Last Pumpkins

My stored squash have been mostly eaten.  The last butternut and spaghetti had their soft spots removed and their insides roasted sometime in January. The last acorn went well before that.  But the plethora of pumpkins was not was easily overcome.  Shelves lined with pumpkins large and small waited for use.  Occasionally a few would succumb to mold and mildew. A few were eaten by slugs... my bane.  And my husband reports that some were visited by mice.  (Seriously Ginger Cat, you sleep 5 feet away!)
And now we come to March and the last remaining 4 pumpkins.
I brought them inside, washed them off, oiled them up and baked them at 350° for 45 minutes. I then cut their tops off and allowed them to cool.  I scooped their seeds out.  I scooped their flesh out. And I sent the rinds to the compost.

Here were my last 3 tributes to garden pumpkins.

Pumpkin Seeds

Seeds
Oil
Salt n pepper

Rinse seeds until free of most slime.  Put in a bowl with oil and salt n pepper. Toss to coat. Place evenly on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 30 minutes at 350°.  Turn once on the cookie sheet and bake until golden brown.


Pumpkin Soup

Roasted pumpkin
Roasted apples
Roasted onion
Roasted garlic
Broth
Salt n pepper
Thyme

This recipe is really nice if you can roast all your veggies until brown (about 30 minutes) before hand but is just as nice with sauteed veggies or raw veggies.

Add all ingredients and begin to warm.  Use an immersion blender to blend away all chunks.  Season to taste.

Nice toppers are:  yogurt, sour cream, paprika, fresh thyme, or roasted pumpkin seeds.


Carmel Pumpkin Pie

Pie crust shell
1 Cup roasted pumpkin
4 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup cornstarch
1 Cup sugar

1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup brown sugar

If you want a creature texture, puree the pumpkin prior to use.

Beat the eggs add spices then pumpkin, sugar and cornstarch.  Mix thoroughly then add to pastry shell, leaving at least 1/4 inch room for caramel.

Heat butter on stovetop over medium heat. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Drizzle over pumpkin pie.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until the center no longer jiggles.