What to do with those pumpkins after Halloween

(By Various Contributors)

Pumpkins are currently running about 19 cents a pound in my town. Where else can you find enough of a nutrient stocked yummy veggie for several days at less than $5.00? I've found that I can sneak pumpkin puree into many things and my family doesn't notice: breads; pasta sauce; pastries; and meatloaf just to name a few things. Making your own pumpkin puree can seem intimitdating, but it doesn't have to be. Just simply clean out the "guts" of the pumpkin as you would to carve, slice into pieces, bake at 350 degrees until tender, then scrape out meat and freeze. Below you can find a few more ideas to use for your pumpkins! Happy eating!

Pumpkin Gratin using pumpkin slices
1⁄2 cup olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 pressed clove garlic
3⁄4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon sugar
2 pounds tomatoes, chopped (4 cups fresh or a 32oz can chopped)
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon. pepper
pumpkin peeled and sliced (can use the rehydrated ones or fresh)
8 oz. sliced Gruyere cheese
1 Tablespoons fresh parsley (optional)

Heat half the oil in a skillet; add onion and garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add the wine, sugar and tomatoes. Cook slowly, until the sauce is thick. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat the remaining oil and saute the pumpkin slices on both sides, until tender (rehydrated ones will cook faster than fresh slices). Drain on towels and season with salt and pepper. Cover the bottom of baking dish with the tomato sauce. Lay the pumpkin on top in overlapping layers, alternating with cheese slices. Bake in a preheated 375degree oven until the cheese is melted and the gratin is hot - about 20 minutes Garnish with chopped parsley.

Easy Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Have no real measurements for this one as I measure very little for soup. You can adjust the amount of puree you use.

1 onion chopped fine
1 celery stalk chopped fine
1/4 water
about 2 cups pumpkin puree
1 can coconut milk
Thai curry paste (or any curry paste you choose)
salt and pepper

in heavy duty saucepan place onion, celery and water. simmer until just tender, adding more water to prevent sticking. Add the puree and the can of coconut milk and a blob of curry paste to taste - if you like food spicy add a bigger blob; if you like food mild add just a little bit. stir. If soup is too thick, thin with a bit of water. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To make pumpkin flour:
1. Select one or more fresh, ripe pumpkins. Sugar pie variety makes a good, slightly sweet flour.
2. Cut open the pumpkin, remove and discard seeds and strings.
3. Remove the skin from the pumpkin. Use a sharp knife for hard skins. A potato peeler may work on soft shelled varieties.
4. Slice pumpkin into thin slices and set out to dry. A food dehydrator is helpful.
5. Allow pumpkin to completely dry.
6. Place slices into a food processor and grind into a flour-like texture.
7. Place pumpkin flour into an airtight container, and store in a cool, dry place.

Using Pumpkin Flour: Pumpkin Flour can be used in any recipe that calls for flour. Most recipes suggest substituting pumpkin flour for up to 1/4 of the amount of regular flour.