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The fall season is prime pumpkin time - but look beyond pumpkins as decoration and let them offer inspiration in the kitchen. From spiced bread to pasta and beyond, pumpkin puree and even pumpkin seeds work well in both sweet and savory applications.
Paired with bold, flavorful Wisconsin Cheese, pumpkin is the perfect ingredient to help celebrate the season.
Serve thick slices of spiced pumpkin bread with Wisconsin Colby cheese as the secret ingredient.
Update your side dish offerings with a pumpkin seed squash gratin topped with melted Provolone.
Or, treat family and friends to a hearty fall supper of pumpkin ravioli with a traditional pumpkin and Wisconsin Parmesan cheese filling.
Spiced Pumpkin Bread with Wisconsin Colby
Makes 1 loaf.
2 tsp. cumin seeds
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. sugar
8 oz. (1 cup) pumpkin puree, canned or homemade*
1 1/2 tsp. jalapeño, finely diced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup shredded Wisconsin Colby cheese, divided
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 1/4" x 5 1/4" by 3" loaf pan.
Heat a small, heavy skillet. Add the cumin seeds and toast just until aromatic. Do not scorch or brown. Pour the seeds on a saucer and set aside.
In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter. Add the onion, curry powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper and salt. Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Let cool and stir in reserved cumin seed.
Sift the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and sugar into a bowl.
Melt remaining butter and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, chile, eggs, buttermilk, onion mixture and melted butter. Mix just until moistened. Add flour mixture and stir just until mixed. Fold in 1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Bake 35 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining Colby cheese over the bread top. Return to oven 5 to 7 minutes longer, until the cheese melts and the bread is baked through.
*To puree pumpkin: peel the pumpkin and cut in 2-inch cubes. Boil in salted water until tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Drain. Puree pumpkin in food processor or blender.
Pumpkin Seed Squash Gratin
Makes 8 Servings.
Roasted Squash:
5 to 6 pounds winter squash, cut into 3-inch pieces
3 onions, cut into wedges
2 poblano chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Roasted Squash: Preheat oven to 375°
F. In large roasting pan place squash, onions, chiles, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover; roast for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until tender. Scoop squash pulp from skin.
Gratin: Combine 3 cups roasted squash with roasted onions and chiles in 2 quart gratin dish. Layer with cheese. In skillet, sauté
bread crumbs in olive oil, stirring occasionally, until browned. Sprinkle over cheese slices; top with pumpkin seed nuts. Bake at 375°
F for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.
Pumpkin Ravioli with Wisconsin Cheese
Makes 10 Servings.
Filling:
2 cups solid pack pumpkin (not pie filling)
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup assorted dried fruit, chopped
1 cup crushed Amaretti (or macaroon) cookies, divided
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup Wisconsin Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
dash pepper
Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
15 fresh sage leaves
Filling: Combine filling ingredients, reserving 1/2 cup cookie crumbs for topping.
Sauce: In a sauté
pan, heat butter on high heat until foam subsides. Remove from heat and add sage leaves. Set aside and keep warm.
Ravioli Assembly: To assemble, moisten a wonton skin with water. Place another skin on top and press to seal. Place a spoonful of filling on dough, moisten edges, and fold dough over to make a triangle. Cook in a large pot of rapidly boiling water for about 3-1/2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to warm sage butter. Top Ravioli with grated Provolone and crushed cookies.
Recipes courtesy the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, a nonprofit organization funded by the Wisconsin dairy producers, promotes the awareness and consumption of Wisconsin cheese and other dairy products.
While there are many reasons for teaching kids to cook -- less expensive than eating out, preserves family heritage, etc, the most important
reason is that by teaching your child to cook, you're giving him a better chance to be a healthy grown-up. Enabling your child with the ability
to appreciate freshness and to transform ingredients into tasty foods opens their eyes to making wiser choices about what to eat...
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Pumpkin and Cheese Offer Seasonal Inspiration
Let's Get Cooking!
