a time . . . I'm pretty much obsessed.

I've tried recipes for pumpkin bread, pumpkin hummus, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin-chili vichysoisse, pumpkin corn bread, pumpkin-feta risotto, cinnamon-pumpkin pull-aparts, and pumpkin scones. I have a couple more to try: pumpkin fondue (yes please!) and pumpkin curry soup, but I thought I'd better get this post done by Halloween or I've sort of missed the point.

Pumpkins are easy to use (see below) and ridiculously good for you. Super low in calories (good) with virtually no fat (even better!), they pack a huge vitamin A and C, E punch, as well as fiber, iron, magnesium, and potassium. They are good for your eyes and ward off cancer and yes, even heart disease. They can substitute for fat in baking, be sweetened and traditionally spiced, or used in savory or spicy dishes. Pumpkin is so mild and smooth it can adapt to many dishes or even disappear. I was trying to explain this to Scott, and I was reduced to just saying "pumpkin is kind of, well, magic." Charlie Brown was right.

Through exhaustive kitchen and family-testing, I've narrowed down the collection to six tasty, easy, and healthy recipes. (Owen has also learned to like pumpkin in the process. Noah, not so much.) I still have one pumpkin left to roast, so I might have a few more recipes for you before Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

RECIPE: PUMPKIN FETA RISOTTO
RECIPE: CINNAMON PUMPKIN BREAD WITH RUM GLAZE
RECIPE: PUMPKIN PANCAKES
RECIPE: PUMPKIN BREAD
RECIPE: PUMPKIN CHILE VICHYSSOISE
RECIPE: PUMPKIN CORN BREAD

MAKING PUMPKINS EASY

After roasting

If you are new to pumpkin, here's how to make it easy. Just roast the whole thing first, let it cool enough to handle, and remove the skin, seeds, and pulp with any blunt instrument (it will just fall off!). Put all the pieces in your processor and voila, pumpkin puree.

Here's how to roast it: Poke a few vents into the pumpkin with a sharp knife (so it doesn't explode in your oven), put it in a shallow baking dish or pan, and cover the stem with tin foil (so it doesn't burn and stink up your kitchen). Roast at 400 degrees for about an hour for a small pumpkin, longer for larger pumpkins. Check for doneness by sticking a knife or fork into it - it should go right through with no resistance.

Puree being strained. This was a small
pumpkin, and yielded about 2 1/2 cups.

After you've peeled and de-pulped your pumpkin, whirl it in your food processor until it has reached your desired consistency. Drain in a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter for about 30 minutes. (Pumpkins are mostly water, and you want to remove that extra moisture.) All done and ready to cook!