BS-Cancaster Farming, Saturday, October 24, 1998 Don’t These Pumpkins and their cousins, winter squash, are two of Pennsyl vania’s major vegetable crops. Growers in many areas are not expecting a bumper crop because of the dry weather. But with the 4,500 acres planted, consumers should have plenty of pumpkins to select from when shopping at farm markets, garden centers, and supermarkets. Choosing a pumpkin is mostly a matter of taste. Many people prefer winter squash varieties for eating purposes. Although the large jack o’-lantem-typc pumpkin can be cooked for pies or other recipes, their flesh is stringy and eating quality poor compared to the smaller pie-type pumpkins, often called sugar pumpkins because of their sweetness. Neck pumpkins, which are real ly squash, make tasty pumpkin dis hes for pumpkin pie or bread. Pumpkin or squash can be cooked in a number of different ways. After splitdng the pumpkin or squash, remove the seeds and attached strings, the flesh can be cut out of the rind and cubed. The cubed flesh can be boiled, steamed, or microwaved until ten der and then mashed. For the smaller squash varieties, the fruit can be cut in half. After scooping out the seeds, the halves should be placed cut-side up in a shallow pan with a small amount of water or simply on a baking sheet, covered with foil, and baked in a hot oven until the flesh is ten der. The halves can also be partial ly covered and cooked in a micro wave oven until tender. The cooked flesh can be scooped out and mashed for use in recipes or a little butter and brown sugar can be placed on top of the halved squash during the baking process and the squash serves as is. Pumpkin and squash are both good sources of vitamin A although squash has more than pumpkin (and can usually be sub stituted for pumpkin in recipes). They also have good amounts of fiber and help fulfill the recom mended three to five servings of vegetables per day recommended by nutrition experts. Here arc some delicious ways to enjoy pumpkin and squash. Recipe Topics If you have recipes for the topics listed below, please share them with us. We welcome your recipes, but ask that you include accurate measurements, a complete list of ingredients and clear instructions with each recipe you submit. Send your recipes to Lou Ann Good, Lancaster Farming, P.O. Box 609, Ephrata, PA 17522. Recipes should reach our office one week before publishing date listed below. October Nov. Squash Recipes PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES 2 egg yolks 2 cups brown sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon cloves 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups cooked pumpkin 3 cups flour Beat egg yolks, brown sugar, and vegetables together until smooth. Combine remaining ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cool. Fill with filling. Filling; 2 teaspoons vanilla 4 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons milk I'/j cup vegetable shortening 2 unbeaten egg whites 4 cups confectioners’ sugar Combine all ingredients for fill ing and spread between two cook ies. Wrap in wax paper. Store or freeze. DATE-NUT PUMPKIN BREAD 1 cup butter Th cups granulated sugar 4 large eggs 2 cups canned pumpkin 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder '/: teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 8-ounce package diced dates 1 cup seedless raisins 1 cup pecans, chopped Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a large bundt pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. While continuing to beat, add eggs one at a time. Then beat in pumpkin. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice, and beat into pumpkin mixture. Fold in dates, raisins, and pecans. Transfer to prepared bundt pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Serve with butter or cream cheese. Very tasty. B.J.L. Sweet Potato Recipes Mushroom Recipes Muffins, Buns Thanksgiving Favorites 31 - 14- 21 - Janet Wenger MifTlintown Tina Forty Palmyra FROSTED PUMPKIN BARS Bats: 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 cups flour 1 cup nuts 1 cup raisins Frosting: 3-ounces cream cheese 6 tablespoons soft butter 1 teaspoon vanilla V* pound confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon milk (more if needed) For bars: beat together eggs, sugar, and oil. Add pumpkin and mix. Mix the diy ingredients together and add to the pumpkin mixture. Add nuts and raisins. Bake in a greased and floured coo kie sheet with sides at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Check with a toothpick. When cool, top with the above frosting. BAKED BUTTERNUT SQUASH 1 small butternut, hubbard or acom squash 2 tablespoons butter, melted '/«teaspoon ground cinnamon '/• teaspoon ground nutmeg '/* cup brown sugar Halve the squash lengthwise and remove seeds, and mem branes. Place in shallow baking dish. Combine butter, sugar, cin namon, and nutmeg, and divide between cavities of squash. Add ‘/«-inch depth of hot water to dish and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until squash is tender. Serves two. Mary Buffington, Kennett Autumn Chicken and Rice Stuffed Squash is a wholesome meal with great taste. 4 eggs 2 cups sugar 1 cup salad oil 1 cup pumpkin 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda Evelyn Barnhart Warfordsburg Grange #lBB9 CREAM CHEESE PUMPKIN PIE 8-ounces cream cheese '/« cup sugar 'A teaspoon vanilla 1 egg I'A cups cooked pumpkin 'A cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon % teaspoon nutmeg 'U teaspoon cloves '/« teaspoon salt 1 cup evaporated milk 2 eggs, beaten Featured Recipe A sure sign of fall is the appearance of bright orange pumpkins and squashes in all shades of colors and different shapes. Although new varieties of squash and pumpkin keep cropping up, most varieties arc interchangeable in recipes. Here is one that is sure to satisfy your desire for great taste, nutrition, and convenience in preparing. AUTUMN CHICKEN AND RICE STUFFED SQUASH 12 boneless, skinless, chicken tenderloins 1 box long grain and wild rice 3 small acom squash 2 teaspoons grated orange rind 2 tablespoons butter ‘A cup sliced celery 'A cup dried cranberries '/«cup orange juice Heat oven to 350. Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds. Place cut side down in lightly greased 15xl0xl-inch pan. Bake 30 minutes. Prepare rice according to package directions, stir in orange rind. Set aside. Rinse fresh chicken under cold water and pat dry. Cut into 1-inch pieces. In large skillet, melt butter; add celery and chicken. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until chicken is browned and juices run clear. Combine chick en mixture, cooked rice and dried cranberries in medium bowl; mix well. Spoon chicken and rice mixture into partially cooked squash halves. Drizzle with orange juice. Return to oven and bake 25 to 35 minutes, or until squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Serves 6. Per serving: 289 calories; 17 g protein; 46 g carbohy drates; 6 g fat; 63 mg sodium. Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanil la, and egg together. In separate bowl, mix pumpkin, sugar, cinna mon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, milk, and eggs. Pour cream cheese mix ture into unbaked 9-inch pie shell. Carefully ladle the pumpkin mix ture on top of cheese mixture so it slays on bottom. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Cream cheese mixture should stay on bot tom and pumpkin mixture on top. Naomi Lauchnor Washington Grange (Turn to Page B 8)
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