fresh roasted pumpkin

I recently took a whack at my first pumpkin.

Truly. I received one from the CSA one week, and considering that it was organic, I decided to use it for food purposes, as opposed to a purely decorative one.

So I did some research. In the process, I came across this website. I found it extremely helpful, and, in light of the fact that I had a "small pumpkin" and had very little interest in removing the pumpkin's shell with a knife (I had hacked away at a round squash not too long ago, and it was less than enjoyable), I decided to go with the method the website used on pumpkin #2.

So I cut it open, removed the seeds and pulp, and cut it into wedges.



I then roasted the wedges at 350* F. It didn't take nearly the 2 hours suggested, though. In fact, I wish I had taken it out a bit earlier.


Still, the peel came off beautifully. I then pureed the pumpkin flesh in my food processor.

Please excuse the poor quality of this photo. My camera and I were having a serious disagreement. This is the best of my efforts, if you can believe it.

I used it in a loaf of pumpkin bread. This was my first attempt at using fresh pumpkin, and I think it's safe to say that I learned a lot. But I will no longer be intimidate by the classic and charming vegetable!