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You are here: Home / Archives for cooking

Savory Stuffed Pumpkin

by Jeremy Meadows, former Cordata deli cook

stuffing a pumpkin with pumpkin stuffing

This Savory Stuffed Pumpkin recipe has become a regular for many Co-op staff and customers. It could easily be made vegetarian by eliminating the bacon and even vegan with a few ingredient replacements for the cheese and cream. Give it a try this autumn!
Photos by Meaghan Flesch

Reminiscing with Jeremy

I’m from Ohio. Yep, that part of the country known to historians (and some attentive third graders) as the Old Northwest. When I tell this to people here the image that typically arises is one of sleepy little towns surrounded by vast stretches of farmland. What they are picturing, I think, is Iowa. But the reality is much more, well, rust-colored. There are farms there to be sure. A local, sustainable food culture is even beginning to take off. But it certainly isn’t part of the DNA of the place like it is here—at least not yet. Rather, the midwestern zeal for industry and efficiency seems to have spread from the cities to the surrounding countryside resulting in a landscape dominated by factory farms and monoculture. And you guessed it: corn is king.

Growing up in a place like that can easily lead to a serious disconnect between a person and the food that he or she eats. To my young mind, food came from the supermarket, not from farms. I didn’t know any farmers. And the farms themselves—with those stalks of corn all lined up in their rows like vast battalions brandishing spears—were almost menacing. Really, have you ever noticed how many horror films are set in cornfields? Anyway, the farm did not seem like a place that anyone would ever need, or want, to go to.

There was, however, one exception. Each year my family would make pilgrimage to our local pumpkin patch. We would all clamber into the farmer’s wagon and roll out through the orange, glistening fields to harvest jack-o’-lanterns and pie pumpkins for the fall holidays. I was too young to think much about it then, but something about visiting that place, and picking with our own hands the food that we would soon eat, seemed important, elemental, right—like a tradition worth preserving.

Those early experiences made a deep and lasting impression, and I have no doubt that they have made me a more conscious, and conscientious, eater. That’s the thing about traditions, they have a way of shaping the way that we come to see the world. This savory stuffed pumpkin recipe has become a tradition around our house. And trust me, it’s a keeper.

stuffing ingredients sliced cheese garlic herbs pumpkin
uncooked stuffing croutons for pumpkin
stuffed pumpkin

Meaghan Flesch, former Co-op outreach team intern, prepared Jeremy’s pumpkin recipe using ingredients from her home garden along with local products available at the Co-op: Twin Brook Creamery cream, Hempler’s bacon, and Breadfarm bread. Meaghan gives the rich, savory recipe 5 stars and plans to make it again during the holidays.

Savory Stuffed Pumpkin

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 pie pumpkin, about 3 pounds
  • 1/4 pound stale bread, thinly sliced and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/4 pound cheese, such as Gruyere, Emmenthal, cheddar, or a combination, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 apple, 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 pear, 1/2-inch dice
  • 4 strips bacon (optional), cooked until crisp, drained, and chopped
  • About 1/4 cup fresh chives or sliced scallions
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
  • About 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
METHOD
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin (think Halloween jack-o’-lantern). Scrape out seeds and strings from cap and inside of pumpkin.
  3. Season the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish.
  4. Toss bread, cheese, garlic, fruit, bacon, and herbs together in a bowl. Season with pepper, you probably have enough salt from the bacon and cheese, but taste to be sure.
  5. Pack the mix into the pumpkin. It should be well-filled, but don’t overstuff it.
  6. Mix the cream, nutmeg, and some salt and pepper. Pour into pumpkin (add more cream if too dry).
  7. Replace the cap and bake for about 2 hours, checking after 90 minutes, or until the pumpkin flesh is tender enough to pierce easily with a knife tip. Remove cap during the last 20 minutes to bake off any liquid and slightly brown the top of the stuffing.
  8. Serve from the baking dish, making sure to scrape out some pumpkin flesh with each serving of stuffing.

(Note: Don’t be alarmed if your Thanksgiving turkey begins to turn green with envy when placed next to this good-looker!)

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PRODUCE| RECIPES| SALES baking| cooking| holiday| local| pumpkin| recipe| stuffing

Natural Vegan Blueberry Jam

By Dreena Burton, Contributing Author

photo of a toasted bagel with vegan blueberry jam

This jam is sweetened with only berries and dates. The dates also help thicken the jam, along with ground chia seeds. Try making it with your favorite summer berries!

Recipe reprinted from Plant-Powered Families by Dreena Burton, published by BenBella Books.

Photo courtesy of Nicole Axworthy.

 

Natural Vegan Blueberry Jam

By Dreena Burton
Makes 1¾–2 cups

INGREDIENTS
  • 3–3½ cups (roughly 1 pound) whole blueberries (can substitute raspberries, sliced/chopped strawberries, or a combination of the three; see note)
  • ½ packed cup finely chopped pitted dates (see note)
  • 2–3 pinches sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground black or white chia seeds
  • ½–1 teaspoon lemon zest to taste
  • Extra sweetener to taste (optional; see note)
METHOD
  1. Combine the berries, dates, and sea salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Allow the mixture to heat up so the fruit breaks down and begins to bubble, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer until the fruits break down further, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the chia and lemon zest, and let cook for another 3–5 minutes until the chia helps the jam thicken. Taste, and add extra sweetener if desired.
  3. Let cool, then refrigerate.

Berries—

Measuring 3 cups of berries can produce quite variable amounts—for instance, if measuring whole strawberries, just a few can fill up 1 cup. So, for larger berries like strawberries, simply slice them a few times or roughly chop before measuring. A standard 1-pound clamshell container of strawberries is 3–3½ cups chopped strawberries.

Dates—

The dates will darken the mixture slightly if using strawberries or raspberries instead of blueberries. Still, they don’t darken it much, and also help thicken the jam. Give them a try: it’s a different twist on jam, but it’s delicious!

Sweetener—

I don’t normally add extra sweetener, as I find the dates usually lend enough sweetness. However, depending on the type of berries used, and their ripeness, you may desire a touch of extra sweetener. Options include a few tablespoons of coconut sugar, a drizzle of pure maple syrup, or a few pinches of stevia.

Fresh Blueberry Squares

photo of fresh blueberry squares vegan homemade

For even more blueberry goodness, try Dreena's Fresh Blueberry Squares recipe. They are vegan, nut-free, gluten-free, and oil-free.

Dreena says: "These delicious fresh blueberry bars are just sweet enough, and not overly rich. You can enjoy a square (or 2 or 3!) and not feel sickly.

You can also use frozen blueberries in this recipe, but while fresh blueberries are still abundant in markets, why not go for fresh?!"

About the Author

photo of vegan cookbook author and blogger dreena burton

Dreena Burton is one of the pioneering vegan cookbook authors. Vegan for more than 25 years, Dreena is also a mom to three “weegans.” She has charted her journey as a plant-based cook and mother of three through five bestselling cookbooks, including her most recent and beloved title Plant-Powered Families. Dreena has also collaborated with renowned plant-based physician Dr. Barnard on The Cheese Trap, and co-authored their most recent Cookbook for Reversing Diabetes.

Specializing in oil-free, whole-foods vegan recipes, Dreena’s secret ingredient is her passion. Reputed for reliability, her recipes bring whole foods together in unexpected ways to yield delicious flavors and rich textures. Dreena’s recipes are regularly featured by groups including Forks Over Knives, Engine 2 Diet, UC Davis Integrative Medicine, Kris Carr, Blue Zones, The Humane Society, and The Food Network.

Connect with Dreena’s online kitchen and community at www.dreenaburton.com.

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RECIPES blueberries| chia seeds| cooking| dates| natural| recipe| vegan

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