All Pumpkined Out

I'm trying. Really, I am. Trying to put the pumpkin bounty to good use. But I am running out of ideas.

I've pureed (30 cups worth. From one pumpkin.), chopped, sauteed, spiced, baked, simmered and stewed. And still, there is pumpkin flesh to be had. Plenty of it. A bumper crop. Any ideas? Anyone?

A few of my Pumpkin Successes...

Pumpkin Scones with Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin Scones... Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine 1 3/4 cups flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Cut in 1/2 cup chilled butter until mixture resembles course meal. Add 1 cup pureed pumpkin, mixing until all dry ingredients are incorporated. Knead a few times, gently, adding a tiny bit more flour if necessary. Turn out onto a baking sheet, form into a thick round; about 2 inches thick. Cut, but don't separate dough into 6 or 8 wedges. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Butter... In a large pot or Dutch oven combine 4 cups pumpkin puree (2 15oz. cans if you buy it at the store), 1 1/4 cups pure maple syrup, 1/2 cup apple juice, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, 25 minutes, or until thickened. Store in jars or freezer containers in refrigerator up to one week, or in the freezer indefinitely!

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Sausage Lasagne (sorry, no photos... it disappeared too quickly!)
Preheat oven to 350. Saute 1 pound mild Italian turkey sausage until browned. Add 1 cup chopped celery and 1/2 of a large sweet onion, also chopped. Saute with the sausage until the vegetables start to soften.

Meanwhile, in a saucepot over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add 3 tablespoons flour and whisk together to form a roux. Slowly add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups milk, whisking continually. Bring sauce to a bubble, then add 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree (or a 15oz. can), some ground pepper and a dash of ground nutmeg. Add salt, but only if the sauce tastes bland; the sausage and the chicken broth have enough seasoning that you may not need it.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish, spread enough of the pumpkin sauce to thickly coat, but not puddle in the bottom. Layer three oven-ready, no-boil lasagne sheets side by side. Top them with half of the meat mixture and 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Repeat, pouring the final 1/3 of the sauce on the very top.

Cover your dish with foil (to keep all the moisture in and make those lasagne sheets nice and soft) and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil, top with thick slices of Mozzarella, and bake for another 10 or 15 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

Oh, so yummy!

See how many are still out there?

So, by all means, if you have a favorite pumpkin recipe, preferably a savory dish, rather than sweet, PLEASE share it with me!