And I return, with the second in my series of “Ten Things to Do With Over-Abundant Vegetables” posts. I didn’t necessarily set out to make this a series, but last year’s post on cucumbers ended up being a popular one—and even I referenced back to it when I needed to refresh my memory this summer. So, here we go again—and this time pumpkins get to take the stage!
Last year we got so many pumpkins, I gave some away, allowed others to freeze in their role as porch decorations instead of rushing them inside to save them, and even threw away the last couple that spoiled before I could get to them. That was after I had frozen I don’t know how many quarts of roasted pumpkin for future baking projects.
I scaled back on the number of pumpkin hills this year, but the ones I did plant are already promising to produce abundantly. And then, when I cleaned out our freezer last week, I discovered 20 quarts of frozen roasted pumpkin. People, I did this is a whole year later, and I promise that I actually did use some throughout the year. Whoa.
So it looks like I’ll be making a lot of pumpkin things in my kitchen in the coming weeks—and I thought maybe you’d like to join in on the fun? The list that follows includes some of my personal tried and true favorites. (It does assume, though, that you know about the tried and true classics, like pumpkin pie (Libby’s forever!!!) and pumpkin bread.)
- Give thanks for your blessings.
- Make the cupcakes that are usually my birthday cake.
- Make these pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling, or these without.
- Make pumpkin pecan backed steel cut oatmeal for breakfast. Pro tip: surprisingly, this dish, like pumpkin pie, is better cold so it’s great for making the night before. Also, it’s especially amazing topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of maple or agave syrup.
- Make sweet pumpkin scones or savory.
- Try pumpkin in your pasta.
- Try your hand at a homemade pumpkin spice latte! My friend Erica has an awesome recipe here.
- Carve out the inside of a giant pumpkin and fill it with apple cider for a fun punch bowl for an autumn party.
- Fall decorations, of course. I love the look of white pumpkins in rooms where I don’t necessarily want to add the color orange, but do want to add a touch of fall! Take note for your garden next year: this little heirloom variety is easy to grow and produces enough to decorate your whole house and share some with your friends! (Spoken with the voice of experience!)
- You know how they say that the old time settlers used to use all of the pig except the squeal? Well, you can use all of the pumpkin except the skin. Roast the seeds, and then recycle the stem to make these.
- Bonus for you: my favorite Cinderella pumpkin seeds can be found here.
Rejoicing Hills 