Pumpkin Time!

It's Pumpkin Time! The arrival of the pumpkins signals that delicious time of year when the leaves are turning and fall baking and cooking uses the bounty of the season. Baking with fresh pie pumpkins from the farmer's market couldn't be easier, and inexpensive too. To prepare the pumpkin, wash and dry it, then microwave for 2 minutes to soften it before cutting in half and scooping out the seeds and stringy pulp. Bake for 40 minutes at 350° with the cut side down. When it is cool enough to handle, turn it over and scoop out the meat, then run it through a food processor or mash it by hand before using. Left over pumpkin may be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for later use. Depending upon the pumpkin, one pie pumpkin should yield about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of pureed pumpkin. Try this recipe for Pear and Pumpkin Bars--they're great for breakfast!
Pear and Pumpkin Bars
Recipe by Locavore Lisa Lathrop

½ cup butter
¾ cup agave or 1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ cup cooked, pureed pumpkin
1 cup cored, diced pear (about 2 small pears)
1 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp salt

Cream together butter and agave or brown sugar until light and creamy. Add egg and mix well. Add vanilla and pumpkin. Stir together dry ingredients and add to wet mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Fold in pears by hand. Bake in a greased, floured 8-inch square baking pan at 350° for 50-60 minutes if using agave and for 40-50 minutes if using brown sugar. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when done. Cool on a rack before slicing. Store in the refrigerator if using agave, as baked goods with agave will mold quickly unless refrigerated or frozen.

Note: Agave is an all natural sweetener that is safe for diabetics and others with sugar sensitivities to eat. It comes in a liquid form similar to honey, but is thinner and sweeter.

Weenies Roasting on an Open Fire

Fall: Falling Leaves, Chilly Evenings, and Weenies Roasting on an Open Fire!
I love the smell of a fire pit in the fall. Last night the rain stopped just in time for roasting weenies on the open fire. I am not fond of hot dogs...they're pretty disgusting actually. And the alternative versions, such as tofu pups, like the one on the left in the photo, aren't any better. That said, there's something about roasting over an open fire, whether it be hot dogs, marshmallows or skewers of veggies, everything just tastes better. Tim loves hot dogs so about once a year I buy some really good quality hot dogs and make them as a treat, then he gets to eat the whole package and get that out of his system for a while. In addition, every once in a while when we cook out with the neighbors there are hot dogs to satisfy his finer taste buds.
I have found a few hot dogs worth trying, and here's the list (in no particular order): Nueske's Applewood Smoked Wieners, Usinger's Wieners, Bavaria Sausage Wieners, Jordandal Farm, Miesfeld's, Ruegsegger Farms

Apples, Salsa and Pumpkins!

As much as I hate to see summer end, my favorite season truly is fall. Perhaps that's because I'm a Libra, born in October, when the leaves are turning and everything is colorful and change is on the way. I love fall, I love the tiny golden leaves that line the streets like gold thrown by fairies at night. I love apples, salsa, and especially pumpkins!
Today I made green tomato salsa with some of the last of the tomatoes of the year. It wasn't a great year for tomatoes if you enjoy the big, juicy ripe ones, but the green ones make some great salsas, relishes and chutneys, as well as fried green tomatoes!
I look forward to Apple season almost as much as Asparagus season. I say almost as much because Asparagus season is shorter and more dear to us, here in South Central Wisconsin. In spite of the chilly spring and wet weather early in the growing season, the apples in this part of the state seem to be doing well. On Sunday when my computer printer ran out of ink I stopped at the Monona Farmer's Market while trying to find ink on a Sunday morning, and purchased some of Vivian Green's scrumptious apples. Vivian and her husband own Green's Pleasant Springs Orchards in Stoughton. They have some of the best darn apples I've ever had, and are some of the hardest working, most honest people you'll ever meet. Vivian and her husband sell at several farmer's markets around town, and in spite of that Vivian was surprised to see me at the Monona market on Sunday. I told her, I'm everywhere! If there's a farmer's market, I shop there!
On Saturday I worked at the Food for Thought Festival on behalf of Madison Originals. While chatting with people during the festival I saw some pretty awesome pumpkins going by. One was so big it looked like it had taken over the stroller it was riding in. I also saw some adorable youngsters with pie pumpkins, just the right size for little ones to carry home. I was worried about the pumpkins this year, after the late spring, hard rains early and then drought mostly all summer, I didn't know what we'd see for pumpkins. Until I cut into one and prepare it for one of our favorite pumpkin dishes I won't really know the quality, but they look awfully yummy at first glance! I'll keep you posted on what I find as I start cooking and cutting for pies, soups, bars, and yes, cheesecake. My favorite all time cheesecake has always been pumpkin, and after 20 months hiatus from baking them, I'm ready for some pumpkin cheesecake!
Enjoy the fall, bask in the warm afternoons, and enjoy the cool evenings. Roast marshmallows with the kids after dinner and watch for the harvest moon. All too soon it will be cold and we'll be stuck indoors for more hours than we'd like each day, so enjoy the fall and embrace the change of seasons.
Next time...Beast baking fall goodies!