Smashing pumpkins

Okay. So I was chopping, not smashing. And it was only one pumpkin, not plural.

Still, I've been putting this off for a very long time. Last fall, I was determined to carve, chop, cook, and puree a whole pumpkin.

It never happened.

Partly because I moved to Kansas at the beginning of October (where all they had at the farmer's market in the squash department were inedible gourds. depressing). A lot of it had to do with the fact that I was intimidated by this orange orb. I've lived a life where pumpkins are only carved into strange faces and put on front steps and if you want to eat pumpkins you must go and buy it canned from the store (and then only use it like it was a baking item like cocoa).

I want to live in a world where pumpkins come from the ground not the store, where a pumpkin is celebrated as a sneaky dessert guest, but also acknowledged as a veggie.

So today, I got over my fear and went for this medium pumpkin that was given to Aaron awhile back. So much so that it had bad chunks in it that I had to cut out. bummer. My fear of the pumpkin made some of it go to waste.

After getting some advice from my kitchen sage, Julie Lehman, I followed some steps on Better Homes and Garden website. This is what I did.

1. I removed the seeds (saving most of them to roast later) and the fibrous strings (so weird).

2. I cut it into smaller pieces (removing the bad) and placed it, shell side up, on a large, shallow baking pan and covered it with foil.

3. I roasted it in a 375 degree oven for about an hour.

4. After I let it cool (for way longer than I needed to), I scooped out the orange pulp and pureed it.

All that work for maybe less than 2 cups. No wonder most people don't do this.

Actually, it wasn't that bad. I've cooked with butternut squash and it's a very similar process. My pumpkin fears were very irrational.

Unfortunatly, time got away from me today so I haven't used the pumpkin yet. But I am hoping I have enough to make a curried pumpkin soup as well as pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I'll let you know how it turns out.

yum yum and yum.