Preparing Fresh Pumpkin
Halve the pumpkin; remove seeds (save the seeds to roast!), pulp, and stringy portion. Cut into chunks and simmering for 25 min., til soft. Drain. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and mash in a blender or food processor, or put through a food mill. One cup of mashed pumpkin has just 80 calories!
A 5-lb. pumpkin will yield about 4½ cups. Spoon cooled, mashed pumpkin into freezer containers, leaving ½-inch headspace. Store frozen up to 16 months.
Pumpkin Pie
1 ½ c Iowa pumpkin, prepared
? c sugar
¼ c brown sugar
1 ½ c evaporated milk
3 Iowa farm-fresh eggs ¾ t cinnamon
? t ground cloves ¼ t nutmeg 1 unbaked pie shell Mix pumpkin, sugars, and spices in large bowl. Add evaporated milk and eggs. Mix all ingredients well. Pour pumpkin filling into pie shell. Bake at 450º for 15 min. Reduce heat to 350º and bake 45 min. more.
¼ t ginger
¼ t salt
Easy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
2 c pumpkin seeds, rinsed and drained
2 T canola oil or butter
1 ½ t salt
Let pumpkin seeds dry on paper towels. Toss cleaned pumpkin seeds with oil (or melted butter) and salt; spread on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 250° oven for about 1 hour, or until the pumpkin seeds are dry, stirring occasionally.
Substitute salt with 2 T sugar, 1 t cinnamon and dashes of nutmeg and allspice for sweet and spicy seeds.
Stuffed Iowa Acorn Squash 2 Iowa-grown baked acorn squash ¼ cup slivered almonds 2 T butter
3/4 cup milk 8 oz. cream cheese ½ cup sliced water chestnuts 1½ t lemon juice Sauté almonds in butter until lightly browned. Add cream cheese and milk. Stir over low heat until cream cheese is melted. Stir in remaining ingredients except squash. Heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Spoon vegetable mixture into hot squash. Makes 4 servings.
1½ cups Iowa-grown green beans, cooked
½ t dry mustard
¼ t ground ginger
¼ t salt