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1 cushaw pumpkin 5 - 8 lbs
3 baking potatoes
1 med onion, diced
8 -10 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
Pork or chicken stock
butter
salt and pepper

Wash pumpkin well with soapy water, rinse and dry. Split pumpkin in half. Scoop out the fiber and seeds. Rub the halves with olive oil inside and out. Place flesh side down on a greased baking sheet (or silpat). Bake at 375 degrees until the meat is fork tender.

At the same time, individually wrap the baking potatoes in foil. Place in the oven on an upper rack to bake until soft. The pumpkin and potatoes should be done about the same time.

When cool enough to handle scoop out the flesh of the potatoes and pumpkin into a large clean bowl. Add a couple tbsp of butter and let melt into the mixture.

In a skillet brown the bacon rendering the fat. Remove the bacon to drain. Pour away all but about 2 tsp of the remaining fat. Return to heat and add the onion. Cook until clear.

Add the onions to the potatoes and pumpkin. Using a stick blender or food processor, puree the mix.

Pour the puree into a stock pot. Slowly add the stock until the mix is the consistancy of soup that you prefer. We like a thicker soup. You might like a thinner soup. Heat through and allow to simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes:

For a more creamier type of soup in place of some of the stock use a nice whipping cream.

I was lazy and cooked the onions and the bacon together over a slow heat. I then used the food processor and pureed them using some of the soup and then added the mix back to the pot to simmer about 20 minutes longer. The soup was fabulous!

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine well and set aside:
4 cups mashed cushaw pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs

In a separate mixing bowl, sift together:
3 1/2 cups self rising flour
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
2 tsp cinnamon

Combine both mixtures together blending thoroughly.

Mix in:

1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Pour batter into greased mini loaf pans.

Bake in the slow oven until just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. You will be able to look at them and tell when they are done. Or use a toothpick to check.

If you use the batter in a standard loaf pan the baking time is about an hour maybe more.

Sometimes it takes a little longer to cook and some times a little less. I think it depends on the wetness of the mashed pumpkin.

Cushaw Pumpkin Pancakes

Sift together the following ingredients:

2 cups flour (I use self-rising)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 heavy grating of nutmeg (maybe a smidgen, not quite a pinch)
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the following wet ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar*
1 cup pumpkin puree**

Gently fold the two mixtures together (I add the dry to the wet). Work the ingredients together just enough to incorporate.

With a lightly oiled griddle (I use a cast iron pan)heat to medium high heat. Scoop (this batter is thicker than normal pancake batter) 1/3 to 1/4 cup measures for each pancake. Watch carefully to not let them burn but allow the cake to cook and brown nicely before flipping it over.

Serve hot with butter and syrup***.

Make about 14 4inch pancakes.

Note: The batter will seem really thick, and it is, but don't be tempted to add more milk. This batter will not pour. It has to be scooped onto the griddle pan. Be very careful to watch them and don't let them burn. These pancakes are light and delicate but hearty. They are more like a cake baked on the griddle than a normal pancake.

* It seems like a lot of vinegar but it is perfect. When you mix the wet ingredients in the order given give a wisk after each addition. When you add the vinegar you will see the milk begin to turn. This is much the same principle as adding the vinegar to buttermilk in a red velvet cake. It simply is a matter of science that makes the baked good a better offering. Moist and tender.

**I use a cushaw pumpkin. It is washed, rubbed with oil and roasted in a 375 degree oven until fork tender. The meat is then separated from the skin and mashed. I usually do this at night and leave the pumpkin to sit and cool overnight.

I know a lot of food safety instructions say to refrigerate things immediately but some things I do not. My kitchen it a very cold room in the winter at night. We do not leave a fire burning and only start the woodstove in the morning.

As the pumpkin naturally cools to room temperature it doesn't have as much condensation as warm pumpkin put into a cold refrigerator which makes it less soupy.

***I HATE maple syrup. We use cane syrup. It is what we grew up on and I have never developed a taste for maple syrup.

2 c. freshly prepared pumpkin
1 1/2 c. evaporated milk
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
2 eggs, beaten
1 frozen pie crust

Use a small to medium size pumpkin.

Wash pumpkin. Split in half. Scrape out seeds. Rub with oil. Bake until soft and tender.

Spoon pumpkin meat into a food processor and blend until smooth.

For the Pie:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix well 2 cups fresh pumpkin with remaining ingredients.

Pour into pie shell.

Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake another 45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

Serve with whipped cream and a little grating of fresh nutmeg.

1 pumpkin 5 - 8 lbs
2 baking potatoes
2 sweet potatoes
1 med onion, diced
8 -10 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
Vegetable or chicken stock
butter
salt and pepper

Wash pumpkin well with soapy water, rinse and dry. Split pumpkin in half. Scoop out the fiber and seeds. Rub the halves with olive oil inside and out. Place flesh side down on a greased baking sheet (or silpat). Bake at 375 degrees until the meat is fork tender and orangey-yellow.

Preparing to roast the pumpkin.

At the same time, individually wrap the baking potatoes and sweet potatoes in foil. Place in the oven on an upper rack to bake until soft. The pumpkin and potatoes should be done about the same time.

Roasted pumpkin set to cool.

When cool enough to handle scoop out the flesh of the potatoes and pumpkin into a large clean bowl. Add a couple tbsp of butter and let melt into the mixture.

In a skillet brown the bacon rendering the fat. Remove the bacon to drain. Pour away all but about 2 tsp of the remaining fat. Return to heat and add the onion. Cook until clear.

Add the onions to the potatoes and pumpkin. Using a stick blender or food processor, puree the mix.

This is my 6qt stainless mixing bowl. I used a 8 - 10lb pumpkin, 2 each of the potatoes, and almost 2 quarts of stock to make this much soup.

Pour the puree into a stock pot. Slowly add the stock until the mix is the consistancy of soup that you prefer. We like a thicker soup. You might like a thinner soup. Heat through and allow to simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This soup is a beautiful color. Some recipes will call for heavy cream to be added. To me it isn't as nice of a soup when it has cream in it. I save the cream for my pies.

When serving use the bacon crumbles on top as garnish.

For freezing allow soup to cool. Pour into freezer containers. Lable and freeze.

**Note: I prepared this today when I was cooking a pork roast. I had plenty of broth from the pork so I used it in place of chicken/vegetable stock. It tastes great.

I am serving this soup with sandwiches made of fresh toasted bagels with a slice of roasted apple, cheddar cheese and ham. Absolutely delightful.