Sugar Pumpkin Cheescake
Smaller sugar pie pumpkins have been bred for flavor in cooking! They are wonderful in pies, and also this special cheesecake recipe.
A rather stunning cheesecake for fall and winter holidays. Thank you to Wilhelmina Ryan for sharing with us!
1 cup sugar pie pumpkin puree, baked ahead
20-25 small ginger snap cookies, crushed
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese (total 32 oz), softened
1 cup sugar or other dry sweetener, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Halve a sugar pie pumpkin and bake cut-sides-down at 350 for about 45 minutes until a fork goes through the flesh easily. Scoop the cooked pumpkin flesh out and puree in a blender or food processor. Excess pumpkin puree can be saved for adding to soup or other dishes. Turn oven to 325 after cooking the pumpkin.
Mix chopped pecans, ginger snap crumbs, and melted butter; press firmly onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan to form the crust.
Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the sugar and the vanilla extract with a mixer until mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended.
Regular Batter:
Remove 1-1/2 cups of the batter; place aside in small bowl. This will be your light colored batter.
Pumpkin Batter:
Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the pumpkin puree and spices into remaining batter. Pumpkin puree must not be so hot as to cook eggs at this stage.
Spoon half of the pumpkin batter onto crust in the pan; top with separated spoonfuls of half of the reserved regular batter. Repeat layers until you’ve used up the batters. Swirl through batters with a butter knife to marble the colors.
Bake 55 minutes at 325 or until center is almost set. Check doneness by gently shaking the pan – when it is done only a small bit in the center will jiggle and the rest will be set solid.
Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.
Butternut Squash and Rutabaga Puree
4 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
3 pounds rutabagas, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange butternut squash in single layer in 13 x9 x2-inch glass baking dish. Add 1 cup broth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until squash is very tender, about 45 minutes. Drain squash. Transfer squash to processor.
Meanwhile, cook rutabagas in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Add to squash in processor. Process until mixture is smooth, adding more broth if necessary.
Transfer squash and rutabaga pureé to heavy large saucepan. Add butter. Stir over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer purée to bowl.
Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool. Cover and chill. Re-warm over low heat.
Sunday Brunch Homefries
From Red Fire Chef Kristen Schafenacker, 2007
1 lb potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
1 delicata squash, peeled and cut into one inch chunks
1 hot pepper, diced
1 bell or sweet pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
salt and pepper
Bring a soup pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and squash. Cook for 5 minutes until par-boiled or potatoes are just beginning to soften. Drain. Heat butter in a skillet (preferably cast iron).
Add onions and both peppers. Saute a few minutes then add the potatoes. Salt and pepper during the cooking process. When able to stick a fork easily through the potatoes, they are done. Top with fresh salsa!
Butternut Apple Bisque
2 med. or 1 large butternut squash
3 Tbs. olive oil or butter
2 onions
3 apples
5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup cream (or coconut milk)
salt and pepper to taste
Cut the butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and bake at 375˚ until soft.
While squash is baking, sauté the onions in the butter. When they become translucent, add the apples and cover, cooking until apples are soft.
When squash is soft, scoop it from the shell and puree with the onions and apples. Add the stock and the cream and reheat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Golden Autumn Soup
From Red Fire Chef Kristen Schafenacker, 2007
2 red, yellow, or orange peppers
1 large winter squash, roasted in oven
1 head cauliflower, diced and blanched
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ ts. Ginger
2 ts. Curry
1 sprig rosemary
4 cups veggie broth
1 hot pepper, diced
1/4 c. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Saute onions, garlic, hot pepper, rosemary, and ginger in 2 tbs. olive oil or butter. Add the peppers and squash and saute for a few more minutes. Add remaining ingredients except cauliflower and simmer for 10 minutes.
Puree in a blender or food processor. Add cauliflower and heat for 5 more minutes. Serve!
Optional: Roasted Red Peppers add a smoky flavor to this dish. Simply add peppers during puree process.
Stuffed Winter Squash
2 delicata, acorn, or carnival squash cut in half length-wise and de-seeded
¼ cup goat cheese
1 large onion or 3 shallots
2 cups cooked rice
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
1 Tbs. fresh chopped sage
butter or olive oil for sautéing
1 small bunch spinach or other green
salt and pepper to taste
Place squash face down on a greased backing sheet for 30-40 min at 350˚. While baking, prepare filling. Sauté onion or shallots in butter. When translucent, add garlic and sage and stir occasionally until onions are browned. Add spinach and when wilted, remove from heat.
Toast nuts and add to onion mix with rice, goat cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Fill squash halves and return to the oven for 20 min or until the tops start to brown.
Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Tomato Sauce
1 large spaghetti squash
2 onions, chopped
5 tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch of basil
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese
Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place face down on a pan with ¼ inch of water and bake for 40 minutes at 350˚.
While baking start the sauce. Sauté onions and garlic and peppers for 5 min on medium heat. Add tomatoes salt and pepper to taste and simmer for the remainder of the squash prep time. Remove squash from the oven and stick a fork into the cut side. The fork should go in easily, but it should not be mushy.
Cool for 5 minutes and using the fork, scrape the strands of squash from the skin, trying to keep them intact. Serve immediately topped with the sauce, the fresh chopped basil and cheese.
Beet and Winter Squash Strudel
12-16 phyllo pastry sheets
oil or melted butter for brushing
2 large beets or 4 small
2 cup peeled and diced winter squash
1 cup goat cheese
1/2 cup ground walnuts
Prepare beets and squash: Dice beets into 1/2 inch cubes. Place beets and squash in a baking dish, cover, and roast for 30 minutes. (note, this can be done ahead of time) Mix with goat cheese, beets, walnuts, and winter squash.
Lay six thawed phyllo sheets together by brushing one sheet at a time with butter and stacking on top of each other. Spread the beet mixture lengthwise near one side about 3 inches in width, leaving 1 inch on each end of phyllo. Fold the end into the mixture then begin to roll the phyllo up. Brush the top with the oil and repeat with remaining sheets.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until they begin to brown. Slice into 2 inch thick wedges.
For a Vegan version: It is possible to omit the goat cheese. I do recommend using crumbled tofu mixed with nutritional yeast and maple syrup or soy yogurt in place.
Afghan Sweet Pumpkin Kadu
A lovely meal with warm spices for the fall and winter season.
2 lbs pumpkin or butternut squash
2 medium onions
vegetable oil for sauté
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tbs fresh ginger grated small
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp coriander powder (nice freshly ground)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 -1/2 cup sugar or other sweetener
1 cup (8 oz) of RFF Heirloom Tomato Puree (can use chopped or pureed Oven Roasted Tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
salt to taste
with Garlic Yogurt Sauce
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1 clove garlic minced and mashed with 2 tsp salt
dry or fresh mint to garnish (optional)
Saute chopped onions in a good bit of oil until starting to brown. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric,
coriander, and pepper. You can also add some cayenne or diced hot pepper here to make it spicy. Cook 1-2 minutes to get the flavors infused in the oil. Then add the tomato puree, water and sweetener, stir and bring to a boil.
Add the pumpkin or squash (peeled and cut into bite size cubes). Simmer uncovered until pumpkin is soft through but not getting mushy. Add water if needed. Salt to taste.
Make the Garlic Yogurt by mixing the mashed garlic and salt thoroughly into the yogurt.
Serve with rice and naan or pita or other bread.
Butternut Bisque
From Sarah Voiland, 2014.
Roasting squash this way is awesome and worth doing in and of itself. Or you can make soup. Or you can make a lot of squash this way, eat some fresh out the oven, and make soup with leftovers the next day.
1 med-large Butternut Squash
sprigs from 1 bunch thyme, or dried thyme
1 med-large yellow onion, large diced
1 head or 6 or so cloves garlic, peeled
olive oil
4 cups vegetable stock or water
other vegetables to roast if desired
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375.
Slice squash in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds out of the cup. Put 2-4 cloves of garlic in each cup and a few sprigs of thyme. Sprinkle cut surface of squash with salt and pepper. Brush oil onto baking pan, and lay squash cut side down, keeping thyme and garlic inside the cup, and maybe a sprig or two of thyme laying under the long part of the squash. Roast squash until a fork goes in very easily.
In the nooks of your pan you can put other vegetables on to roast, like carrots, potatoes, turnips, onions, whatever you have and like to roast. These can be great additions to the soup or garnishes for the top.
Let your squash cool a little bit. Taste some of it now too. Here is where you can abandon the soup idea if desired. Or if you double or triple the squash baking, have it roasted one night and make the soup the next.
Brown your chopped onions in olive oil. Then scoop the squash out of the skins and into the pan with onions to brown a bit too. (Save those squash skins and thyme twigs for making stock in a bag in your freezer). Chop up the roasted garlic (if not pureeing) and add. Stir in the stock or water. Heat and season with salt and pepper and more olive oil if desired.
We tend to not puree our soups, as it adds another step to cleaning, and having distinct chunks of different flavors is one of the joys of a spoonful. If you like the super smooth texture, go for it. Roasted butternut makes a nice creamy base even without pureeing.
I’ve had fun slicing up the other roasted vegetables to put on as garnish at the end, but you could mix them into the soup too.
Ladle into bowls and dress up with a sprig of thyme or any garnishes you have. Serve with hearty toasty bread and green salad.
