pumpkin post
The pumpkin dinner party was all about the flavor of pumpkin itself as opposed to the other flavors that often accompany pumpkin. Pumpkin is a member of the squash family, but for some reason it hangs out with the sweet spices all the time. We challenged pumpkin to break out of its clique and hang out with some savory friends.
We served our guest two appetizers: roasted pumpkin and stilton on polenta rounds and toasted baguettes smeared with pumpkin pesto. The roasted pumpkin with stilton on polenta was created by Rossanna and I when were brainstorming over the menu. We roasted two small pumpkins that had been seasoned very minimally with just some oil olive and Herbes de Provence. After roasting in the oven, I mashed up the roasted pumpkin with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. The polenta rounds were merely sliced from a cookie dough-looking tube (we cheated and used pre-prepared polenta from Trader Joe’s, for convenience sake only, as we both have made polenta in the past). A scoop of the roasted pumpkin and a dollop of creamy Harrods’s Stilton hand carried from London. These turned out famously, they flew off the platter.
The soup was can you guess? Pumpkin. This pumpkin soup wasn’t your simple pumpkin puree with a bit of crème fraiche. It was pumpkin, chicken, and ham hocks. It a hearty soup, that in big portions can be made into a meal. I love this recipe because it was given to me by my dear friend’s mother. I left one of our post-Thanksgiving visits with a homegrown pumpkin and the recipe in one of my goody bags.
We had two main dish items. The first was pumpkin dumplings, which we made while podcasting, yes that was a plug for the pumpkin cast – check it out. The second entree was pumpkin risotto with seared scallops. The pumpkin risotto was prepared by Nick. I prepared the scallops. We served them separately since we were catering to a partial vegetarian audience. The scallops were lovely. They were buttery and flavored with just the right amount of sage, truffle oil, and then the smooth distinct flavor of the pumpkin risotto paired nicely. I have to admit I was a critic of this pairing at first, seafood with a squash that hangs with sweet stuff? It worked. The pumpkin had made new friends and perhaps taken on a few crushes along the way.
The salad was spinach, avocado, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds with a pumpkin seed oil and lime dressing. The salad was inspired from Nigella Lawson’s cookbook "Feast". Pumpkin seed oil was a splurge. Since nut oil spoils quickly, I am taking recommendations for other recipes to highlight this special oil.
For dessert we let the pumpkin hang out with his homies. But not in the standard pumpkin pie, but in pumpkin cheesecake. Rossanna babied this cheesecake baking it in a water bath not required by the recipe. The taste was moist and flavorful. I have to say that is tasted even better left over the next day.
We served our guest two appetizers: roasted pumpkin and stilton on polenta rounds and toasted baguettes smeared with pumpkin pesto. The roasted pumpkin with stilton on polenta was created by Rossanna and I when were brainstorming over the menu. We roasted two small pumpkins that had been seasoned very minimally with just some oil olive and Herbes de Provence. After roasting in the oven, I mashed up the roasted pumpkin with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. The polenta rounds were merely sliced from a cookie dough-looking tube (we cheated and used pre-prepared polenta from Trader Joe’s, for convenience sake only, as we both have made polenta in the past). A scoop of the roasted pumpkin and a dollop of creamy Harrods’s Stilton hand carried from London. These turned out famously, they flew off the platter.
The soup was can you guess? Pumpkin. This pumpkin soup wasn’t your simple pumpkin puree with a bit of crème fraiche. It was pumpkin, chicken, and ham hocks. It a hearty soup, that in big portions can be made into a meal. I love this recipe because it was given to me by my dear friend’s mother. I left one of our post-Thanksgiving visits with a homegrown pumpkin and the recipe in one of my goody bags.
We had two main dish items. The first was pumpkin dumplings, which we made while podcasting, yes that was a plug for the pumpkin cast – check it out. The second entree was pumpkin risotto with seared scallops. The pumpkin risotto was prepared by Nick. I prepared the scallops. We served them separately since we were catering to a partial vegetarian audience. The scallops were lovely. They were buttery and flavored with just the right amount of sage, truffle oil, and then the smooth distinct flavor of the pumpkin risotto paired nicely. I have to admit I was a critic of this pairing at first, seafood with a squash that hangs with sweet stuff? It worked. The pumpkin had made new friends and perhaps taken on a few crushes along the way.
The salad was spinach, avocado, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds with a pumpkin seed oil and lime dressing. The salad was inspired from Nigella Lawson’s cookbook "Feast". Pumpkin seed oil was a splurge. Since nut oil spoils quickly, I am taking recommendations for other recipes to highlight this special oil.
For dessert we let the pumpkin hang out with his homies. But not in the standard pumpkin pie, but in pumpkin cheesecake. Rossanna babied this cheesecake baking it in a water bath not required by the recipe. The taste was moist and flavorful. I have to say that is tasted even better left over the next day.
posted by Paula at 12:06 AM
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