Pumpkin Butter

Much better than the doughnuts was my first batch of Pumpkin Butter! It not only dressed up/salvaged the doughnuts but it also tastes great on its own, spread on bread or stirred into yogurt for breakfast. Plus it is full of that pumpkin pie spice everyone craves this time of year.

I started from Sarah's recipe using the white pumpkin I picked up during a girl's weekend in the Catskills. I hadn't seen a white pumpkin before but I found its flesh to taste the same as an orange one though it had more of a brown tinge. My changes to her process were substituting maple syrup for white sugar, amping up the cinnamon and cloves and cooking the butter for a mere hour or so over on low on the stove instead of for 8 hours in a slow cooking. The result was lightly sweetened, super smooth bliss. No question this project is worth the time it takes!

When you scoop out the pumpkin's insides be sure to save and roast the seeds for a salty, crunchy and, somehow, healthy snack that will have you wishing you ate whole pumpkins and squash more often. I used Mama Pea's recipe this time and found the addition of vinegar to the usual mix of olive oil and salt to be a good one. 

Pumpkin Butter
Slight adapted from Sarah at All Our Fingers in the Pie

1 Pumpkin
Maple Syrup
Cinnamon
Cloves
Ginger
Nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a baking sheet with olive oil.
2. Cut the pumpkin in half and use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and pith inside. If you want to roast the pumpkin seeds, save them.
3. Place the pumpkin cut side down on a baking sheet and roast until soft, approximately 30 minutes.
4. Scoop the cooked pumpkin flesh into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add flavorings to taste.  I went with 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/8 teaspoon each nutmeg and ginger for each cup of pumpkin. 
5. Transfer the seasoned puree to a large pot and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, for an hour (or until it reaches the desired texture).

Watermelon Sweets for a Jazz Age Lawn Party Picnic

Sunday I crossed off a MUST activity for my "While I live in NYC List:" the Jazz Age Lawn Party. I've wanted to attend this event since I first moved here 4 years ago, so my expectations were very high going into it and I'm pleased to say they were met 100%.

Meg, Leslie and I were transported into another time thanks to the Governors Island's sun-dappled peaceful atmosphere, enthralling period costumes, the enchanting music of Michael Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra, Drew Nugent & the Midnight Society and Michael Cumella, phonograph DJ and the dancing. It was the best $7 I've spent in a long time and Meg and I already hope to go back in August in costume. Leslie's the only one who managed to dress in keeping with the theme this time.

In addition to taking everything in, we had a lovely picnic. Leslie brought a great quiche made with tomatoes, squash and basil from her CSA(!) and goat cheese. Meg brought pita chips, a yummy Brooklyn made hummus, prosciutto and melon. I brought the Cupcake Project's watermelon soda and watermelon butter, which I highly recommend making.

The watermelon syrup and butter are incredibly easy to make; you just need 6-8 hours at home to simmer the pureed watermelon over medium-low heat to remove the water and concentrate the its flavor. I used a seedless watermelon that I carried home in my tote bag, which likely weighed between 8-10 pounds, and ended up with a cup of watermelon butter and 2 cups of syrup.

Both items are very sweet, without added sugar!, so a little goes a long way. I diluted one cup of syrup with 2 cups of water (some carbonated) and found the result refreshing, though ice would have helped in the 90+ degree heat. We used the watermelon butter as a spread on pita chips and sprinkled it with goat cheese. The salty chips and cheese contrasted nicely with the sweet. My initial thought was to use the spread on a baguette but as Meg suspected the salt and crunch of the chips made a perfect appetizer.

All Leslie's photos can be seen here. A slideshow of my slots is below.