Pumpkin Crazy

Yup, it's that time of year. Pumpkin season! And now that I'm in the northeast, there are plenty to choose from:

Long Island Cheese Squash (more on that later), kabocha, buttercup, acorn, sweet dumpling, pattypan, ambercup, and delicata.

Pumpkin, squash, pumpkin, squash. What's the difference? Who knows.....the ones that are shaped like those typical orange sugar pumpkins....I'll call those pumpkins. How's that? Here's a decent site with pictures of various types of pumpkins/squash: http://whatscookingamerica.net/squash.htm

Here, I baked the delicata:

And here, I baked up the awesome buttercup (see how to do it here):

Now on to the Long Island Cheese Squash.

That's a scary-lookin' squash. I kept putting off trying to cut into it....but when I finally did it, it wasn't that difficult!

Then I cut it into quarters:

And baked it!!

Nicely wrinkled, no?

Then I scooped it out of its skin and mashed it up and put it away....all 10 cups of it!

I used it to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin gingerbread! So good. Now I have plenty in the freezer for Thanksgiving......who needs this....

....when you've got the fresh stuff!

What will you make out of pumpkin this year??

Eat smart,
T.