Does this look familiar? Click on the comment link in any posting and leave us some feedback- we'd love to hear from you!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Pumpkin Recipes

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the kitchen.....



Attack of the killer Pumpkins!



With the apples and processed out of the way, the table just didn't look right. So we loaded it with pumpkins. We had offered to clean out a nephew's pumpkin patch so we could use the leftovers for chicken feed. But we found some really nice gems hiding under leaves and grass, so I am going to bake and process them and roast the seeds for eating. Pumpkin seeds are one of the BEST foods you can eat. And you can't beat free! It seems a poetic justice since my pumpkins were killed by my chickens when I couldn't keep them in their yard.

Also, people think you absolutely cannot eat carving pumpkins. Wrong. First, there used to only be one ind of pumpkin. The new strains grown specifically for pies have a higher sugar content, but you can sweeten any pumpkin puree for pie filling (plus they're less likely to be genetically engineered). I'm going to try drying some as well, which is what the Indians did with them. Then they put them in stews.

So, a day late, but...

Making-it-from-Scratch Monday



Sausage Pumpkin Soup
1 gallon stock (mine was beef because we just had a pot roast)
1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup rice
2 cups apple juice or cider
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/3 cup honey or sugar
1 tsp (or more if you love it like me) nutmeg
1 small butternut or 2 cups cubed pumpkin

Dump it all in the crockpot and go to bed. In the morning, turn it on low and cook until squash is soft. To serve, I ladled into my new anniversary dishes (more about that later) and topped with sliced venison sausage and coconut. The kids adored it.

3 comments:

Pen of Jen said...

Yummy---I had issues with my garden this year, yet we have surprise pumpkins growing in the Mesquite...we never watered(in New Mexico) and so far have 25 pumpkins and find more almost daily!

Oh and the seeds, you are so CORRECT!!
Jennifer
doublenickelfarm.blogspot.com


Oh I love the table!

a soldiers wife said...

This is a silly question, I'm sure, but how do you roast pumpkin seeds? My daughter tried some for the first time last week when a friend gave her some and loved them! I'd love to make some if it isn't too complicated.....Would I just go buy a regular pumpkin from the store?

ps. How is everything going? I haven't talked to you in awhile, but I've been thinking of you all and continue to have you in my prayers. I'm ashamed to say I sometimes let my little things get in the way of others. I don't mean to do that, and I try hard to remember not to, but ah...perfect I don't pretend to be (((Hugs)))

Swylv said...

I was told you could make soup in the pumpkin itself as it's baking in the oven ... sounds yummy!