In the Kitchen with Sigona’s featuring Pumpkins & Winter Squash

Pumpkin Puree

Pureed pumpkin is great for breads, ice cream, soups, pies and many other marvelous dishes. It also freezes well. Makes about 6-8 cups, depending on the size of your pumpkins.

What you need:

• 2 whole Sugar Pie pumpkins (or mix it up and prepare puree from other varieties)

Directions: Halve pumpkins and use a spoon to scoop and scrape out the seeds and pump from the cavity (save the seeds for toasting!).

Quarter the halves and place them on a baking sheet to roast for 45 mins in a 350F oven or until fork tender.

When done (and cooled slightly), use a spoon to scoop the flesh from the skin. Discard the skin and add the pumpkin to the food processor to puree; you may have to do two rounds to get all the pumpkin pureed. Add a little water if needed. You can also use a ricer or a blender. Mix until smooth. (If you’ve chosen a watery pumpkin, strain out the water in a fine sieve or cheese cloth).

Store for 3 days in the fridge or freeze.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

While simply roasting with salt & pepper makes for irritable seeds, there’s no reason not to toss in sweet or savory spices!

Simple roast:

Drizzle 1 TBL of Sigona’s Fresh Press olive oil over 2 cups of seeds and toss with hearty pinches of salt and pepper to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, and toast in a 300F oven for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 mins or so, or until seeds are golden and crunchy.

Mix it up!

• Add in a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon for sweet seeds
• Toss seeds with Sigona’s Harissa-infused Olive Oil and stir in a little cayenne powder for a nice, hot kick
• Add in a few shakes of any seasoning you wish, such as Fajita seasoning, Greek seasoning, Johnny’s, Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, etc. and stir to coat evenly
• Combine powdered garlic, dried parsley and onion powder or dried chives for ranch-style seeds
• And one from Martha Stewart: Curry Lime pumpkin seeds — mix 2 TBL lime juice, 1 1/2 tsp. curry powder,1 tsp ground coriander and 1/2 tsp salt. Sprinkle over 2 cups of evoo-drizzled pumpkin seeds and roast.

Puree of Pumpkin Soup

This is so simple, yet so absolutely delicious – normally I tinker with recipes, but apart from adding a little crushed garlic to the onions, it’s best to stick to the amounts and ingredients of this recipe….fresh or canned pumpkin doesn’t seem to make a difference, and I only use butter, not margarine. I’ve had countless people ask me for this recipe!!! Serves 6-8. Courtesy of Sigona’s Customer Lindi Reagan.

Ingredients:

• 4 TBL (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium leek, white part only, chopped
• 1 lb. canned or fresh pumpkin puree
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup half-and-half

Directions: In a medium soup pot, melt butter. Add onion and leek to butter to sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft. Stir in pumpkin puree, broth, salt, spices and bay leaf. Leave uncovered and bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf and puree the mix using a regular or an immersion blender, in shifts if needed. Blend until smooth.

Roasted Winter Squash and Sausage with Herbs. Find the recipe at www.kalynskitchen.com.

Return to soup pot, add half-and-half and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Taste, season as needed.

Roasted Winter Squash and Sausage with Herbs

This recipe comes courtesy of www.Kalynskitchen.com. Made with sweet Italian sausage, fresh herbs and Jarrahdale squash, this dish is comfort in a bowl. The picture alone should have your mouth watering already!

Find step-by-step instructions and the full recipe by following the link:

 Roasted Winter Squash and Sausage with Herbs courtesy of Kalyn’s Kitchen.

Makes 4 generous servings.

Pumpkin and Chanterelle Mushroom Soup with Cinnamon Crème Fraîche

In most pumpkin soups recipes the pumpkin is first roasted, but in this version, it is softened on the stove-top for a quicker solution. The combination of pumpkin with sautéed mushrooms and cinnamon cream is exquisite. Serves 6. Recipe developed by Luisa Ormonde of Luisa’s Catering in San Carlos. 

Ingredients:

• 3 TBL Sigona’s Fresh Press extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound fresh sugar pie pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups homemade chicken or vegetable stock
• 8 TBL unsalted butter
• 1/2 pound chanterelle mushrooms, chopped
• 1 large shallot, peeled and minced
• 2 TBL flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
• kosher salt and white pepper, to taste
• 1 cup crème fraîche
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the pumpkin and onions, sauté on low heat until the pumpkin is softened, about 5 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of the stock and continue cooking until the pumpkin is very soft, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly then puree with hand held blender or in a food processor. Set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet. Add the mushrooms and shallots and cook until they are soft and all liquid has evaporated, 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of the butter and the parsley. Season and keep warm.

Combine the pumpkin puree and the remaining 1 cup stock in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir in the remaining 5 tablespoons butter, the whipped cream and reserved mushroom mixture. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

In a bowl, whisk the crème fraîche and cinnamon.

To serve: pour soup into bowls and swirl the cinnamon crème fraîche into the hot soup.

Photos by Luisa Ormonde.

Pumpkin Curry

Not all curries have to be spicy: the pumpkin gives this curry a sweet layer of flavor and a nice orange color. Serves ~4.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced (optional)
• 2 cups (about 3-4 potatoes) white potatoes, unpeeled & chopped
• Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 TBL curry powder
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 lbs fresh pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed (about 2-3 cups, about half a sugar pie pumpkin or a 1/4 )
• 1 cup presoaked or canned garbanzo beans
• 3 cups greens (such as bok choy, kale, escarole or spinach), tough stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup diced vegetables (your choice: carrots, peas, green or red chilies, zucchini or other. You can also use a combination.)
• 3/4 of 1 can (about 10 oz total ) coconut milk
• 1 cup water or chicken broth*
• Salt, to taste
• Serve over: Basmati or Jasmine rice, cooked, for 4 people.

Directions: In a medium sauce pan, bring water to a boil and add chopped potatoes, cooking until just soft, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

While potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a skillet and add sliced chicken and sauté until cooked through. Remove and set aside.

Next, heat about 2 TBL olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add curry powder and heat until fragrant. Then stir in ginger, sauté for 1 minute, and then stir in onions and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Stir in cubed pumpkin, greens, garbanzo beans, cooked potatoes and vegetables of choice. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes. Pour in coconut milk and bring mixture to a boil. Cover and simmer until pumpkin is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Stir in cooked chicken after the curry has cooked about 10 minutes.

*You may need to add some water or chicken broth (about 1/4 – 1/2 cup at a time) along the way, depending on how large the pumpkin cubes are, to keep them from drying out.

Once pumpkin is tender and sauce has thickened, remove from heat, add salt to taste, and serve over cooked rice.

Turban Squash Soup

At first look, the Turban squash might seem best for fall decorating, with its bumpy skin, bulbous crown-like top and festive orange, white and green coloring. Although it’s sure to add the perfect touch to a Halloween tablescape, it’s also delicious to eat. Try this recipe for Turban Squash Soup — you can use the fatter part of the squash as a soup tureen!

Use the turban squash shell as a tureen!

Ingredients:

• 1 Turban squash
• 4-6 cups chicken broth (Depends on squash size. Add more if soup is too thick.)
• 1 TBL olive oil
• 1 sm onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1⁄4 tsp ginger
• 1⁄4 tsp cinnamon
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Light sour cream, for garnish

Directions: Being gently, so you can use the fatter part of the squash as a soup tureen, cut top off squash, as you would for a jack-o-lantern. Scoop out seeds & pulp, discard. Place the squash cut side down on foil-covered baking sheet. Cover top with foil. Roast at 350°F for 50-60 min or until tender.

Carefully (it’s hot and you don’t want holes in the shell) scoop squash flesh into a mixing bowl. Set shell back on baking sheet. Use mixer to puree the squash and blend in broth. In a saucepan, sauté onions and garlic in oil on med-hi heat for 2-3 mins. Mix in spices and puree and cook for 3 mins. Pour mix into squash shell and cover with top. Bake for 20-25 min. Serve hot.

Cook’s note: Garnish with a dollop of sour cream & cinnamon. To add a little more substance, sauté sausage with the onions and garlic until cooked.

Red Kuri Squash and Sage Cream Sauce

Feel simple minded in the kitchen? Try this uncomplicated dish; it’s sure to capture the spirit of the season and leave yours unscathed. Recipe courtesy of Lisa Dupar & Company. Serves six.

Red Kuri Squash, Fettucine, and Sage Cream Sauce. Photo and recipe courtesy of Lisa Dupar & Company.

Ingredients:

• 1 red kuri squash
• 1 TBL olive oil
• Pinch of fresh ground black pepper & salt
• 3 cup organic cream
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 cup crumbled blue cheese
•  20 whole small sage leaves
• Pinch of nutmeg
•  1 package fettuccine pasta
•  6 TBL toasted pine nuts

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. Trim outside skin of the kuri squash. Seed and cut into quarter-inch strips.

Toss strips in olive oil, pepper, and salt. Spread strips on parchment paper and roast until golden and tender.

Bring cream to a simmer in sauce pan. Add wine.

Reduce by one third or until mixture becomes thickened and rich.

Lower the heat and whisk in cheese.

Add warm sage leaves to the sauce and season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Cook fettuccine according to package directions and dish onto plates.

Add sauce, 1 c. roasted squash, and 4-5 torn sage leaves to each plate of pasta. Garnish with sage and pine nuts.