Recipes

Ingredient of the Month
October: Pumpkin 

Instead of carving your pumpkins for decoration, Chef Brennan shows you how to make the most of this fall favorite in the kitchen.

Buying: When selecting a pumpkin for cooking, choose a pie pumpkin or sugar pumpkin variety. These are not as fibrous as the large carving pumpkins, and have a more pleasing taste and texture.

Storing:   Depending on the variety, pumpkins will keep from 1 week up to 6 months.  They should be stored in a dark place that is neither too hot nor too cold.   I recommend that you use your pumpkin or any squash immediately once it has been cut. 

Preparing:  Wash and peel pumpkins, and scoop out the seeds and filaments with a spoon.   If the pumpkin is large, quarter the pumpkin before peeling it.  Depending on the recipe, you may leave the shell in tact. 


OTHER USES

Substitute pumpkins in soups as an alternative to other winter squashes.


For a savory accompaniment to pork steak or venison, chop ¼ cup packed prunes into ¼-inch pieces and put them in a bowl.  Add 2 tablespoons Armagnac (optional) and set aside to soak.  Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch sauté pan set over medium heat.  Add 2 cups peeled cheese pumpkin, cut into a ¼ inch dice and cook, tossing and stirring every few minutes, until lightly caramelized on all sides, 15 to 18 minutes.  Toss in the prunes.  Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and 4 grinds of pepper, or to taste.  This combination can also be served as a dessert if you omit the salt and pepper and season it with sugar instead.  Try some over vanilla ice cream for an autumnal treat. 


Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Poached Fall Fruits

 Ingredients:

¼ cup dried cherries
½ cup dried apricots
½ cup prunes
¼ cup golden raisins
½ cup dried figs
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Three 1-inch strips orange zest (use a vegetable peeler; remove all pith)
1 cup port
2 cups Zinfandel or other hearty red wine or water
½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice
2 large eggs
1½ cups milk
8 ounces canned pumpkin puree
½ cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
eight ¼-inch-thick slices brioche or white bread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Method:

Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Put the dried cherries, dried apricots, prunes, golden raisins, dried figs, vanilla bean, orange zest, port, Zinfandel, sugar, and orange juice in a medium saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then lower the heat and cook at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.

Put the eggs in a large bowl and whisk them together well.  Whisk in the milk.  Add the pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla extract and whisk to incorporate.

Cut the bread slices into 8 rounds using a 3-inch cookie cutter.  Dip the rounds in the custard to coat them.  

Generously butter four 3-inch ramekins.  Put 1 disk of soaked bread in the bottom of each dish, top with a ½-inch layer of poached fruits, then with 3 tablespoons of custard.  Top with another layer of bread and fill each dish with custard.  Put the ramekins in a baking dish.  Fill the dish with hot water, halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake the bread pudding until it sets (a toothpick inserted to the center of a pudding will come out clean), 35 to 45 minutes.

Serve the bread puddings warm or at room temperature in their molds with the remaining poached fruit alongside.  They can also be refrigerated and served cold.

See our Recipe Archive