Fall Flavor: 4 Unique Pumpkin Recipes

(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!

(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.

(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 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.