It's the Great Pumpkin

I don't think a year has ever passed that I didn't carve a real jack o'lantern or decorate a real Christmas tree. Possibly a few along the way in college where priorities were other places. But it is an ingrained part of my personal traditions that I enjoy.

My pumpkin carving skills have advanced the last few years with stencil designs and more intricate tools. Last year was a learning curve for both Jeff and I. My ghostly ghoul had a few odd twists and his Mona Lisa resembled Jesus Christ when lit. This year my dark Dracula face is pretty impressive when the lights go down.

But... in addition to the decorative, I was flooded with a wealth of pumpkins via my farm share, so I tried to be creative in the recipe department as well. I painstakingly boiled down one and used a food processor to harvest my own puree. I made a great creme brulee with it that was easy and worth sharing.

Chef John's Pumpkin Creme Brulee


Another recipe was forwarded from a friend via FB and is an oven casserole. You carve out a baking pumpkin and make a stuffing of stale bread crumbs, cubed cheese, onions, bacon and other spices or fillers. You lastly fill with 1/3 cup cream and put the top back on to slow bake for 2 hours. I think we could improve on the ingredient list, but the effort was notable and seasonal. We will try it again.

Lastly - not to let a single part of the gourd go to waste, are the pumpkin seeds. This year I tried a caramelized recipe that had modest success. It roasts the seeds first and then tosses them in a burnt sugar. It is a mix of sweet and spicy and great for movie munching. I had issues with the coating actually melting and covering the seeds, but think it could be easily improved upon next effort. Pick a recipe and give it a shot. 'Tis the season.

Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds