Pumpkin recipes & other Autumn bits

I tried cooking pumpkin years ago & never liked it but this year we have grown quite a few & what we grow we must eat! This is what I made with one pumpkin a similar size to the one in the photo about 4lb. They were all really yummy & I've made the soup 3 times since.

First I washed & dried the seeds then spread them out on a baking tray & baked them for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread (American recipe hence the cup measurements)

2 cups of plain flour, 2tsp cinnamon, 1/4tsp baking powder, 1tsp bicarb, 1/2tsp salt, 1 1/2 cups sugar,3/4 cups vegetable oil, 3 lge eggs, 1tsp vanilla essence, 3 cups shredded pumpkin, 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds.

Mix the dry ingredients then add the wet ingredients keeping back some of the seeds. Put into a loaf tin pushing the saved seeds on top. Bake at 325 for about 1hr 15 mins or put mixture into muffin cases & bake for 30 mins.

Spicy pumpkin teabread.

12oz diced pumpkin boiled for 10 mins, 5 1/2 oz honey, 30z sultanas, 11oz SR flour, 2tsp mixed spice, 5 1/2 oz margarine, 1 tblsp seeds

Mash the boiled pumpkin with the honey then add the sultanas. Put the flour & spice in a bowl then rub in the margarine add pumpkin mix & seeds. Put into a 2lb loaf tin & bake for 50 mins.

Pumpkin soup

When I make soup I tend to make it up as I go along using what I have available so this is a rough guide to my soup!

I sauted in a knob of butter a diced onion, 1/2 diced green pepper, 1 deseeded red chilli, 1 chopped clove garlic. Add 2 diced potatoes and the chopped pumpkin (I used about a half of a 4lb pumpkin) Add roughly a pint of veg stock, a tsp of ground cinnamon, pinch of salt & pepper. Bring to the boil then reduce heat & simmer for 1/2 hr. Blitz with a blender then stir in a little milk.

Some of our Autumn harvest.

I have done some crocheting an Autumn coloured brooch & some Amigurumi pumpkins.

And some fabric pumkins scented with orange & mandarin.

L and I made a Autumn display using some leaves & seed heads collected on our walk through the woods.

It was very sunny & the butterflies were making the most of it, basking in the afternoon sun.

Lots of funghi and the first signs that ........

Christmas is just around the corner :)

Courgette glut recipes

The courgettes on my allotment keep growing & growing we've now had 63 and have tried lots of different recipes so as not to get bored with them. Just in case the same happens next year I thought I'd post some of the recipes we like here as you can guarantee I won't be able to find them again!

Chocolate courgette cake

120g soft margarine, 125ml sunflower oil, 100g caster sugar, 200g soft brown sugar, 3 eggs, 130ml milk, 350 Pl flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 4 tblsp cocoa, 450g grated courgette, 1tsp vanilla essence.

Mix all together put into a 20x35cm tray & bake 35 to 45 minutes @ 190c

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Carrot & courgette muffins makes 24

315g caster sugar, 310 ml sunflower oil, 3 eggs, 275g strong white flour, 1 tblsp baking powder, 1tsp bicarb, 1 tblsp mixed spice, 250g grated courgette, 250g grated carrots, 50g sultanas.

Whisk sugar & oil together, add the eggs then everything else. Spoon into muffin cases & bake for 25 minutes @180c

Rustic courgette, pine nut & ricotta tart

2tbsp olive oil, 2 sliced courgettes, 250g tub ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, handful Basil, 1oz Parmesan,1 crushed garlic clove, 500g block puff pastry, handful pine nuts.

Fry courgettes in olive oil for 5 mins. In a bowl mix ricotta, eggs, basil, half Parmesan & the garlic. Roll out pastry to a rough round, transfer to baking tray. Spread the ricotta mix over leaving a 4cm border. Press the courgette slices into this then scatter pine nuts over & remaining Parmesan. Bring sides up a bit. Cook for 30 mins. 180C

Courgette & spinach tortelloni gratin serves 3-4

2 courgettes sliced into ribbons, 1 lge deseeded chopped red chilli 1x 250g pk ricotta spinach tortelloni, 1x 150g goats cheese, 175g young spinach, 2 tblsps fresh mint, handful basil, 275ml creme fraiche, 4tblsp parmesan, 3tblsp breadcrumbs

Cook the tortelloni in boiling water for 1minute then drain. Return to pan with the rest of the ingredients apart from the half the parmesan & the breadcrumbs. When hot tip into a gratin dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs & parmesan put under hot grill for 4 minutes.

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Prawn & couscous salad

200g couscous, 3tblsp olive oil, 50g pine nuts, 2 crushed cloves garlic, 2 courgettes sliced, 1 diced pepper, 4 spring onions, 1 chilli chopped, 2tblsp chopped parsley, 1 tblsp basil, 1 tblsp mint, 500g prawns. Dressing - 2tblsp olive oil, 3 tblsp lemon juice, 1 tblsp Thai fish sauce, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2 tblsp coriander.

Place couscous in bowl pour 400ml boiling water over & leave to stand for 10 mins. Heat oil in pan & cook pine nuts until golden then add teh garlic, courgettes, pepper, spring onions & chilli cook for 5 mins.Stir this through the couscous. Dressing - mix all ingredients together & pour over.

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Courgette fritters

140g pl flour, 2 eggs, 175ml milk, 50g cheddar, some chives, 2 grated courgettes, l

Cook grated courgette in a dry frypan for 3 mins tip onto kitchen paper squeeze dry. Mix with the other ingredients. Oil a pan then cook ladle fuls of the batter for a couple of mins on each side until golden.

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Cheesy baked courgettes

2 courgettes halved lengthways, 125g ricotta, 1 deseeded & chopped chilli, zest of 1 lemon, handful of chopped mint, parsley, basil, 4 tblsp breadcrumbs.

Scoop the seeds from the courgettes then place the courgettes on a tray. Mix ricotta, lemon zest, chilli & herbs. Pile this into the courgettes & top with the breadcrumbs. Bake 35 mins @180c

Courgette & spinach soup - will add this soon.

Tagliatelle with prawns, courgettes & chilli - will add this soon.

Also made vegetable lasagne, courgette chutney

Will edit this soon as I have to go & cook now tonight it's the turn of the marrow ;)

Candy Cane Bark & Chocolate Tart

I know you've probably had enough chocolate over the last few weeks to last a lifetime but I thought I'd share these recipes with you. If like me you have a bundle of these left over, which I always do as although they look very Christmassy they are rather sweet, this is a great way to use them up & they taste delicious.

Very simply melt milk chocolate and spread in a baking parchment lined tray. Put some candy canes in a bag and smash with a rolling pin then melt some white chocolate. Add the smashed candy canes to the melted white chocolate then spread the mix over the milk chocolate. Leave to set in the fridge and break into pieces. Although I don't have the exact measures, I guess I used about 200g of each of the chocolates and 8/10 canes. My 3 yr old loves these but hates candy canes!

Another favourite and very easy recipe is Jamie Oliver's basic chocolate tart. I tend to half his recipe and cheat by using a bought sweet pastry case.

You will need a 15cm 'ish' sweet pastry case, 6 fl oz double cream, 1 tablespoon caster sugar, 2 oz softened butter, 1/2lb dark chocolate in pieces, 2 fl oz milk, cocoa powder for dusting. I know someone who makes this and says you have to have a really good cooking chocolate but I've made it with shops own brand plain chocolate and there honestly isn't any difference in taste.

Place double cream & sugar in a pan and bring to the boil, remove from heat and add the butter and chocolate. Stir until melted, allow to cool slightly stirring in the cold milk until smooth. Pour into the pastry case, shake to even it then leave to set for a couple of hours. Dust with cocoa powder. I like to serve mine with double cream and fresh raspberries although I did use frozen raspberries this time. It is very rich so you really only need a small slice.

Enjoy!