Tag: pumpkin

Posted on by — Leave a comment

All Things Pumpkin

By Fran Hill

I love autumn. The chill in the air, the smell of wood smoke drifting from chimneys, and the brilliant leaves are all cozy comforts for me. Of course, I can’t forget about the food of fall. Crisp, fresh apples, roasted winter squash, braised hunks of beef swimming with root vegetables, steaming pots of soup, herb stuffed chicken with the crispiest skin, and, of course, the quintessential pumpkin.

I love pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin seed salsa, and pumpkin and black bean soup; pumpkin in any shape or form is vying for my attention during the fall months. I gleaned the recipe for pumpkin cornmeal muffins from a magazine almost 20 years ago and blow the dust off it every autumn. It has become a staple of Thanksgiving morning served with a spicy chile relleno egg bake and fresh fruit, a sweeter side with soups, and a filling snack for chilly afternoons. The muffins are dense, moist and hearty. Serve warm and slather with butter for a perfect addition to fall.

Pumpkin cornmeal muffins are an autumn baking staple for Fran Hill.

Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins

(adapted from Real Simple)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

4 eggs

1 (15 ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin (NOT pie filling)

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour (AP flour will work and produce a muffin with a little less nuttiness and density)

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2-4 tablespoons roasted pepitas

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly coat muffin tins with vegetable cooking spray or line cups with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.

Spoon the batter into the muffin pans.

Sprinkle with pepitas.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. (12 muffins)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Bringing the Heat

By Fran Hill

There was snow in western South Dakota this week. This wasn’t just a few spring flurries fluttering prettily in the air. Eight to 22 inches of heavy, wet snow fell in places in the Black Hills. Roads were impassable. Trees cracked under the weight, and school closings and late starts came on what should have been the last day of school. Yikes. Winter just won’t give up.

I am all about enjoying the beauty and wonder of all the seasons, but it is late May. Winter’s time is up. The cold and damp and wet need to give it a rest. This state and its people need warmth and sunshine.

I can’t do anything about the sunshine, but I can warm things up a little with a new dip recipe that I tried earlier this spring. Pumpkin Seed Salsa gets its heat from dried chile peppers and a surprising creaminess from pureeing the roasted seeds. I initially served it with fresh vegetable dippers and corn chips, but it was also great on roasted fish and as a chicken taco condiment. This flavorful dip keeps for about a week in the fridge to add a little heat to whatever you are serving on these cold spring days and even later when it finally (hopefully) warms up.

Pumpkin seed salsa provides some much needed warmth to South Dakota’s cold and wet spring.

Pumpkin Seed Salsa

(adapted from The Washington Post)

1/2 cup hulled, raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

3 fresh roma tomatoes

1 tomatillo, husked and rinsed

1/2 of a small white onion, cut into chunks

6 cloves garlic

1 fresh Thai/bird’s-eye chile pepper

4 dried ancho chile peppers

1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more as needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange pumpkin seeds on a small baking sheet; bake for about 3 minutes, until toasted. Arrange tomatoes, tomatillo, onion, garlic and fresh chile on a separate rimmed baking sheet; cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast the tomato mixture for 15-20 minutes, until the ingredients have softened.

Meanwhile, lightly toast the dried ancho peppers in a dry skillet for about 30 seconds on each side. Be careful not to burn the dried chiles, or they will be bitter. Place in a bowl and add enough hot water to cover; let sit for about 5 minutes and then drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Remove the seeds and stems from the hydrated peppers.

Combine the toasted pumpkin seeds, the rehydrated chiles, the roasted tomato mixture and salt in a food processor; puree until smooth. As needed, add a bit of the reserved soaking liquid to achieve a hummus-like consistency. Season with additional salt to taste.

Serve dip at room temperature.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Pumpkin Pleasures

By Fran Hill

I love autumn. The chill in the air, the smell of wood smoke drifting from chimneys and the brilliantly colored falling leaves are all cozy comforts for me. Of course, I can’t forget about the crisp, fresh apples and round, luscious pumpkins of the season. I love pumpkin.

Honestly, it doesn’t even have to be real pumpkin. Much to the horror of a friend who had a nasty childhood encounter with iced pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies, I can easily eat an entire package from the grocery store bakery all on my own (with or without a pumpkin spice latte). But real pumpkin — Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins, Pumpkin Pudding, Pumpkin Gingerbread with Warm Caramel Sauce, and even savory Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup — in any form vies for my attention during the fall.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup is so very thick and wholesome. Onions and garlic are sautÈed and flavored with the smokiness of cumin before being combined with broth, pureed black beans, tomatoes and pumpkin. It is all simmered together into a delicious soup to be topped with crumbles of Mexican queso and chopped green onions. Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup is another cozy fall comfort that I can’t resist.

Pumpkin-Black Bean Soup

(adapted from Cooking Light)

1 cup canned tomatoes, drained
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup queso fresco, crumbled
1/2 cup green onions, sliced

Place tomatoes and beans in a food processor. Process until about half of the beans are smooth. Set aside.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan, sautÈ 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add cumin and garlic; sautÈ 1 minute. Add bean mixture, broth and next ingredients (through pumpkin); bring to a boil.

Ladle about 1 cup of soup into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each serving with about 2 tablespoons queso fresco and about 1 tablespoon green onions. (Serves 6)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Turning Into a Pumpkin

By Fran Hill

This week I have been battling a nasty sinus cold (and to be honest, at the end of last week as well, but at that time I was bound and determined to diagnose my runny nose and headache as just allergies). After pushing through a few days of feeling icky, I hit rock bottom with a cough, severe congestion, body aches and all the miserable symptoms that make me a whiny mess. Therefore, I kinda feel like I am turning into a pumpkin with the deadline for this South Dakota Magazine submission sneaking up on me.

However, never fear; even with my head feeling pumpkin-like, I won’t let you down. I will use that as inspiration. My archives hold a great pumpkin dessert that I have made so many times that I could probably make it in my NyQuil-aided sleep. Pumpkin Gingerbread with Warm Caramel Sauce came from one of those Pillsbury pamphlet-style cookbooks sold at the checkout stand of the grocery store. The cover photo of a square of deliciously old-fashioned cake topped with a perfect scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with warm caramel sauce screamed “Fall!” and was incredibly tempting. I couldn’t resist this sweet, spiced pumpkin comfort food, and I am betting that you can’t, either.

Pumpkin Gingerbread

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter
3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg


Preheat oven to 350F. Combine flour and sugar. Mix in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles fine crumbs. In a 9-inch square baking pan, place 1 3/4 cups of the mixture and press evenly along the bottom to form a crust. Add pecans, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt and cloves to crumb mixture and stir well. Add buttermilk, molasses, pumpkin and egg. Pour batter on top of the crust in the baking pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Warm Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream


Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Stir in brown sugar and corn syrup. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil, and cook for 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Gradually add cream and return to a boil. Remove from heat.

To serve, top each serving with scoop of vanilla ice cream and spoon sauce over warm gingerbread. Serves 9-12.


Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Fall Festivities

By Rebecca Johnson

The summer’s drought has been tough on area farmers. Our orchards weren’t immune, but Hebda Family Produce (formerly Garrity’s), east of Yankton, is still open for their fall Apple Fest.

My husband and I stopped out for the festivities last Sunday. They have plenty of apples to buy in their shop, but picking your own is not available due to the dry growing season. The pumpkins are doing fine, though. $8 gets you admission for the hay rack ride out to the pumpkin patch, the bale maze, playground, and a little cup of corn to feed the goats. My previous goat experience is limited, but Hebda’s were rather endearing. Some were quite cute and others were the “so ugly they’re cute” variety.

If goats aren’t your thing, it’s still worth the stop for their gift and snack shop. The cozy store was bustling with families sipping hot cider and devouring warm apple pie or caramel apple slices. We picked up a quarter peck of Connell Red apples then made mental note of the jams, jellies, and salsa for the hard to buy people on our Christmas list.

Apple Fest is each weekend in October. Visit Hebda’s Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sundays from 1:00 – 5:30 p.m. Call (605) 665-2806 for more details.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Planting Seeds in Parkston

By Laura Johnson

Students from Parkston Elementary School are conducting a giant gardening experiment this spring and summer. Inspired by Kevin Marsh’s giant pumpkin-growing tips in our March/April 2012 issue, Parkston Principal Rob Monson requested 300 giant pumpkin seeds from Great South Dakota Pumpkin Weigh-Off organizer Cassandra Swanson of Canton. Monson and Parkston student council members recently started the seeds, placing them in dirt-filled plastic cups. As the seeds sprout, they are sent home with students eager to try their hands at giant pumpkin growing.

Parkston’s planting committee must be a green-thumbed bunch.”We planted the seeds last Wednesday. They started popping up last weekend already! I would guess at this point I have sent home about half of the plants,” Monson said. Any fledgling gardeners who are successful can bring their big pumpkins back to school next fall for the Parkston Elementary Pumpkin Weigh-In.

The school also has a garden plot. Each grade picks a vegetable to grow. School gets out on May 11 in Parkston, so the kids don’t get to spend much time in the garden, but as Monson says, they at least get a chance to”get their hands dirty and know that vegetables don’t just come out of a can.”

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Cinnamon rolls are a good treat any time, but these pumpkin cinnamon rolls seem tailor-made for early Thanksgiving morning. The sweet cream cheese frosting pairs well with the spicy holiday flavors of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove, and the addition of whole wheat flour and pumpkin puree allows you to pretend they’re nutritious. Mary Elsen, one of our circulation assistants, brought a pan in recently to share. She says that they don’t raise as high as traditional cinnamon rolls because of the whole wheat flour, but you can make up for their lack of height with extra cream cheese frosting and no one seems to mind.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

By Mary Elsen

Ingredients:

Roll Dough:
1/3 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar

1/3 cup warm milk
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup pumpkin puree, either fresh or canned
1 tablespoon butter
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Filling:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Sprinkle yeast and 1 tsp. sugar onto water in a large bowl. After 5 minutes (when mixture is foamy) stir to combine. Heat milk in microwave until bubbly but not boiling over, then add butter and stir until melted. Add the milk-butter mixture, egg, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and ginger to the yeast mixture. Mix well. Add the cup of whole wheat flour and 2 cups of the all-purpose flour. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, adding more flour as necessary, until you have soft dough.

Grease a large bowl with a generous teaspoon of butter. Add the dough and turn it until the entire ball is coated with butter. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place until doubled, approximately 1 hour.

Combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in another bowl, set aside. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into an 18″ x 12″ inch rectangle. Spread with the butter/sugar/spice mixture.

Starting from one of the long sides, roll the dough into a log and cut into 12 generous slices. Place in a greased 9″ x 13″ inch baking pan (I prefer to use a metal pan — if you use a glass baking dish, you may need to reduce the oven temperature). Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 375∞F oven. Bake about 20-30 minutes, until the rolls are brown around the edges and beginning to turn golden brown across the center.

While the rolls are baking, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice until well combined. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. (I used 3 cups powdered sugar.)

Frost warm rolls with the cream cheese frosting and serve immediately.


Pumpkin Puree From Scratch

by Mary Elsen

When I have the smaller, sweeter pie pumpkins growing in my garden, I like to make pumpkin puree from scratch.

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Next, line a large (rimmed) baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray. (If a rimmed baking sheet is unavailable, I would suggest folding up the edges of the aluminum foil, and crimping the corners, because the pumpkin can release a noticeable amount of liquid while baking, and this is not something you want dripping all over your oven!)

Select a solid-looking pie pumpkin. Knock off the stem, and cut the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the pulp and seeds (save them for roasted pumpkin seeds — they are delicious!) Place each half, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until pumpkin is soft and can be easily pricked with a fork, and begins to collapse (this can take 1 to 2 hours — it just depends on the pumpkin.) Remove the pan from the oven and let everything cool until it can be handled comfortably.

Scrape out the soft pulp and discard the skin. At this point you can pulse the pulp in a food processor if an even puree is desired, or use it as is, if a more rustic texture is preferred. Either way, I always cook the pulp on the stovetop over medium-high for an additional 15 minutes or so, to evaporate away extra liquid and get closer to the consistency of canned pumpkin used in most recipes. During this step, try to use a non-stick pan and stir constantly, to avoid burning! When the pumpkin appears thickened, you are ready to proceed with your recipe.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Autumn Pumpkin Bundt Cake

By Laura Johnson


Now that the weather has started to turn chilly, I’ve been thinking about the most important meal of the day. No, not breakfast. I’m talking about afternoon coffee. Even those of you who didn’t grow up on the Scandinavian five-meal-a-day plan can appreciate the pleasures of a hot cup of coffee, a nibble of sugary something, and most important of all, a good conversation. This mid-afternoon ritual was always observed at my grandmother’s house, but was especially important on those gray fall and winter days when we needed the extra caffeine, the warmth of the oven and a bit of bustling around the kitchen to perk us up. Each step of the process was its own pleasure, part of a work routine that dated as far back as I could remember: going through the recipe box and discussing the origins and merits of each dessert option, sharing the work of collecting ingredients, mixing and pouring, and waiting patiently as the kitchen filled with the delicious aroma of homemade dessert. Once the cake had cooled off enough to handle a bit of glaze, Grandma would fuss with the coffee pot while I got out the dishes, and we would settle in at the battered old kitchen table together to enjoy the results of our labors.

One of our fall favorites was Autumn Pumpkin Bundt Cake, a moist treat rich with the warming flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and clove. Bernie, our publisher, says it might be better than pumpkin pie, but you can judge for yourself.

Autumn Pumpkin Bundt Cake

1 box spice cake mix
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 c pumpkin
1/2 c oil
1/2 c water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 c powdered sugar for glaze

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix, pudding, pumpkin, salad oil, water, cinnamon, vanilla and eggs in mixer for 5 minutes. Stir in nuts and pour into very well sprayed bundt pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before removing from pan. When cake has cooled, mix powdered sugar with 1 tbsp hot water and a drop of vanilla and pour this glaze over cake.