Butternut Bisque

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

This rich, creamy bisque will have guests asking for more.  It's a fantastic use for Thanksgiving leftovers, but could also be an innovative way to serve squash for the big meal itself. 








Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  25 minutes
Serves:  6-8

INGREDIENTS
3 TB olive oil
1 small onion (about 1/2 cup chopped)
3 cups turkey, chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups cooked butternut squash
1 cup cooked potatoes, coarsely chopped
1 TB ground cumin
2 tsp. ground paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 TB butter
2 TB whole wheat flour
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes, stirring, or until the onion is soft and beginning to tan.  Add the stock, squash, potatoes, cumin, paprika, and nutmeg and and puree with an immersion blender (or work the ingredients in your blender or food processor in small batches).  Heat to a simmer, stirring.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, and stir in the flour.  Stir for a minute or two.  Add a few tablespoons of the hot soup and stir.  Add a little more and stir again.  Scrape this mixture into the soup and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Distribute your bisque to serving bowls, and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds

Variations:  Other winter squash or pumpkin work well with this recipe.

Butternut squash could not be simpler to cook.  Preheat your oven to 350.  Cut the squash in half, and place cut side down in a baking dish.  Add 1/2 inch water, and bake for an hour or until squash is soft. 

Pumpkin-Kale Soup

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










This soup inspires superlatives, starting with hearty, rich, smoky, and creamy. It makes good use of late season leftovers - cooked pumpkin and cooked kale

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
3 TB olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 bunch kale, washed.
4-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 - 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (Oven baked has best flavor)
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded Parmesan

Separate the kale stems from the leaves, and coarsely chop both. Heat the olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat and cook the kale stems, onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning for 10 minutes, stirring. Add the kale leaves and cook for another 7-10 minutes, stirring, or until the greens are wilted and the stems are tender. Add the stock, pumpkin puree, and puree with an immersion blender (or blend in batches in a blender). Heat to a simmer, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Pumpkin Cheesecake in a Pumpkin Shell

Photo:
Tod Dimmick











If you like to inspire raised eyebrows, keep this rustic novelty in mind for Thanksgiving. The cook time is unattended, so you can do other things.














Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 30 minutes and 1 hour
Serves: 6-8

1 small sugar pumpkin, about 8-9" across
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup brown sugar or equivalent
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350F. With a large chef's knife, carefully slice the bottom of the pumpkin to make a "pie shell" about 2" deep. Scoop out the seeds and filaments from both sides of the pumpkin, and place flesh side down in a baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until flesh is soft. Cool for 10 minutes, and with a large spoon gently scoop the flesh out of the bottom shell, taking care not to get too close to the edge. Scoop the flesh out the the top half as well. Run the flesh through a food processor equipped with a cutting blade until you achieve a smooth consistency. You'll need 1 cup of this puree. The rest you can use for muffins or other fun things.

Preheat oven to 350F. Place the pumpkin shell in an oiled pie plate. Using a stand mixer (best option) or an athletic forearm to beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth and batter-like. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Add the eggs, the pumpkin, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to the cream cheese and thoroughly mix. Scrape the batter into your crust to 1/4 inch below the top edge, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon or rubber spatula, and slide into the oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on the counter for 20 minutes, and serve warm, or cover and chill.

Note: While making the puree is easy and part of the fun, this cheesecake can of course be made in a regular pie crust or graham cracker crust. 1 cup of puree = 1/2 can of the off the shelf stuff.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Pumpkin or Squash Puree

Whether you're looking for a simple vegetable dish or the namesake ingredient for a pie, pumpkin (or squash) doesn't need to come from a can - it's simple to prepare.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield depends on the size of the fruit.

Sugar pumpkin or winter squash

Option 1: Preheat your oven to 350F
Option 2: Use a vegetable steamer

If you want to use your oven, slice the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and the filaments. Place halves cut side down in a large baking dish, and add 1/2 inch water. Bake for half an hour or until the flesh is soft. Let cool, scoop out the flesh and run through a food processor with the cutting blade, or mash with a potato masher.

If you use a steamer, after cleaning out the pumpkin, cut it in to chunks and steam for 15 minutes or until flesh is soft, and proceed as above.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










Pumpkin, and winter squash, add a nutty richness to baked goods like these muffins. Kids like them, too.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time:25 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins

1 cup wheat bran
1 cup boiling water
2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar or equivalent
1/2 cup almond meal (or use more flour)
1/2 cup flax meal (or use more flour)
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 400.

Pour the water over the bran and set aside. Whisk the flour, flax meal, sweetener, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla, and whisk thoroughly. Stir in the bran, the pumpkin, and the pecans.

Distribute batter equally to lined muffin cups, and bake for 20 minutes or until muffins are firm and a toothpick inserted into the biggest one comes out clean.

Note: Liquid content will vary depending on the squash or pumpkin you use, add more flour or milk if necessary.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Winter Squash and Pumpkins

There is a tremendous variety of winter squash and hopefully Powisset's CSA has helped expand your squash repetoire this year. Pumpkins are just a word used for certain varieties of winter squash, they are really the same.

Winter squash differs from summer squash in that it is harvested at a mature stage, when seeds are fully developed and the rind is hard. This tough skin allows winter squash to be a great storage vegetable for up to six months. Store your winter squash at room temperature or slightly cooler in a dry, airy place (we recommend making them a centerpiece on your dining room table until you eat them)!. Do not allow your squash to freeze. You can refrigerate pieces of raw squash but humid refrigeration will reduce the storage life of whole squashes.

Some winter squash varieties you may find in your CSA share include small, oblong Delicata (you can eat the skin of these!), Butternut, Buttercup (Sweet Mama, Red Kuri, Sunshine), and Acorn. We grow sugar pumpkins (for eating) including Baby Pam and Winter Luxury.

For the most part, pumpkins and winter squash are interchangeable in recipes (even in pies!) and are versatile ingredients. For the simplest way to eat, try cutting a squash in half, scooping out seeds (save them for toasted seeds if you wish!), and laying the two cut sides down on a baking sheet. Bake squash halves at 400-420 F until you can pierce the flesh easily with a fork (20-45 min, depending on the squash). Put some butter, salt and/or maple syrup in your squash half and enjoy! Also try mashing, making pies, roasting/steaming/boiling chunks, soups, adding purees into baked goods, or even sauteeing pieces of small squash (try Delicata). You can freeze pureed squash flesh for later use.

Pasta & Winter Squash

(The recipe calls for butternut, but any winter squash or pumpkin works well.)
via Mark Bittman.

1 pound peeled and seeded butternut squash (start with a whole squash weighing about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound cut pasta, like ziti
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1. Cut squash into chunks, and place in food processor. Pulse machine on and off until squash looks grated. (Alternatively, grate or chop the squash by hand.) Set a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.
2. Place a large skillet over medium heat, and add the butter or oil. A minute later, add the squash, salt, pepper and about 1/2 cup of water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add water, about 1/4 cup at a time, as the mixture dries out, being careful not to make it soupy. When the squash begins to disintegrate, after about 10 or 15 minutes, begin cooking the pasta. While it cooks, season the squash with the nutmeg, sugar if necessary, and additional salt and pepper if needed.
3. When the pasta is tender, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain. Toss it in the skillet with the squash, adding the reserved cooking water if the mixture seems dry. Taste, and adjust the salt, pepper or nutmeg as you like; then, toss with the cheese and serve.

Pumpkin or Winter Squash Soups

2 recipes here!

The first, via Mark Bittman.
Soup based on pumpkin, or other winter squash like acorn or butternut, is a luxuriously creamy dish that requires only two main ingredients: a blender and a stove.
Yield 4 servings
Time About 45 minutes
A frequent mistake is to attack the squash with a standard vegetable peeler. Quicker and more reliable is to use a sharp, heavy knife. You'll take part of the flesh with it, but given the large size and small cost of winter squash, this is hardly a concern.

Ingredients
2 pounds peeled pumpkin or winter squash (weigh after peeling)
4 to 5 cups chicken or other stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method
1. Place pumpkin or squash in saucepan with stock to cover and a pinch of salt. Turn heat to high and bring to boil. Cover pan, and adjust heat so that the mixture simmers. Cook until pumpkin is very tender, about 30 minutes. If time allows, cool.
2. Place mixture in blender, in batches if necessary, and puree until smooth. (The recipe can be prepared a day or two in advance up to this point; cool mixture, place in a covered container, and refrigerate.) Reheat, adjust seasoning and serve.

Garnishing the soup:
-Add 1 teaspoon of ground ginger or 1 tablespoon of finely minced fresh ginger to the simmering soup.
-Add 1 teaspoon of curry powder (and if you have it, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric) to the simmering soup.
-Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of allspice and 1 small grating of nutmeg to the simmering soup.
- Serve soup with slices of peeled apples that have been lightly browned in butter.
-Garnish each bowl of soup with 3 or 4 grilled, sauteed, steamed or roasted shrimp, or use crab meat or lobster meat.
-Sauté about 1 cup of sliced mushrooms in butter or oil, and add them as a garnish. Chanterelles are best, but shiitakes (remember to discard the stems) or button mushrooms are also good.
-Dice about 1 cup of the squash (you will almost always have extra, especially with pumpkin) into 1/4-inch cubes, steam until tender, and use as a garnish.
-Garnish soup with chopped chervil, chives, parsley or dill.

2nd recipe, via Smitten Kitchen.
(Any winter squash will work in this soup, not just butternut or acorn.)
Serves 8

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)*
4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)*
1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 cup whipping cream

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.
Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and sugar; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)

* If you are not confident in your knife skills or lack a very very sharp one, I’d suggest roasting the squash, halved and seeded, on a baking sheet coated lightly with oil at 425 until soft, scooping it into the pot, and cooking it the rest of the way there.

Pumpkin Bread, Puree, Pie

Pumpkin Bread Recipe
from: epicurious.com

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups (210g) flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (1/4 L) pumpkin purée*
1/2 cup (1 dL) olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup (1 dL) chopped walnuts

* To make pumpkin purée, cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, lie face down on a foil or Silpat lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use. Or, if you are working with pumpkin pieces, roast or boil them until tender, then remove and discard the skin.METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.

2 Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts.

3 Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.

Makes one loaf. Can easily double the recipe.



Pumpkin Pie
from epicurious.com

Ingredients

2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon crystallized ginger
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup (packed) light-brown sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 prepared pie shell (9-inch), chilled
Sweetened whipped cream (optional)


Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Process the pumpkin puree in a blender with the ginger and half-and-half until the ginger is smooth, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; whisk in the next eight ingredients until well blended. Reserve.

3.Place 2 sheets of heavy-duty foil, one on top of the other, directly on the surface of the pie crust. Bake the crust in the lower 2/3 of the oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the foil; bake 5 minutes more. Remove shell from oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

4.Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean, about 45 to 60 minutes. Cool on a rack. Serve dolloped with sweetened whipped cream, if desired.