Private: Blog & Recipes Archive

A lot of people, myself included, associate pumpkins with Halloween. I’ve carved pumpkins, placed them around my home for decoration, and saved seeds to eat, but embarrassingly, have never cooked a pumpkin. Now that pumpkins are in season, it’s time we all give this a try so we can have fresh, local pumpkin in our pies, muffins, pancakes, breads, loaves, and well, everything else because it’s delicious! Knowing where to start is always the hardest step, so below is one example of a great recipe you can follow to cut, clean, cook, and mash your pumpkin! But don’t forget – there are lots of ways to cook and eat a pumpkin so make sure to ask the many farmers and cooks we have at the market for more ideas.

The first thing to know is that there are a lot of different types of pumpkins: they come in different colours, different sizes, different shapes, different tastes, etc. If you’re looking for a pumpkin to cook, it might be best to choose smaller pie pumpkins (also called sugar pumpkins) rather than large pumpkins typically used for jack-o-lanterns, but any pumpkin works! About 2 pumpkins will give you enough baked pumpkin for a pie and a loaf of bread, depending on size. This is surprisingly very easy!

You will need:

• A sharp, non-serrated knife
• a cutting board
• some tin-foil or parchment paper
• a large pan for baking
• oil: choose the type based on your needs. A sweet oil is best when using pumpkin for sweet dishes, and a savoury oil is best if using for savoury dishes. (optional)
• salt (optional)

Preparation Instructions:

1. Clean your pumpkin thoroughly!
2. Cut the pumpkin in half around the stem and base.
3. Scoop out all of the seeds and save for later! These are delicious when roasted and make a great snack.
4. Brush the flesh (the inside of the pumpkin) with oil. This will lock in moisture and help the edges caramelize.
5. Sprinkle the flesh with a little bit of salt. This, like the oil, is optional.
6. Place the halved pumpkins on a lined baking sheet, flesh down, and outer skin facing up.
7. Pierce the skin a few times around with a fork or knife.

Baking Instructions:

1. For a 2-3 pound pie pumpkins, bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 Celsius) for 45-50 minutes. The time will depend on your oven and the size of your pumpkin. This might take up to 2 hours.
2. You’ll know it’s ready when the skin (outer layer) is tender when pierced with a fork.
3. Let the pumpkin cool before handling.

Puree Instructions:

1. Once the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the skin.
2. Using either a potato masher, or a food processor, blend or mash the pumpkin flesh until smooth.
3. You might need to add a little water, ONLY if necessary.

And that’s it! How easy was that? Now, read below for a great pumpkin muffin recipe you can make using your fresh, local, delicious pumpkin puree.

We found these instructions from this website and this website.

Ingredients: (yields 12 muffins)

• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup maple syrup or honey
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• ¼ cup milk of choice
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend (OR 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground allspice or cloves)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour, or flour of choice
• ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats, plus more for sprinkling on top
• Optional: 2 teaspoons turbinado (raw) sugar for a sweet crunch

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). If necessary, grease all 12 cups of your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, beat the oil and maple syrup or honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs, and beat well. Add the pumpkin purée, milk, pumpkin spice blend, baking soda, vanilla extract and salt.
3. Add the flour and oats to the bowl and mix with a large spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). If you’d like to add any additional mix-ins, like nuts, chocolate or dried fruit, fold them in now.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with about a tablespoon of oats, followed by a light sprinkle of raw sugar and/or pumpkin spice blend if you’d like. Bake muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
5. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. These muffins are delicate until they cool down. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan.
6. These muffins taste even better after they have rested for a couple of hours! They’ll keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They keep well in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months (just defrost individual muffins as needed).

Now all that’s left to do is enjoy the fruits of your labour!

We got this recipe from this website.

This is the list, folks! See who you can find at the Farmers’ Market this Saturday, September 12th! Click on their names to find information on pre-orders and to learn more about their farms and businesses!

• Sungold Market Garden, fresh produce
• Orchard Hill Farm, fresh produce
• Greystead Gardens, fresh produce
• Thames River Melons, fresh produce
• Joyce Farms, fresh produce
• The Corn Crib, fresh sweet corn
• Blanbrook Bison Farm, bison
• Den Besten’s Rainbow Trout Farm, fresh smoked trout
• Dave’s Beef & Lamb, beef and lamb
• Carver’s Natural Farms, chicken and gourmet garlic
• Wandering Bee Flowers, fresh cut flowers
• Lynch Maple Farm, maple syrup and products
• Morsels, fresh baked goods
• International Bakery, fresh baked goods
• The Whole Grain Hearth, fresh baked goods
• The Welsh Baker, fresh baked goods
• Pillitteri Estates Winery, VQA Ontario wines
• C’Angelina, meat pies, artisan sausages, Italian preserves
• Harvest Moon Trading Co., preserves, granola, mustards

Back Again!

• Vaka Chocolate, small batch crafted and ethically sourced chocolate
• Eric’s Wood Bin, live edge wood slabs

New this Season!

• Applemeadow Farm, fresh produce

Check out their websites for more information about their products and to see what’s in season/currently available!

Live Music (10 a.m. to 12 p.m.): Frank Ridsdale