Savory Pumpkin Ravioli, two ways (plus really easy sweet pumpkin pasties!)

Fried Pumpkin Ravioli

Sometimes I think that nature gives us warm, sweet flavors that keep in storage from fall to winter to balance the chilly days until spring.  Winter squash and pumpkin have those comforting flavors, and I can’t resist enjoying them in not only pie but also in soup, bread, and even pasta.  Today let’s try pumpkin raviolis two ways:  regular and fried. For once, we’re going to short-cut the process by using wonton wrappers instead of homemade pasta dough, meaning you can have these little gems ready in a matter of minutes.  Serve them for appetizers, or make a whole bunch for a full meal.  The fried raviolis are great to pass at your Super Bowl gathering, or call them pumpkin pasties and serve them up for your next Harry Potter party.  No matter how you use them, they’ll be a tasty addition to your table.

Ingredients: makes about two dozen raviolis

• 1/2 cup pumpkin or winter squash purée (home made or canned)
• 1-2 cloves roasted garlic), smashed (For great roasted garlic, bake garlic cloves, covered, at about 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Store in olive oil.  If you’re feeling really lazy, substitute 1/2-1/2 teaspoon powdered garlic).
• 1 ounce grated parmesan (about 1-inch cube before grating)
• tablespoon or two of ricotta for extra creaminess
• pinch of nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste (I confess:  I used a seasoning mix called Beaverfork Blend that I get through my Locally Grown network.)
• pinch of dried sage
• package of wonton wrappers

Mix together all of the ingredients except the egg roll wrappers.  Place an egg roll wrapper on your prep surface.  Put about a tablespoon of pumpkin mix slightly off center in the wrapper.  Using your finger, wet two adjoining edges of the wrapper.  Fold over the dry side of the wrapper, encasing the pumpkin mixture. Use a fork to gently crimp the dry edges to the wet edges.  Set the wrapper aside and repeat steps with more wrappers until you have as many ravioli as you want.

For traditional boiled ravioli, slide raviolis one at a time into rapidly boiling water. You can cook a few at a time, as long as you’re careful not to crowd the pot.  They’ll cook really quickly (in about a minute and a half).  Use a perforated spatula to lift raviolis from water one at a time, drain well, and serve tossed with butter, garlic, and parmesan, or make a quick creamy garlic cheese sauce from minced garlic lightly cooked in butter then cooked with cream and finished with a little cheese.

For fried ravioli, follow the same procedure as above, but instead of cooking in boiling water, heat several inches of a neutral oil that can take high heat to about 350 degrees to 375 degrees in a deep fryer or heavy Dutch oven.  (If you don’t have a thermometer, you can determine when the oil is ready by pressing the tip of a wooden spoon handle or chop stick directly in the bottom of the pan.  When little bubbles emanate from the tip as it’s pressed in, you’re ready to fry.) Slide each ravioli in the hot oil and let it fry on each side until golden brown.  The time will be quick–no more than two minutes.  Drain each ravioli and set aside to keep warm until you’re ready to serve.  Garnish with fresh chopped herbs like basil or sage or just a dusting of good parmesan.

Would you like magically quick, sweet pumpkin pasties instead?

Ingredients: makes about two dozen pumpkin pasties

• 1/2 cup pumpkin or winter squash purée (home made or canned)
• tablespoon or two of ricotta for extra creaminess
• pinch of ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• package of wonton wrappers

Follow directions for raviolis, using the fried version.  Dust finished pasties with powdered sugar.

Copyright, text and illustrations, 2011 by Ozarkhomesteader.

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The most basic pumpkin soup: creamy, rich, sweet, and savory

Every fall I am overwhelmed by a desire to surround myself by pumpkins and winter squashes, one of the most enduring symbols of autumn’s bounty.  Every year I make pumpkin soup.  Every year Mr. Homesteader eats the soup politely but, I must admit, not that enthusiastically.  Knowing his love of exotic flavors, I’ve tried lots of variations:  with cinnamon and sweetness, with ginger and curry, with southwestern flavors.  It was my most recent rendition of the perennial pumpkin soup, however, that won his heart and had him polishing off his soup in record time.  And it was the most basic I’ve ever made.  I present it to you here.  I know it’s basic, but he really thought it was good!

Pumpkin sizes vary so much and this recipe is so easy that I offer this recipe casually, with no precise measurements.  Begin by washing well and whacking in half one eating pumpkin or large winter squash.  Scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh. Save those seeds, cleaned free of the flesh!  Roasted, they’ll make great healthy snacks with lots of good omega-3s. Bake the pumpkin halves in an 350 degree F oven for about 30 minutes, depending on size.  If you can cover the pumpkin, put just a couple of tablespoons in the cavities where the seeds were located. If baking uncovered, fill each cavity about 2/3 full.  After you’ve baked the pumpkin for 10 minutes, add one  clove of garlic, unpeeled, to the pan and let it roast with the pumpkin for the remaining 20 minutes.

Scoop the roasted flesh from the skin, letting it cool a bit to make sure you can get every last bit.  Cut off the tough end of the roasted garlic and squeeze it into a cooking pot with the pumpkin flesh.  Add a splash of chicken, turkey, or vegetable stock and a splash or two of cream and/or milk.  Blend everything with a stick blender, in a food processor, or in a stand blender, adding more cream or milk to get a smooth consistency.  Season with salt and black pepper.  Add a pinch each or so of finely ground cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and rubbed sage.  Heat gently and serve.

Does your family eat pumpkin soup?  Do you have a favorite pumpkin recipe to share that you think Mr. Homesteader would like?  He’s mighty adventurous!

Copyright 2010 Ozarkhomesteader.  Short excerpts and tweets are fair use, as long as you provide a full URL.

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Starting (or re-starting) a Garden in July

As regular readers know, our Grand Canyon adventure resulted in a lot of dead garden at our house.  I could sit and weep among the remains of spring’s hopeful planting, or I can re-plant.  I prefer re-planting.  That means calculating days and figuring out what can germinate, grow, and be harvested before frost.

One of the biggest limitations for gardening is germination temperatures.  Certain seeds will not germinate in soils warmer than about 70 degrees, while other seeds can’t germinate below those temperatures but prefer temperatures at closer to 80 degrees F.  Very few vegetable seeds like to wake up in the sauna that is our Arkansas summers, but you can coax a few along with a little soaking and extra care.

Next, consider how much growing time you have before first frost or, more importantly, first regular frosts.  We’ve got, believe it or not, almost 90 days left.  That means I can select almost every summer squash out there, cucumbers, pole and bush beans, okra, some melons, and a few winter squashes.

Finally, what do you have the energy to put in in the heat?  Frankly, it’s pushing 100 degrees here and “feels” 103-107 degrees F thanks to the humidity.  I can work for a few hours but more could lead to heat stroke.

So far, my pre-soak method has gotten squash ands butter peas to emerge from the soil two days after I planted them.  I didn’t pre-sprout basil, but that too has come up with lots of water and loving care, along with some volunteer radishes.  My pole beans, however, have not cooperated, so my bean teepees may be cucumber teepees this year.

Believe it or not, I still plan to put out a little winter squash.  I hope to keep the vines in check so I can cover them with veggie tunnels as the temperatures drop.  I’ll also plant okra and cucumbers, using the seed-soaking and pre-germination method I mentioned earlier.  And my tomatoes look great!

Copyright 2010 Ozarkhomesteader, including photographs.  All rights reserved.

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Zuppa! Italian soup with sausage, leeks, and kale

Copyright 2010 Ozarkhomesteader.  Posting of short excerpts 
with a full link is welcome.

I’m pledged on this blog to post recipes that are mostly created using local, seasonal ingredients. One of our new favorites among winter soups is Zuppa, an Italian soup from Tuscany that uses lots of kale, leeks, and Italian sausage.  I served it last night to my father, who thought kale was just a funny garnish.  He loved this soup!  Zuppa is a great way to introduce non-kale eaters to kale.

Here’s what you’ll need for 3 good servings:

• 1-2  leek bottoms, cleaned and sliced across the grain (save the tops for a recipe where you’ll puree the soup)
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, finely pressed or chopped
• 2 large waxy potatoes, like Yukon gold or red potatoes  (I used one of each!)
• optional:  1 carrot, finely diced
• 3 spicy Italian sausages, cooked and sliced in half lengthwise and then in thin slices across the grain (I used organic chicken sausages)
• optional:  red pepper, if you use sweet Italian sausage instead of spicy
• rosemary sprig (or a few teaspoons of dried rosemary)–I removed the fresh rosemary spring after it flavored the soup
• optional:  fresh or dried marjoram and/or oregano
• about a quart of chicken or turkey stock
• 1-2 quarts fresh kale leaves (measured before tough stems are removed–see below)
• milk or cream to taste to fill out servings
• salt and pepper to taste

I prepared this soup in a 2-quart, 8-inch wide cast iron Dutch oven.  The cast iron lets you cook the leeks and garlic at a very low setting without burning them, and then it lets you simmer for a while.  The 2-quart size is ideal for a family of 2-3 people.

Begin by cleaning the leek.  Slice off the root.  Slice off all about about an inch of the green part (the top). (Remember, they’ll go great in a pureed soup!) Slice the leeks lengthwise to clean, leafing through the layers to look for dirt.  Now slice the leek in thin slices across the grain.  Saute the leek slices in olive oil.  Now prep the garlic and add it too, being careful not to burn it.  Dice the potatoes and add them to the mix, stirring regularly.  Now start adding your stock.  Let the potatoes cook in the stock for about 20 minutes until they are soft.  Now add your sliced sausage.  Let the soup simmer while you prepare the kale. (If you wanted to start this soup well in advance, you could prepare it up to this point even the day before.)

Wash the kale thoroughly and remove any tough stems.  Now chop it fine.  When you do, you should notice the sweet aroma, like fresh-cut spring grass.  (My dad agrees that it smells like fresh-cut spring grass!) Kale is an absolutely amazing food, one of the healthiest ever.  One cup boiled, for example, contains 1327% of the USDA recommended daily value of Vitamin K, 192% of the RDV of Vitamin A, and 88% of the RDV of Vitamin C, all for just 36 calories!  Read more about kale’s health benefits here.

About 10-20 minutes before you are ready to serve the soup, add the chopped kale.  Let the soup simmer for 10-20 minutes until it is soft but still bright green.  Add about a cup of milk or cream.  Stir well, heat through, and serve with good, crusty bread, roasted winter squash, and a nice salad of winter greens!

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Shepherd’s Pot Pie: Using Holiday Leftovers

Tonight I’m just not sure what to make for dinner.  We have few things that “have to” be eaten except for leftovers.  I thought of making turkey pot pie, but that would leave the potatoes.  I thought of making shepherd’s pie, but I’d prefer to make it with ground meat.  So I’ve decided to make Shepherd’s Pot Pie.  I can use everything that I’ve got left over, plus I can add carrots, celery, and some chopped onions.  You could substitute other leftovers for these.  How about butternut squash cubes?  How about mashed sweet potato as the topping?  It’ll all work–unless those sweet potatoes were loaded with sugar or marshmallows!

• turkey, cubed
• leftover green beans (cut small) with turkey bacon
• leftover mashed potatoes, loosened with a bit of milk to make the mashed potatoes more easily spreadable
• leftover gravy
• leftover dressing (known as stuffing to some of you!)
• onions, chopped and sauteed and then cooked in leftover bean liquid
• carrots, chopped and sauteed and then cooked in leftover bean liquid
• celery, chopped and sauteed and then cooked in leftover bean liquid

Prep the onions, carrots, and celery, beginning with the onion and adding the carrots and celery after the onions have sauteed a little while.

Then add the leftover bean liquid to help everything soften.

Cut the beans into small pieces.  Dice the turkey. Stir together everything except the gravy, dressing and mashed potatoes.  Add a little dressing to flavor the mix.  Add sufficient gravy to moisten everything. Put the mix in well-greased individual pie pans or ramekins (or in one big casserole).  Spread the mashed potatoes on top. Bake at 350-375 degrees F until the mix is warm and bubbly and the mashed potatoes are nicely browned.  Depending on how much milk you added to the mashed potatoes, you may need to broil the pies briefly to get the tops to brown.

You may also be interested in a more traditional shepherd’s pie: https://ozarkhomesteader.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/greek-inspired-lamb-shepherds-pie-with-ozark-grown-ingredients/

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Winter Squash: Make It Fit Your Cuisine!

I can’t help but notice how many people find this blog because they are searching for a recipe for winter squash, especially butternut or acorn squash.  You’ll find both savory and sweet recipes at Ozarkhomesteader, because these squashes are incredibly versatile.

Tonight, for instance, I was working with green European cabbage, red onion, and turkey bratwurst.  These ingredients scream German or Austrian food (at least to me), but I was also staring at a butternut squash with a little damage, one that I needed to fix soon rather than keeping through the winter.  Ultimately, I boiled the brats in beer and then mixed just a touch of molasses in with a tiny bit of the beer to make a glaze, allowing me to get nice grill marks when I put the brats on a hot cast iron grill pan.  I served the brats on cabbage sauteed with red onion, cider vinegar, prepared grainy mustard, a touch of honey, and some soy sauce.  (Darn Alton Brown for mentioning umami right about the time I was reaching for the salt!)  I decided that the squash could be seasoned to stand in for pumpernickle–or maybe gingerbread.

I began by peeling the butternut squash.  Butternut is the only winter squash that peels easily when uncooked. Then I cut the squash into chunks, popped it in a casserole with a little water, and baked it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Then I mashed it with about 2 tablespoons dry ginger and two generous drizzles of molasses (maybe about a tablespoon).

I served the brats on top of the cabbage with the squash to the side, some green beans, and some tiny sliced radishes.  Sure the squash looks like baby food this way, but it tastes rich!  And our entire meal celebrated the fall of the Berlin Wall.  It’s hard to believe that was twenty years ago!

Regardless of whether winter squash with ginger is your idea of a good time, know that you can bring its warm, comforting flavor to all sorts of cuisines, including Indian (try it with curry and coconut milk!), Italian (think ravioli with nutmeg, a little garlic), or even New England colonial (acorn squash stuffed with apples and dried cranberries).  Enjoy those squash you found at the farmer’s market, in your CSA basket, or even–like us–in your own garden.

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