The Incredible, Edible Pumpkin


Another thing that I love about the autumn harvest is the wonderful pumpkin. This is the time of year here in northern Wisconsin when there is little local produce to be found except root crops and perhaps some brussel sprouts or kale. The oven starts getting used more and the smell of squash and cinnamon mixes with the smoke from the woodstove.

Baking pumpkins or squash to be used for other baked treats is an essential part of autumn. I can't believe people still buy cans of pumpkin puree from the store when it is so easy and frugal to cook ones own. Here is my easy technique:

* Cut the pumpkin in half and romove the seeds and stringy "guts".
* Cut the halves into large chunks and place skin up in a baking dish with a little water
* Bake at 350 for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours
* When cool, peel the skins and puree the pulp or press through a sieve
* Keep refrigerated or frozen

Today I used some of the puree in one of my favourite pumpkin recipes Pumpkin-Blue Corn Rye Bread from Beth Henperger's book Baking Bread: Old and New Traditions. Here is the recipe:

1/2 C blue cornmeal
1 C water
1/3 C molasses or honey
5 T butter
1/2 C pumpkin puree
2 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 T yeast
drop molasses or honey
1 C warm water
3/4 C medium rye flour
3/4 C whole wheat flour
4 to 4 1/2 C bread or all-purpose flour
1/4 C coarse blue cornmeal for dustinng

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the cornmeal and water. Cook over medium heat until thickened. stirring with a whisk. Stir in the molasses or honey, butter,pumpkin, and salt. Stir until the butter is melted. Remove and let cool.
2. In a large bowl sprinkle the yeast and molasses or honey over the water, stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the pumpkin-cornmeal mixture, rye, whole-wheat, and 1 C of the bread flour. Beat hard for about a minute until creamy. Slowly stir in the rest of the flour turning the dough onto a work surface when needed. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes, but don't add too muck flour. Place the dough in a greased deep container and cover with a damp cloth. Let stand at room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
4. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Form into rectangular loaves for 2 greased cornmeal-dusted 9-by-5 pans or form two rounds and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover with cloth and let rise for about 40 minutes. Preheat oven at 350.
5. Slash the loaves decratively no more than 1/4 inch deep. Bake in the oven for 40 - 45 minutes. Remove and let cool.
The finished products. The color is off (they are more orange)

I have done many substitutions for this recipe. Today I used yellow cornmeal and I substituted barley flour for rye because I was out of both. I also used whole-wheat pastry flour in place of the bread flour. It still came out great. I just had a slice with some hot apple cider.

So this is one of my top pumpkin foods. What is your favourite pumpkin food?