think outside the pie Pamper your palate with pumpkin. BY AMANDA WOLFE
Pumpkins are more versatile than most people think. Pumpkin corn muffins will add color and pizzazz to your plate.
Aaron Showalter/Kansan
The smooth, roundness of a pumpkin is almost sensual to the touch. Its insides are the complete opposite; they're stringy and gooey. Sometimes a pumpkin's unconventionality causes us to look the other way and not really think of it as an edible vegetable.
The pumpkin's orange glow doesn't exactly conjure up images of food, but this fall treasure is in its peak right now. Take advantage of its fall flavor, be adventurous and try these recipes.
"Will they ever stand alongside potatoes, tomatoes and lettuce? I doubt it," says Chuck Marr, professor of horticulture at Kansas State University. "Our society hasn't figured out how to use pumpkin much except for making it into pies."
One of the quickest ways to warm yourself up when you start to feel the chill of the air is with a steaming bowl of soup. Creamy punupkin soup and a side of warm cornbread will do the job. For the soup you'll need:
15 ounces canned pumpkin
13. 75 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 cups of half and half or cream
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons Bacon Bits salt to taste
In a large pot, combine chicken broth, vegetables, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and pepper, then simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Next, add pumpkin and half and half and simmer leaving the pot uncovered for another 10 minutes. For a final flourish, fill bowls with soup and top with a dollop of sour cream and a pinch of bacon bits. For the cornbread, pick up the mix at the grocery store and follow the directions on the box.
For a traditional healthy snack, consider baking pumpkin seeds. "A few people have found out that pumpkin seeds are pretty good — a little chewy for some, but a nice, nut-like flavor," Marr says.
When you're carving your jack-o'lantern, don't just discard the guts. Separate the seeds from the pulp and wash and dry them. Spread the seeds out on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake them at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Be sure to check them every five minutes and stir them around. The seeds are done when, after allowing them to cool, you taste them and the insides are dry. For extra kick you can add any flavor of popcorn seasoning or red pepper to the seeds.
Jayni Carey,chef and host of the local
6 jayplay
1 cup yellow cornmeal
TV show Jayni's Kitchen, recommends making pumpkin corn muffins. "I love this corn muffin recipe," Carey says. "That's a nice way to work with pumpkin."
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mild chili powder blend
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup raisins
flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chili powder. Pour the buttermilk into a separate bowl, add the egg and whisk together until blended. Whisk in the pumpkin purée and vegetable oil. Pour the mixture over dry ingredients, add the raisins and mix just until combined. Spoon the mixture into 12 greased muffin cups. Place the muffin tins in a 400 degree oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let muffins rest for five minutes before removing them from the tin. Set them on a wire rack to cool. Makes 12 muffins.
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal,
We can't forget dessert. Pumpkin cake bars take on an almost carrot cake-like flavor when topped with cream-cheese frosting. And yes, you can make cake from scratch, it's not that hard. For the
thursday, october 30, 2003