I didn’t grow any little pumpkins this year but I saw a few at the local market and couldn’t resist.
I really do like the flavor. They are moister than an acorn squash and are really the perfect size for a first course.
Plus they seem to produce more reliably than the Sweet Dumpling squash that I planted this year…..
And they are so cute…..
Baby Pumpkins Filled with Bacon, Shallots, Mushrooms
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 tiny pumpkins
- 1oz (30gr) bacon, chopped
- 2oz (60gr) mushrooms, trimmed, chopped
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 2 tbs butter
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Instructions:
- Cut the top 1/3 off each pumpkin. Scoop out the seeds
- Place tops and bottoms cut side down on a baking sheet and bake, 400F (200C) oven, for 20 minutes.
- While pumpkins bake:
- Sauté the bacon and shallots in butter for 10 minutes, until bacon starts to crisp.
- Add mushrooms, paprika and sauté 5 minutes longer..
- When pumpkins are ready fill with the bacon mixture, including all the butter.
- Return to the oven for 5 minutes, just to heat through.
- Remove and serve with the tops.
To continue on with my pumpkin theme – here is a full size pumpkin we saw at the market on Sunday:
Most people would not buy a whole pumpkin, but get a wedge instead.
You can see by the thickness that this is not suitable for carving….
Next to it was a pair of conjoined pumpkins:
This must be the year of the weird vegetables.
Some farmers are starting to grow thinner-fleshed pumpkins.
Halloween is slowly coming to France. We have no kids in costumes going door-to-door for candy but we are seeing more decorations every year.
The jack-o-lanterns are even getting a bit creative…. Or the carver was clueless, one of the two.
And on the same street:
What I really loved was the single digit house number.
Could there be a more versatile vegetable….edible, carvable and decorative !
I usually buy a pumpkin for carving but then don’t, so I keep it for Thanksgiving decoration and eat the butternut and/or kabocha instead.
Rats. I wish I’d seen this recipe before I baked our little carved pie pumpkin on 1 November! The bacon would have helped it enormously, I think. Sadly, it was a distinctly tasteless pumpkin – quite surprising for this year that was a bumper crop year for winter squashes. I baked it and mashed it with caramelized onions, butter, mustard & fennel seeds, and a tiny hint of chili pepper. The onions and mustard/fennel seeds were the saving grace….
I love the carving of the pumpkin on the step! Very artful!
Kate, they are indeed, very useful – at least our varieties are.
Zoomie, I haven’t carved a pumpkin in, oh, about 30 years lol The varieties we have are meant to be eaten and are quite good – very flavorful
Elizabeth, onions and mustard can save almost anything – the butter and fennel just add bonus flavors. However, the bacon would have finished it off nicely lol