With autumn’s falling temperatures come some of our favorite things: cozy sweaters, hot apple cider and, of course, pumpkin-inspired treats. Our chefs have elevated the simple squash with four fresh fall dishes—both sweet and savory.
Fried Squash, Feta and Arugula
Ingredients
Directions
(Serves 4)
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 delicata squash
- ½ cup feta, crumbled
- 8 oz. arugula
- ¼ cup pepitas, toasted
- ½ cup pickled peppers, drained
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp. dijon mustard
- ½ bunch oregano, picked
- 1 cup neutral oil, plus additional for the squash
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Peel the butternut squash and cut into finger-sized batons.
- Slice the delicata into rounds and remove the seeds. (The skin of the delicata is edible, so no pressure if you don’t want to peel it).
- Coat the batons and rounds with oil, salt and pepper.
- Roast squashes in separate sheet pans in a 350°F oven until barely soft to the touch.
- This should take about 12 minutes for the delicata and a few minutes more for the butternut. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette.
- Combine the pickled peppers, red wine vinegar, dijon and oregano in a blender.
- Slowly add one cup oil until emulsified.
- Season to taste and set aside until ready.
- Deep-fry the roasted and cooled squash in 350°F oil until golden, about four minutes.
- Toss the fried squash, feta, arugula and pepitas with the vinaigrette.
- Season to taste. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients
Directions
(Serves 4)
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- 1 small sugar pumpkin, cut in half and seeded
- 6 to 7 cups vegetable stock, warmed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ white onion, small dice
- ¼ cup finely diced leeks, whites only
- 2 tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
- Fresh white pepper & salt to taste
- Cut pumpkin in half, remove seeds.
- Drizzle with olive oil then season with salt and pepper (to taste).
- In a 400°F oven, place the pumpkin on a roasting pan cut side down, then cover pan with foil and bake until soft, about 35 to 40 min.
- Let cool, then scoop out pumpkin and place in food processor.
- Blend until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper, to taste.
- Set aside.
- In a heavy bottom saucepot, start heating four tablespoons of butter and add the diced white onion. Keep on medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the onion is soft.
- Add the rice and start toasting it with the onion.
- When it is slightly toasted, begin to add the warmed vegetable broth, one cup at a time.
- Add leeks.
- Continue to add the broth a ladle at a time.
- This process should use approximately 6 to 7 cups of broth.
- When the risotto is almost done, add the pumpkin puree and continue cooking risotto.
- Stir constantly to avoid sticking.
- To test the risotto for doneness, take a little grain out and taste it, the rice should have a little crunch.
- If the risotto is too crunchy then continue to add broth, but very small amounts at a time.
- Complete the dish with salt and pepper to taste, then place into serving bowls and garnish with toasted pine nuts.
- Optional additional garnish: Add reggiano parmesan or crumbled amaretti cookies.
Mussels with Pumpkin, Fennel and Brown Butter
Ingredients
Directions
(Serves 4)
- 2 lbs. mussels, cleaned
- 1 medium pumpkin, diced 1-inch pieces
- 2 tbsp. brown butter
- 1 tbsp. fresh butter
- 1 large fennel, sliced ½ inch thick
- 1/3 tsp. espelette pepper
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 tbsp. chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp. chopped chives
- 1 oz. olive oil
- 4 oz. heavy cream
- Ground black pepper
- Salt
- In a large pot, add olive oil, garlic, thyme, pumpkin and fennel.
- Sauté on medium heat for five minutes, giving a light coloration to all the vegetables.
- Add fresh and brown butter and stir for five minutes.
- Add heavy cream and reduce by half.
- Add mussels, cover and cook for five minutes on medium heat.
- Finish with all chopped herbs and espelette pepper.
- Add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve with a crusty baguette.
Pumpkin Cassis Cheesecake
Ingredients
Directions
Pumpkin Cake Ingredients:
- 300g sugar
- 5g salt
- 160g bread flour
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2g baking powder
- 2g baking soda
- 3 eggs
- 150g canola oil
- 200g pumpkin puree
- 1 orange (zest)
Pumpkin Cake Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a mixer, whisk together oil and eggs.
- On low speed, gradually add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- Stop and scrape the mixing bowl with a spatula.
- Mix in the pumpkin puree and orange zest.
- Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with baking spray. Pour batter into pan.
- Bake at 350°F. Rotate after seven minutes. Continue baking until the cake springs back to touch.
- Let cool and slice in half. Chill in freezer so the cake is firm (this makes it easier to stack and build your layers)
Pumpkin Cream Ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz crème fraiche
- 4 oz powdered sugar
- 4 oz pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- Pinch of clove
Pumpkin Cream Directions:
- In a mixer with a whisk, whip the heavy cream, crème fraiche and powdered sugar to stiff peaks.
- Fold in pumpkin puree and spices.
Cassis Cheesecake Ingredients:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 vanilla bean
- 5 tbsp. flour
- 6 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup cassis/currant puree
Cassis Cheesecake Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese, vanilla bean and vanilla extract.
- Gradually add in the sugar.
- Scrape the bowl with spatula.
- Continue mixing until the cream cheese is completely smooth and fluffy.
- On medium speed, gradually mix in your eggs and yolks, scraping the bowl in between additions.
- Mix in the flour.
- Mix in the sour cream until the batter is smooth.
- Finally, stream in the cassis puree.
- Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper on the bottom and spray with baking spray.
- Bake at 325°F. Rotate after 15 minutes. Bake until the top has become golden brown and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan. The cheesecake should only have a sight jiggle to it. It will take about 45 minutes.
- Let cool completely and flip the cheesecake out of the pan.
- Cut in half so it is the same size as each piece of pumpkin cake. Freeze/chill. (You will only use one half of the cheesecake. You can freeze and save the other half for when you want it next!)
To build the cake:
- Spread a thin layer of pumpkin cream on one layer of the frozen/chilled pumpkin cake.
- Stack the cheesecake on top and spread another thin layer of pumpkin cream on top of the cheesecake.
- Finish by adding the final layer of pumpkin cake.
- Let the stacked cake chill then cut into desired shape and size.
