Day 8: Friday Oct 26 ~ Autumn Glory ~

~ Autumn Glory ~

Happy Birthday to Jesse! :)

While we will be celebrating with dinner out prior to the opening of Detroit Fanfare ComicCon, where CosmiCat 2 will be unveiled! (http://cosmicatadventures.me/) - keeping with the spirit of cooking something everyday and also to honor Jesse's birthday by embracing his love of pumpkin - I give you this:

From "Vegetarian Cooking & Vegetable Classes" by Roz Denny/Christine Ingram. Received this book for my birthday a few years ago. :) While this only makes the second time preparing the dish, it is one of our favorites!

*I would recommend possibly cooking the pumpkin first - cut the top off, then just bake at 350 for about an hour. It would be easier to scoop out the 'pumpkin flesh' as they refer to it. :)
ALSO - if you are ladeling the soup into the pumpkin to serve - be smart (unlike me this morning!) and put the pumpkin on your serving tray FIRST, then ladel the soup in. A roasted pumpkin is soft and the bottom falls out quite easily. ha! ;0

Ingredients

1 4 lb pumpkin

1 onion, sliced

1 in. cube fresh ginger root

3 Tbsp olive oil (we leave out!)

1 zucchini, sliced
4 oz. sliced mushrooms

14 oz. can chopped tomatoes

1 cup pasta shells

2 cups veggie stock

salt/pepper to taste

4 Tbsp. fromage frais (we skip)

2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Procedures

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top off the pumpkin with a large sharp knife and scoop out and discard the seeds.

2. Using a small sharp knife and a sturdy tablespoon extract as much of the pumpkin flesh as possible, then chop it into chunks.

3. Bake the pumpkin with its lid on for 45 minutes to one hour until the inside begins to soften.

4. Meanwhile, make the filling. Gently fry the onion, ginger, and pumpkin flesh in the olive oil for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add the zucchini and mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes, pasta shells and stock. Season well, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

6. Stir the fromage frais and basil into the pasta and spoon the mixture into the pumpkin.