Pumpkins — launch 'em and cook 'em

(A beautiful assortment of pumpkins for sale at Gill's Farm in Hurley)

I have visions of pumpkins dancing in my head. After all, Friday is Halloween.

But it was at a wonderful fall festival over the weekend that pumpkins were taken to a new level — as flying projectiles launched from a giant pumpkin cannon! The cannon, in all its glory, was part of the free event that featured a concert by Woodstock's own Levon Helm and his band. It doesn't get any better than that! You've got to love the Hudson Valley for all its music and arts, homegrown fare and free festivals to boot.

(The pumpkin cannon was prepped for launching at Gill's Farm in Hurley)

Good thing there were plenty of acres of open land on this farm — those pumpkins must have gone a mile or more, disappearing as mere specks in the sky!

(Levon Helm on mandolin and Larry Campbell on guitar rocked Gills' Farm Sunday in Hurley)

Levon Helm and his daughter, Amy, and the rest of the band members played their hearts out in a free two-hour concert. It was great. Levon said plans are in the works to build an amphitheater on the farm and have a Sweet Corn Festival every year. Farming is dear to Levon's heart, and the farm in Hurley was the setting for the photo shoot for his latest album, "Dirt Farmer," which won a Grammy last year.

But back to the pumpkins, and the reason for this post.

Most pumpkins are being carved and painted as they morph into hauntingly scary jack-o’-lanterns in time for Halloween.

Today’s Busy Cook in the Poughkeepsie Journal features recipes using pumpkin puree in pasta, dessert and even a martini. Yum!
I love the flavor of pumpkin. Aside from the traditional use in breads and doughnuts, pumpkin makes a delicious soup.

Here are three tempting, tantalizing and creative recipes for pumpkin soups.

Save one or two pumpkins from the carving knife and give these recipes a whirl.

(Spice up pumpkin soup with some fresh hot peppers/Gannett News Service photo)

Pumpkin Chowder with Lime and Cilantro

This powerhouse soup is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients. It also tastes fabulous with the combination of sweet calabaza squash, tart lime juice and pungent cilantro. Hominy can be found in supermarkets. Calabaza squash is often called pumpkin in South Florida and sold in large wedges in the produce department. Try culantro in place of cilantro for a milder flavor. You can garnish the chowder with pumpkin seeds if you wish.
Top it off with toasted crostini for an added taste sensation.

1. 2 teaspoons canola oil
2. 1 red onion, chopped
3. 4 cups peeled and diced calabaza squash
4. 1 large all purpose potato, peeled and diced
5. 1 tablespoon minced lemon grass
6. 4 cloves minced garlic
7. 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
8. 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced
9. 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
10. 3 quarts vegetable broth or water
11. 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
12. 1 (16-ounce) can white or yellow hominy, drained and rinsed well
13. 1/2 cup dried orzo pasta
14. 1/2 cup minced cilantro
15. Juice of 2 limes
16. Salt, to taste
    

• Heat oil in a 10-quart stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, calabaza and potatoes and saute 2 minutes. Add lemon grass, garlic, ginger root, jalapenos and turmeric and continue to saute 1 minute longer. Add broth or water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
• Add red peppers, hominy and orzo, continue to simmer 10 minutes until vegetables are tender and orzo is cooked through. Remove from the heat and add cilantro, lime juice and salt.
• Makes 1 1/2 gallons.

Nutrition information per (1-cup) serving: 56 calories, 12 percent calories from fat, .78 gram total fat, .09 gram saturated fat, no cholesterol, 12 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, .96 gram total sugars, 10 grams net carbs, 1 gram protein, 48 milligrams sodium.

Texas Toasted Crostini

1. 12-inch-long French or Italian bread, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2. Vegetable or olive oil, in a sprayer or spray can
3. 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
4. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
5. 1/3 cup low-fat shredded Monterey Jack cheese
   

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange bread rounds in a single layer on prepared pan. Spray with vegetable or olive oil. Sprinkle with chili powder, oregano and cheese. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until cheese is golden brown. Makes 24 crostini.

Nutrition information per crostino: 44 calories, 19 percent calories from fat, .91 gram total fat, .21 gram saturated fat, 1 milligram cholesterol, 7 grams carbohydrates, .4 gram total fiber, .38 gram total sugars, 7 grams net carbs, 2 grams protein, 103 milligrams sodium.

Recipes by Steve Petusevsky, McClatchy-Tribune

(This succulent soup has a hint of spice/Gannett News Service photo)

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Crème Fraiche

For soup:

1. 1 pumpkin, 10 to 12 pounds
2. 4 pounds carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3. 4 pounds yellow onions, peeled and coarsely diced
4. 2 pounds celery, roughly diced
5. 1 head garlic, peeled
6. 1 gallon whole milk
7. 2 cups light brown sugar
8. 1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
9. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10. 10 sprigs fresh thyme
11. Salt and pepper to taste

For creme fraiche:

1. 2 cups heavy cream
2. 1/8 cup buttermilk
3. Salt to taste
   

• Make creme fraiche 2 days in advance. To make, combine the heavy cream and buttermilk. Mix well. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 36-48 hours. Cream should thicken nicely. Season with salt to taste and refrigerate.
• To prepare soup, cut pumpkin into quarters. Remove seeds and lightly oil the pumpkin. Place pumpkin in a roasting pan and cover with foil. Roast in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour or until pumpkin is tender. Separate the flesh from the skin. Discard skin and reserve the pumpkin meat.
• Heat a large stockpot on medium. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Reduce heat to low. Add the pumpkin meat and milk. Place the fresh thyme in a sachet made from cheesecloth and cooking string. Add to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer or 1 hour. Add sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat; remove the thyme sachet and discard.
• Use a mixer or blender to puree the soup, strain. Finally adjust the taste with salt and pepper and consistency with adding more milk or reducing the soup more.
• Serve the soup in a warm bowl with a dollop of creme fraiche. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Recipe from Gannett News Service

(Caramelized onions and curry flavor notch up the seasonings for this pumpkin soup/Associated Press photo)

Curried Pumpkin Soup with Maple Caramelized Onions

Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

1. 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2. 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
3. 1/4 cup maple syrup
4. 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
5. 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
6. 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
7. 1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced
8. 15-ounce can pumpkin
9. Juice of 1 orange
10. 3 cups milk
11. Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
12. 8 small toasts or crackers

• In a large skillet over medium-high, combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and half of the onions. Saute until the onions are very soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add the maple syrup and ginger, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring often, until the onions are thick and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven over medium-high, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the remaining onion, the curry powder, red pepper flakes and the apple. Saute until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Mix in the pumpkin and orange juice, then transfer everything in the Dutch oven to a blender or food processor. Add the milk and puree until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and return to a gentle simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, then top each serving with 2 crackers or toasts. Arrange some of the caramelized onions over the toasts.

Nutrition information per serving: 388 calories; 162 calories from fat; 18 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 11 mg cholesterol; 50 g carbohydrate; 9 g protein; 6 g fiber; 413 mg sodium.

Recipe by J.M. Hirsch, The Associated Press