Hi everyone! Following on from the allotment liason meeting, Sue Haworth Edwards asked me to post some recipes for Pumpkins, so I thought I’d let you in on a few I’ve tried…
Halloween Pumpkin Cake
For the cake
* 300g self-raising flour
* 300g light muscovado sugar
* 3 tsp mixed spice
* 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
* 175g sultanas
* ½ tsp salt
* 4 eggs , beaten
* 200g butter , melted
* zest 1 orange
* 1 tbsp orange juice
* 500g (peeled weight) pumpkins or butternut squash flesh, grated
FOR DRENCHING AND FROSTING
* 200g pack soft cheese
* 85g butter , softened
* 100g icing sugar , sifted
* zest 1 orange and juice of half
1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line a 30 x 20cm baking or small roasting tin with baking parchment. Put the flour, sugar, spice, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine. Beat the eggs into the melted butter, stir in the orange zest and juice, then mix with the dry ingredients till combined. Stir in the pumpkin. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 30 mins, or until golden and springy to the touch.
2. To make the frosting, beat together the cheese, butter, icing sugar, orange zest and 1 tsp of the juice till smooth and creamy, then set aside in the fridge. When the cake is done, cool for 5 mins then turn it onto a cooling rack. Prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle with the rest of the orange juice while still warm. Leave to cool completely.
3. If you like, trim the edges of the cake. Give the frosting a quick beat to loosen, then, using a palette knife, spread over the top of the cake in peaks and swirls. If you’re making the cake ahead, keep it in the fridge then take out as many pieces as you want 30 mins or so before serving. Will keep, covered, for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Pumpkin & sage spaghetti
Ingredients
* 800g/1lb 12oz pumpkin flesh, chopped into small cubes
* 1 tsp golden caster sugar
* 100g butter
* small bunch sage leaves, about 20, roughly chopped
* 350g dried spaghetti
* juice of 1 lemon
* 50g parmesan , grated
1. Tip the pumpkin into a medium-sized saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid. Sprinkle over the sugar and a generous pinch of salt, then drizzle over 6 tablespoons of water. Cover the pan, place on a medium heat and steam the pumpkin, stirring every so often for 10-15 minutes, or until it is soft but still holds its shape. You may need add a spoonful or two of water during the cooking the pan seems dry. Set aside.
2. While the pumpkin is steaming, tip the butter and sage into a small saucepan and heat gently until the butter is foaming, then turn off the heat. Boil the spaghetti in a big pan of salted water for about 10 minutes until just cooked. When the spaghetti is cooked, scoop out a little of the cooking water, then drain and return the spaghetti to the pan.
3. Put the sage butter over a high heat until sizzling, then pour in the lemon juice and let it splutter for a second. Tip the pumpkin, melted butter, 3-4 tbsp pasta water and half the parmesan in with the spaghetti and give it a really good stir. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve with the remaining parmesan to sprinkle over.
Creamy Chicken & Pumpkin
Ingredients
* 20g pack dried porcini
* 1 free-range chicken , about 1.5kg/3lb 5oz, jointed into 8 pieces (ask your butcher to do this for you)
* 1 lemon , halved
* 2 tbsp olive oil
* 25g unsalted butter
* 1 small onion , finely chopped
* 300g/10oz pumpkin , peeled, seeded and cut into 2cm cubes
* 200g chestnut mushrooms , roughly chopped
* 284ml carton double cream
1. Soak porcini in 300ml/1⁄2 pt hot water for 30 mins. Skin chicken and rub the cut side of the lemon over them. Heat oil in a pan large enough to hold chicken in one layer. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Transfer to a casserole.
2. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Melt the butter in a medium pan. When it stops foaming, add onion and 1 tsp salt, then sauté until pale gold.
3. Meanwhile, remove the porcini from the water and rinse well. Pat dry and chop small. Strain the water through a sieve, stopping before the last spoonful.
4. Add porcini and pumpkin pieces to onion and sauté for 5 mins. Add fresh mushrooms and cook for 5 mins more, stirring frequently. Stir in the cream, 4-5 tbsp of the porcini water and seasoning if you wish. Simmer uncovered for 10-12 mins until reduced slightly, then pour over the chicken.
5. Cover and cook in the oven for 30-40 mins, turning the chicken once or twice and adding a few spoonfuls of water if the sauce becomes a little dry.
Filed under: Seasonal Recipes Tagged: | pumpkin recipes
