I made a delicious spaghetti sauce last evening that included pumpkin in the sauce.   I slow roasted the pumkin, onion and peppers in the oven at 300 degrees.   On the stove top I had some tomatoes, garlic, basil and oregano simmering until the roasted veggies were done.   I pureed everything together and it turned out way better than I expected, and my family raved about it!   I actually had to boil more noodels for seconds, which I wasn’t expecting, but such is life in the experimental kitchen.

Pumpkin Spaghetti Sauce

2 peppers with seeds removed and sliced in half 1 onion 1/2 a pie pumpkin seeds removed, and saved for the next recipe 5 tomatoes peeled 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons of oregano leaves 1/4 cup of basil salt and pepper to taste In a roasting pan place onion, peppers and pumpkin face down, I add a little water to keep them from drying while roasting.   Roast these veggies until the pumkin is soft, about 1 hour.   In the mean time, place the remaining ingredients on the stove and simmer for the same amount of time.   When all ingredients are done, mix in small batches in the food processor and puree until all ingredients are combined.   Serve over spaghetti noodles or rice.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

We all snacked on the seeds while we waited for the spaghetti sauce to cook.   This is my usual recipe, but I have added garlic powder, cinnamon or cardamon for extra flavor. Pumpkin seeds Olive oil Sea Salt On a cookie sheet place the pumpkin seeds.   Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.   Roast at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes.

New England Pumpkin Pie

Here’s my relationship with pie- I love to eat it, but making it is a very different story.   My mom started making pies long after I was out of the house, as my younger siblings grew more independent.   The pie crust is intimidating to me, as far as time investment goes, so I usually cheat and buy store made pie crusts- that’s my confession.   I have no trouble throwing together nearly anything from scratch, but pie crust is a hurdle that I may cross one day, just not today!

I will give you a recipe that makes a wonderful pie filling, but the crust is entirely up to you.   If you have a favorite recipe, by all means use it.   Or you can opt for the easier softer way of purchasing your favorite brand of ready made crust like I do.

1 roasted pumpkin mashed (instructions for roasting are in the first recipe)

1 cup of sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground mace

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can evaporated milk

3 eggs

Blend ingredients together and pour into pie shells.   I believe you will get 2 9 inch pies from this recipe, depending on the size of the pumpkin.   You could also make lots of little serving pies with the filling if you like, but the baking time will be much shorter.

Bake at 425 for the first 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 and bake for an additional 45 minutes for a 9 inch pie, 20 minutes for a single serve pie.

What we are getting this week

1. Pumpkin

2. Apples

3. Tomatoes

4. Peppers

5. Turnips

6. Beets

7. Salad blend of lettuce, kale and baby chard

8. Radishes

9. Basil and Oregano Herbs for recipe

 

Have a great week!