Spiced Pumpkin Bread

This bread is such a treat - fragrantly spiced with just the right amount of sweetness. I like to toast it and eat it with a little butter and a sprinkle of salt.

I baked it because I had a bunch of pumpkin puree left over from the sugar pumpkins I'd roasted to make my prize-winning pie. Those two cups of pumpkin puree turned into two steaming loaves of pumpkin bread with beautifully cracked tops. Yum!

Our older son, who has been more or less refusing all offers of food lately (sigh) has always liked pumpkin bread and has been scarfing it down like there's no tomorrow! Although it's not my first choice for one of his primary sources of nutrition, I was beginning to worry that he was actually losing weight (and he's got nothing to spare) so I just bought another pie pumpkin to make a couple more loaves.

You can certainly substitute canned pumpkin if you're in a rush, but if you have time, use a real sugar pumpkin - they're super cheap, the flavor is way better and it's suprisingly easy. Just cut the pumpkin in half, scoop the seeds out, place the halves, cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast at 350 for about an hour or until you can easily pierce the skin with a fork. Remove, let them cool until you can handle them without getting burned, then scoop the flesh out with a spoon. That's it! Just make sure you buy a pie or sugar pumpkin, not one you'd carve for Halloween as that variety would not taste good.

This is simple recipe that I've adapted slightly adapted from the Joy of Cooking - adding vanilla and a few other spices. I was also out of brown sugar so I used some of the big bag of organic, fair trade coconut sugar my mom gave me recently instead. I was happy to find that the bread tastes great and is a teeny bit better for you since coconut sugar has a relatively low glycemic index for a sweetener and boasts a little bit of nutritional value. Don't get too excited, though, it's still sugar. But I do love that you can do a straight up substitution for cane sugar - no math=good!

I've been loving this bread just as it is, but if you want to dress it up a bit, fold in a cup of chopped nuts, chocolate chips or diced crystallized ginger after you add the flour in step 3 below.

-- print recipe --
Spiced Pumpkin Bread
Makes two loaves

Ingredients

* 3 cups flour
* 3 tsps baking soda
* 2 tsp baking powder
* 3 tsps ground cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp ground cloves
* 1 tsp grated nutmeg
* 2 tsps pure vanilla extract
* 1 tsp sea salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) organic butter, melted and cooled
* 2 1/2 cups firmly packed coconut or brown sugar
* 4 eggs (use pasture-raised if you can find them near you)
* 2 cups cooked, pureed pumpkin or winter squash

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans and set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a medium bowl.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the butter and sugar until well-blended. Beat in the eggs and pumpkin puree until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until mixed. Scrape the batter into the greased loaf pans.

4. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes then remove from the pans and cool completely.

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Cardamom Plum Sour Cream Muffins

Maple Pecan Scones

Lemon Pear Bread with Pecans

Prize-Winning Pumpkin Ginger Pie

Ginger and pumpkin are a winning combo. So much so that I won the pumpkin pie contest at Wednesday's Woodstock Farm Festival with this here pie! Actually, I tied for first with a woman named Nancy - here's a photo of our big moment -- I'm on the left with my eyes closed, oh well...

When I began plotting my path to victory, I knew two things -- I wanted to use fresh pumpkin rather than canned and I wanted to highlight the warm, spicy flavor of ginger. As a result, the recipe below is a Frankenstein made up of bits and pieces that I liked the sound of -- Faith Durand's ginger pumpkin pie, the crust from this pie, and Simply Recipes' old-fashioned pumpkin pie.

The pumpkin part turned out to be easy. Our younger son had a field trip to Kelder's Farm last week and the first stop on the hayride was a field where each child was invited to pick one pumpkin. The vines were a bit too prickly for my son's taste so I yanked the pumpkin from its vine in the dusty field while the sun shone down from the bright blue sky -- it made a marvelously satisfying cracking noise.

A few days later, I cut the pumpkin in half and scooped out the seeds and guts -- I saved my seeds to roast -- they make a great, healthy snack.

I placed the halves cut-side-down on a baking sheet and roasted them for almost an hour at 350 degrees, until I could easily pierce them with a fork.

Once they'd cooled down enough to handle, I scooped the flesh out with a spoon. Boom! Done! Not quite as easy as buying a can of pumpkin puree but a heck of a lot tastier, plus we got to eat the seeds.

As for the ginger, I used it three ways just like the Chopped contestants do when they want to impress the judges...

I used a bag of organic ginger snaps to amp up the gingery flavor of the crust.

I also chopped up some crystallized ginger to add to the cookie crumbs for the crust.

And, last but not least, I added a healthy dose of shredded, fresh ginger root to the pumpkin custard filling.

The crust was very easy. I pulsed the cookie crumbs and ginger with a little sugar, then added plenty of melted butter and mixed it all together with my hands. Then I patted it into the pie pan and put it in the oven for a short while to pre-bake while I got the filling together.

Other than the fresh ginger, the ingredients I used in the filling were fairly standard -- organic heavy cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. I don't think this photo sells it very well... If you want your final, cooked pie filling to look more orange, use white sugar instead of brown.

Then I poured the custard filling into the pre-baked crust and put it in the oven for a long bake at 375 until the center was set, covering the crust partway through as it was getting pretty dark. I love the way it "cracked".

A warm, rich, spiced custard in a delightfully gingery cookie crumb crust that won the Woodstock Farm Festival pumpkin pie contest! Serve with fresh whipped cream sweetened with a jot of maple syrup.

Hope you enjoy it!

-- print recipe --Ginger Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
Makes one 9-inch pie

Ingredients

For the crust:
* 1 1/4 cups finely ground gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 25 cookies)
* 2 Tbsps sugar
* 3 Tbsps finely minced crystallized ginger
* 6 Tbsps unsalted organic butter, melted

For the filling:
* 1 3/4 cups (or 1 can) pumpkin puree
* 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
* 1 1/2 cups organic heavy cream
* 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
* 3 Tbsps grated fresh ginger
* 1/2 tsp lemon zest
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
* 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1. Make the crust: preheat the oven to 350°F. Pulse the gingersnap cookie crumbs, sugar and ginger several times then add the melted butter and stir until the mixture is eventy moistened (I used my fingers.) Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish and press the buttery crumbs firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides to the top of the dish. Bake the crust until firm and slightly darker in color, about 8 minutes. Remove and let cool.

2. While the crust is baking, turn the oven up to 375°F and then make the filling: whisk the pumpkin puree with the eggs, egg yolk, and brown sugar. Grate the ginger using a Microplane or fine grater - you don't want any of the fibrous stringy bits to remain. Add the grated ginger, spices, lemon zest and cream to the pumpkin mixture and whisk well to combine.

3. Pour the mixture into the graham cracker crust and bake for about 50 minutes or until the filling is just set - it will continue to set a bit more after it comes out of the oven. After about half an hour, check the pie, rotate it and tent with foil if the edges of the crust seem to be browning too quickly.

4. Remove to a rack and let cool. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

You might also like:

Roasted Butternut Squash Pie

Maggie's Maple Chocolate Pecan Pie

Old-Fashioned Cnnamon Apple Pie

Growing Rice In The Hudson Valley - New Article

I had the privilege of writing about a fascinating family who is growing several delicious varieties of short-grain rice not far from where I live for the new issue of Edible Hudson Valley.

Photo by Meredith Heuer for Edible Hudson Valley.

I first met Nfamara and his wife, Dawn at a West African dance class I go to every week in Kingston, NY. Nfamara is a master drummer from the Gambia whose smiling presence is always a pleasure and his wife, Dawn, is an American woman who is a beautiful dancer. That was about all I knew about them until after a class last fall when our teacher, Pam, announced that Nfamara and Dawn had brought rice from their farm to sell if anyone was interested in buying a bag.

I was definitely interested. Nfamara and Dawn were growing rice? Here? In upstate New York? I had not even known it was possible! I thought most rice came from Asia though I knew there was some grown in California and that some native American tribes still harvested wild rice from lakes. My curiosity was piqued...

Photo by Meredith Heuer for Edible Hudson Valley.

Long story short, my editor was interested, too, so I donned my rubber boots and headed out to their farm which is located in Ulster Park, right near Kingston, NY. It's called the Ever-Growing Family Farm and, indeed, there family is expanding it quickly. Rice farming is in Nfamara's and his friend and farming partner, Tapha's blood - they are both from the Jola tribe in the Casamance region of Africa - a people for whom rice is synonymous with life.

Photo by Meredith Heuer for Edible Hudson Valley.

You can read more here. Or, better yet, if you're here in the  Hudson Valley, they're having a community rice harvest party this coming Saturday, October 8th and you're welcome to come help them harvest the rice. Dawn says they'll start around 10 AM and go 'til sunset. Bring a small sharp knife and boots. They will have food and Nfamara and Tapha will be demonstrating the traditional drum rhythms and songs that accompany the rice harvest (here's a little preview from last year's harvest.) Come for the day or just for an hour. Raindate Sunday. Feel free to spread the word! Address is 115 Union Center Rd, Ulster Park, New York 12487. Give a ring if you need directions or have a question: (845) 750-7168

Photo by Meredith Heuer for Edible Hudson Valley.

You might also like:

• Wild Things - Foraging for Edibles with Herbalist, Dina Falconi
• Get  Your Goats - Critters Help Homeowners Manage Invasive Plants
• Backyard Farming in Rhinebeck

Summer Stew with Eggplant, Tomato, Peppers and Chickpeas

Fall is a perfect time to make this lovely, simple summer stew from Deborah Madison's excellent cookbook, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. The flavors are fresh and clean. Served over quinoa, it makes a wonderful meal. Healthy, too.

The second round of tomatoes are ripening right now and the eggplants are still coming strong. There was a chance of frost last night but it didn't get us, thankfully.

There's a bunch of slicing and dicing.

Followed by a bunch of sautéeing and some simmering. I stuck pretty close to the recipe but added some fresh herbs from our garden - oregano, tarragon and thyme.

I served it over some quinoa I cooked in vegetable broth and fluffed with a little butter (makes it extra tasty.)

The chickpeas give it a little more substance, making it a perfect vegetarian main dish. Enjoy!

-- print recipe --Summer Stew with Eggplant, Tomato, Peppers and Chickpeas
Adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 lbs eggplant
* 6 Tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 large red onion, diced into 1/2 to 2/3-inch squares
* 1 large red or yellow bell pepper, diced into 2/3- to 3/4-inch squares
* 2 tsps smoked paprika
* 2 plump cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
* 2 Tbsps tomato paste
* 5 plum tomatoes, diced
* 1 15-oz. can organic chickpeas, drained & rinsed
* 1 cup vegetable stock
* 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
* 1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
* 1 Tbsp minced fresh oregano
* 1 tsp minced fresh tarragon (optional)
* Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Cut the eggplant into cubes. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until hazy. Add the eggplant and stir to distribute the oil. Cook—reducing the heat if the eggplant threatens to scorch—turning the pieces every few minutes, until golden, about 10 minutes. Set the eggplant aside.

2. While the eggplant cooks, heat the remaining 2 Tbsps of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and sautée until the onion is lightly browned around the edges—about 10 minutes, adding the garlic and paprika during the last few minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes then add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes more.

3. Add the eggplant, chickpeas, stock, herbs, a teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are cooked through and the flavors are blended—adding water if the stew seems dry—about 30 minutes. Taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve over quinoa, couscous or rice.

You might also like:

Curried Lentil & Sweet Potato Stew

Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Gratin

Mujadara - Lentil & Rice Stew

Tomato Soup From Scratch All Winter Long

Our record-breaking tomato harvest has already forced inspired me to make two kinds of salsa, tomato sauce, tomato puree, and several batches of roasted tomatoes with garlic and herbs. The shelves of our pantry are starting to sag and the freezer is filling up but each day brings even more bright red orbs. I miss seeing my countertops...

Needless to say, I've been frantically searching through all my favorite canning books (that's Food In Jars, Put 'Em Up, Saving the Season and the Ball Book, in case you were curious) for ideas. I also use the interwebs, of course. I got the idea for tomato soup from this site.

I've always loved tomato soup, especially with grilled cheese. As the tomatoes continued to mound up, it seemed like a better and better idea. A shelf filled with jars of my own homemade version of Campbells tomato soup that I could pop open any time a craving struck... Heavenly, right?

So I did it, quadrupling the recipe below. I'm not going to lie to you, between the slicing and the simmering and the straining and the canning, it was a lot of work. But I think it will be well worth the effort when I get to enjoy creamy tomato soup and crispy, melty grilled cheese on cold, gray days this winter.

I did need two pieces of equipment I don't often use - my food mill and my pressure canner. But if you do not have either one, you can use a sieve (more work and time but the same results) and you can always just freeze the soup rather than canning it - it's a lot easier that way!

-- print recipe --
Homemade Tomato Soup
Makes 4 pints

Ingredients

* 8 lbs ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered (you don't need to peel them)
* 1 cup celery, diced
* 2 cups onion, diced
* 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
* 6 bay leaves
* 1/2 tsps black pepper
* 2 1/2 Tbsps sea salt
* 1/4 cup cane sugar
* 1 tsp citric acid or 4 Tbsps bottled lemon juice (for canning only)

Directions

1. Place the tomatoes, celery, onion, garlic and bay leaves in a large stainless steel pot and cook gently, uncovered, until tender, stirring as needed. Remove the bay leaves and puree the soup right in the pot, using an immersion blender.

2. Pass the mixture through a food mill or sieve into a large stainless steel pot to remove the skins and seeds (some of the seeds made it through mine but I don't mind them.) If you're planning to can your soup, prepare the canner and sterilize your jars and lids - it can take a while to get all that water boiling.

3. Bring the soup back to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and add the salt and sugar. Reduce the soup until it's thicker than you want it to be when you actually eat it since you will be thinning it with milk or broth. If you're not canning the soup, congratulations, you're done!

4. If you are canning the soup, put the heat on high and let the steam in the pressure canner escape through the vent for 10 minutes to purge the airspace inside the canner. Then put the weight on and let the pressure build to 10 to 15 pounds pressure in a weighted gauge canner or 11 to 13 pounds in a dial-type gauge canner.

5. When you're ready to can, add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid to the bottom of each of your sterilized pint jars then ladle the hot soup into the jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean, wet cloth and place the lids on the jars, then apply the bands and tighten to fingertip tightness. If you want to use quart jars, double the amount of lemon juice or citric acid and process for twice as long.

6. Process pints for 25 minutes in a pressure canner at 10 pounds of pressure for weighted gauge canners and 11 pounds for dial gauge canners. Then turn off the heat and let vent until the canner is cool enough to open, then remove the jars and let cool on a kitchen towel in a draft-free space for 12-24 hours. Remove the bands, test the seals (store any that failed in the fridge and use within a couple of weeks) and store for up to a year.

7. When you're ready to eat the soup, pour it into a pot and heat over a medium flame, thinning with milk, chicken broth or water to your desired consistency. If the soup is too thin, you can make a slurry of a little flour and water to thicken it, stir it in and let it cook for a couple minutes.

You might also like:

Swiss Chard, White Bean & Sausage Soup

Greek Lemon Soup with Chicken Meatballs - Avgolemono

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Eight Eggplant Recipes You'll Love

The eggplants in our garden are ripening on an almost daily basis. It's hard to keep up but this is such a glorious time of year, especially when it comes to food. Here are eight tried and true ways to enjoy eggplant's delicious, nutty, sweet, almost meaty flavor.

---

Grilled Eggplant Stacks with Tomatoes, Feta & Basil
A delicious way to enjoy fresh tomatoes and eggplant. The stacks are particularly fun for kids -- if yours eat vegetables :)

Thai-Style Eggplant Salad with Scallions, Herbs & Greens
This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy eggplants. The combination of the sweet, nutty roasted eggplant rounds with the zesty lime, spicy sriracha, the scallions, cilantro and greens is complex and divine.

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Gratin
This is a much easier, lighter version of eggplant Parmesan that I love. You layer slices of nutty, roasted eggplant with tomato sauce and parmesan and bake the whole thing until it's beautifully browned and bubbling.

Pomegranate Roasted Eggplant with Toasted Pecans & Chives
Roasting the eggplant slices with pomegranate molasses turns them into the most amazing little savory candies. Paired with toasted pecans and some chives (cheese is optional), it makes a delicious side.

Ratatouille and Sausage Potpie with Cornmeal Biscuit Topping
The perfect dish for late summer and early fall - sautee eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini and basil with sausage and top with decadent cornmeal biscuits. It's not a quick meal but it's so worth the time. Please forgive the photos - this was before I knew anything about lighting...

Hasselback Eggplant with Pesto and Tomato
This recipe is so wonderfully simple and easy. Although I first made it in the woodstove since it was the dead of winter, you can use either the grill or your oven. Slice an eggplant, brush each slice with olive oil, salt and pepper then smear pesto and tomato paste between each slice, wrap the whole thing in tinfoil and grill or roast until soft and meltingly flavorful.

Pasta with Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini, Fresh Tomatoes & Herbs

This is a perfect way to make use of the late summer bounty. Roasted eggplant, summer squash + sungold tomatoes + basil + a blizzard of Parmesan = delicious pasta!

Baba Ghanoush - Roasted Eggplant Dip

This dip is a Levantine favorite and with good reason. Eggplant's silky, nutty, sweet flavor is amplified by the addition of lemon juice, tahini paste, garlic, and cumin. Baba ghanoush is a wonderful, healthy snack when served with sliced carrots, cucumbers, celery, peppers or pita bread and an essential part of any mezze-style meal.

You might also like:

20 Terrific Tomato Recipes

16 Zucchini Recipes To Inspire

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