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Capturing the Pumpkin Harvest: 10 Recipes to Color Your World Delicious

by | Mar 4, 2019 | Gardening, Recipes

The Fall orange of pumpkins makes the heart glad and sends the cook on a recipe adventure. Last Fall I had a bountiful pumpkin harvest from my straw bale garden. (More about that in another post.) Nature’s bounty sent me looking for ways to incorporate the harvest into our daily menus. These are my favorite finds for breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and dessert. I also canned the pumpkin for future use which your can read about in a separate post on this site.

Pumpkin Curry Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups diced yellow onion sautéed in 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 1 ½ teaspoons yellow curry
  • ¾ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon coriander
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 3 ½ cups pureed pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
  • 3 Tablespoons whipping cream
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Directions:
  • Saute onion till transparent.
  • Add spices to onion.
  • Add broth, pumpkin and salts.
  • Simmer 30 minutes.After simmering, add whipping cream and black pepper.Serve immediately.May garnish with yogurt and pumpkin seeds, if desired.
  • Serve this with a kale salad and a crusty roll for a healthy, delicious lunch.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Bake

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup sweetener of choice (sugar, honey, stevia, etc.)
  • 1/3 cup mashed pumpkin
  • ¼ cup egg whites
  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 2/3 cup milk of choice (dairy, almond, coconut)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Mix together sweetener, pumpkin and egg whites.Add other ingredients and mix well.Pour into a greased 8 x 8 pan.Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.Delicious, warm breakfast on frosty Fall mornings.

Pumpkin Pancakes

  • Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Directions:Add vinegar to milk and let sit for 5 minutes.
  • Mix wet ingredients, milk, pumpkin puree, egg, and oil till blended.
  • Whisk dry ingredients flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and spices together in a separate bowl.
  • Combine wet and dry ingredients.
  • Pour ½ cup batter onto heated, oiled griddle for each pancake.
  • When pancake begins to pop bubbles on uncooked side, flip and finish cooking pancake.Top with softened butter and favorite syrup. Enjoy!

Best Ever Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups canned pumpkin
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 2/3 cup evaporated milk (14 ½ oz.)
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • Directions:
  • Mix ingredients. Pour into 9 inch pie shell. Bake at 425 degrees for 40-45 minutes.This is my granddaughter’s favorite pie.The secret ingredient is home-grown, home-canned pumpkin. It’s extraordinary!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Don’t throw away the seeds from your pumpkins.Roast them for a salty snack by themselves or add to salads or trail mix.

Ingredients:

  • Seeds cleaned from inside the pumpkin
  • 1 Tablespoons saltWater to cover
  • Directions:
  • Soak pumpkin seeds in enough water to cover.
  • Add salt and stir to dissolve.
  • After several hours or overnight, drain water.
  • Place seeds on ungreased baking dish and roast at 350 degrees till crisp and lightly toasted.Cool and enjoy.

Get more recipes for fresh garden produce”

This is a great book for those with gardens or even though wanting to start a garden – or even people getting their produce from the grocery store! My kids love asparagus so the asparagus pasta salad will be the first recipe I make. Thanks!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

  • ½ cup pecans, chopped
  • 2 eight ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup sweetener of choice (sugar or sugar substitute)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 ½ cups canned or fresh mashed pumpkin
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  • Butter bottom and sides of springform pan
  • .Sprinkle nuts on bottom of pan.
  • Use electric mixer to beat sweetener, cream cheese and vanilla till fluffy.
  • Add pumpkin, sour cream and combine with mixer on medium.
  • Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each one.
  • Finally, add the spices and use mixer to blend in spices.
  • Pour over pecans.Bake for 60-70 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.
  • Cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan. Chill for two hours before serving.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • For the glaze
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • For the spiced glaze
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.
  • Add cold butter and work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Whisk together pumpkin puree, milk, egg and vanilla.
  • Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms.
  • On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together.
  • Using a rolling pill, roll the dough into a 10- by 7-inch rectangle, about 1-inch thick.
  • Using a large knife or a pizza cutter, cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut into 2 even pieces crosswise, making four rectangles.
  • Then cut each each rectangle into two triangles, making 8 triangles.
  • Place scones onto prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • To make the glaze, combine confectioners’ sugar and milk. Whisk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk as needed.
  • To make the spiced glaze, combine confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and milk. Whisk until smooth.
  • When the scones are done, cool for 10 minutes and spoon the glaze on each scone before drizzling with spiced glaze.Allow glazes to set before serving.

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

  • 1 2/3 cups flour
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 can pumpkin
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • ½ cup raisins, optional
  • Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Whisk first 8 dry ingredients till combined.
  • Mix eggs, pumpkin, oil and water.
  • Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened.
  • Fold in walnuts, and if desired, raisins.
  • Pour into a greased 9.5 inch loaf pan.Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 65-70 minutes

Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup soft butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 ¼ cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup raisins or chocolate chips
  • ½ cup chopped nuts
  • Directions:
  • Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Mix butter, brown sugar, and egg.Stir in pumpkin puree.
  • Whisk flour, soda, salt and spices together and add to wet ingredients.
  • Mix in raisins or chocolate chips and nuts.
  • Drop by tablespoon onto greased baking sheet.
  • Bake 10-12 minutes
  • Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies. Enjoy your pumpkin harvest. For more recipes for your garden produce check out my easy gardening recipes in Eat What You Grow: Easy Garden Recipes for the Backyard Homestead.


Jade: Queen of Houseplants

by | Feb 19, 2019 | Gardening

My sister had a jade tree that made me envious because of its stately beauty. When I asked her how she grew the plant into such a beautiful succulent, she said she ignored it. She gave me a cutting to root, and years later I have an abundance of jade plants to enjoy and give as presents to friends looking for an easy care, beautiful houseplant.
In winter my jade plants sit on the south-facing kitchen windowsill. Jades need lots of sunlight and an average temperature of 55-70 degrees which my kitchen supplies. They are succulents and require minimal water or attention. I water mine once a week if the soil is dry. If I forget a week, the jades are fine. The plants will rot if left in a water-logged environment.

During the summer I move the plants to the south side of the front porch. I had a catastrophe this summer with my largest jade tree. A summer storm blew the plant from its stand to the patio and broke off several limbs. Crushed, I did a quick rescue and potted the broken limbs in several pots and hoped for the best. The faithful jade rewarded me with healthy clones within the week. I learned to set the top-heavy plant on the porch floor rather than perch it on a stand where the wind could topple it.

Jade tree propagation is quite easy. Every individual leaf that falls from the plant has the opportunity to root if the conditions are right. If an occasional small branch breaks off, I put it in a small vase until roots appear before potting. In some cases, like my toppled plant, I just insert the branch or cutting into potting soil and water. Usually it grows.

Jade trees like to be root-bound and only need to be re-potted every two or three years. Pots should have good drainage to keep plants from becoming water-logged, The jade plant’s roots are quite shallow, and full-grown plant limbs put on tiny root shoots along their branches. I guess it’s as a precaution, just in case. to provide emergency supplies in case of a crash landing.

I have never fertilized my jade trees; however, my plant soil mix has worm castings and compost in it which is probably richer than most jades require. Jades will also benefit from a succulent potting soil that doesn’t get water-logged. Too much water will induce root rot, so go sparingly on water rations. I have some new neighbors and the extra jade propagation plants will make a nice housewarming gift. Happy growing!