I would still cook them and eat them!
Holy pumpkin patch! Started with five seeds in bad ground for growing and now they flourish. The pumpkins have taken taken over and thankfully when I was at my first kitchen job, Stephane, the chef who taught me more than anyone else gave me homework one halloween eve. It was a usual thing to get homework from Stephane. He bought me a copy of Larousse Gastronomique, the greatest book EVER. I later found my grandmother's much older version. I still use the copy he bought me and if you don't own it, stop reading this blog and go buy one STAT! Back to that halloween eve, Chef sent me home around midnight after my shift with 3 pumpkins and told me I had to make three things and carve two pumpkins before my next shift. My next shift was the next day...
Alas, having never done anything with a fresh pumpkin other than carve it so it can rot on my porch and roast the seeds and throw the pumpkin guts at an old love of mine when we dated, I set off home, scared. I borrowed some tart molds and was on a mission to not disappoint the Chef who took an interest in me as a young woman with ZERO professional kitchen experience. I started with him in June of that year and by October I was well on my way to being able to complete my homework on time. I made pumpkin tart's, pumpkin soup, and something else which escapes me now, and by the time I was done I carved triangle eyes and a mouth with some teeth into the still intact pumpkin. I was about to be late for my shift and wasn't going to risk that wrath. I survived, Chef thought my tarts were okay and gave me pointers which made me want to go home and make it all again, and I did. I think we made a version of the tart for service that day. I loved when something other than the standard desserts we served was available. The off menu items were always better than good and I loved learning new things.
Fast forward several years and I am growing pumpkins and finally know what to do with them! I harvested three within the first few days I was here and cut them into pieces, scooped out the seeds and stringy stuff, roasted them in the oven and viola, a perfect base for many things! I made Pumpkin Ravioli, Pumpkin Soup, and roasted the seeds. Cupcakes, bread and other applications will come later...I will have garden fresh pumpkins for at least another two months.
First Harvest Roasted Pumpkin
Cut top and bottom off of fresh pumpkins. Quarter, scoop out seeds and stringy stuff leaving flesh intact. Using a neutral oil rub the flesh and place on sheet pan skin side down.
Roast in 400F preheated oven for about an hour or until pumpkin is soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a bit before scooping out flesh from the skins. Moisture may pool on top and if you allow it to sit it will go back into the pumpkin (think of it like letting a steak rest after you take it off the grill).
The cooked pumpkin can be frozen for later use or put it in the food processor for the following recipes.
Pumpkin Soup
2 parts Roasted Pumpkin (pureed, see above)
1 part Chicken Stock (or vegetable if you want a vegetarian version)
1 Small Onion diced
Nutmeg TT
Cinnamon TT
Salt & Pepper TT
Ground Ginger TT
Half & Half
Roasted Red Pepper Coulis and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds for Garnish
In a large heavy bottom pot, saute onion in a bit of olive oil until softened. Stir in pumpkin, stock, and spices. Simmer for 1-2 hours on low stirring occasionally and adding stock if soup looks too thick. Taste for flavor and adjust seasoning as necessary (you may use pumpkin pie spices as an alternative but not heavy handed as this is a savory dish). Finish with Half & Half to make the soup creamy. Simmer for another 2 minutes. To garnish, drizzle with Red Pepper Coulis and roasted pumpkin seeds.
Pumpkin Ravioli
Fresh pasta:
2 Cups AP Flour
3 Egg Yolks
1T Good EV Olive Oil
Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in yolks and oil. Mix into the flour with a fork to start and then use your hands. Knead for 10-20 minutes until you can almost "pull a window" or dough is shiny. Allow to rest 40 minutes covered in plastic wrap. Roll out thin sheets using additional flour to keep the dough from sticking to itself.
Pumpkin filling:
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1/4 Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan or another good Italian cheese
Pinch of Nutmeg
Pinch of Ground Ginger
Salt & Pepper TT
(Any other spices you feel like TT)
Stir all of the above together. You can taste it since the pumpkin has been cooked already.
Assemble ravioli using two sheets of fresh pasta and as much filling as you like for the size of ravioli you want to make. Brush egg wash around the filling on the bottom sheet of pasta and then top with the other sheet. Use a cutter or knife to create the ravioli (whatever you have will work). I made traditional squares but you can make circles, hearts, stars, triangles or dinosaurs if you have the right size cutter. Be creative.
Cook in well salted boiling water for 2-4 minutes. Fresh pasta cooks much faster than the boxed dry stuff.
I served mine with a brown butter sauce and crispy sage.
Uncooked ravioli can be frozen for future use. Freeze on a sheet pan then put them into air tight bag or container and store. This keeps them from becoming one giant ravioli block that you will never get back into little bites of perfection.
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