Mad about pumpkin.
Photograph by Sam Armocido
Insanity begins innocently, but in the kitchen, it is particularly insidious.
For instance, last weekend Marvin Ogburn, owner of Long Meadow Farm, gave me a Hubbard squash. It's smooth, grey-blue skin is alluring, and at roughly the size of a two year old, curled up for a nap, it demands attention. I hauled my huge Hubbard home and headed for the kitchen to roast it. Forty whacks with a cleaver got through the thick shell and I carved it into four parts. Seeds scooped out, I rubbed the exposed insides with olive oil, seasoned it with salt and pepper, and baked it for a little over an hour at 400 F.
This is where the insanity begins. Once roasted, the entire squash produced just over 16 cups of beautiful, burnt-orange pumpkin. Now, a man - or woman - can only bake so many pies. I had already made soup earlier that week. What to do with lots and lots of extra pumpkin?
What came to mind first? Pumpkin bread, cookies, or ravioli? Nope, quesadillas seemed like the perfect solution. And they were. Four cups down, 12 to go. Stay turned for pumpkin pancakes...
NOTE: If you aren’t feeding a family of 10 on the farm you can easily find smaller, and easier to split open, Hubbard squash that will give you the perfect amount of purée for a few recipes or a couple of pies.
Pumpkin Quesadillas
Serves 6-8
Rich and hearty these quesadillas balance earthy, sweet pumpkin with sharp red onion, smoky Spanish paprika and spicy Chorizo sausage. Sharp cheddar holds everything together between crisp flour tortillas. Perfect as a snack and satisfying enough for a one-dish dinner.
Photograph by Sam Armocido
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
3 links Mexican (uncured) Chorizo
1 red onion, diced
2 cups Hubbard squash purée
1 tsp Spanish paprika
1 tsp Sherry vinegar
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tomato, seeded and diced
10-12 6” flour tortillas
Directions:
Cook Chorizo: Warm 1 tbs olive oil in a 12” skillet over medium heat. Remove casings from Chorizo and brown sausage in a 12” skillet, crumbling it while it cooks. When fully cooked, remove sausage with a slotted spoon and reserve, leaving fat in the fan.
Prepare pumpkin mixture: Return pan to medium heat. Add oil if needed to make 2 tbs in the pan. Add onion and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add squash purée and heat through. Season with paprika, Sherry vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix sausage into squash.
Assemble quesadillas: Top 1 tortilla with about 1/4 cup cheese. Add 1/2 cup pumpkin and sausage mixture. Top with about 2 tbs chopped tomato and 1/4 cup cheese. Finish with a second tortilla. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Cook quesadillas: Warm 1 tbs olive oil in a 10” skillet over medium heat. Cook, turning once, until tortilla is crisp and brown in spots and cheese is melted, about 3-4 minutes per side. Slice to serve.
TIP: A pizza cutter is the best way to slice quesadillas. A knife pushes all the filling out.
