This Thanksgiving Season brought a smaller group to our table, but that didn't deter the festivities that accompany Thanksgiving Day. We all enjoyed the Parades, Football Games, Pumpkin Pie and a very new creation for the table.
In the past, I have always had a 10 to 14lb Butterball Turkey. This year, with fewer guests, we decided to have just a Turkey Breast. As usual, I brined the breast for five hours before roasting. This really helps with making a moist and flavorful roast. Since I didn't have the whole bird to stuff, I had to think up something different to do.
My friend and I were in Newport, TN and stopped by Carver Applehouse Restaurant. Enjoyed a great lunch and then went to the barn to pick up apples from their orchard. While in the barn, I discovered cheese pumpkins. I had never heard or seen this variety. My thoughts of pumpkins are the ones we carved as kids. That pumpkin is not used for "pumpkin pie"....very bitter and not suitable. But Cheese Pumpkins are just the gourd for making pies.
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| Cleaned and seeds removed. Saved the seeds for next years planting. |
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| Ready for the Oven Roast for 90 minutes at 350F. |
I prepared my usual bread stuffing recipe which included chopped celery, garlic, and sage leaves. . There are so many variations, I will let you use your own personal favorite.
After stuffing the pumpkin, I replaced the lid and placed on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. THIS IS ESSENTIAL FOR EASY REMOVAL FROM THE BAKING SHEET!! The parchment paper works as a sling to get the soft pumpkin onto your serving plate.
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| Ready for slicing and serving |
Time to set the table and enjoy the feast.
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| The garden is still giving excellent mesculin salad greens |
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| A beautiful slice of pumpkin and stuffing. |
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| And up goes the Christmas Tree for the Holiday Season 2011 |
Bon Appétit
and
Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!
2 comments:
Mr. Bill,
Admittedly I am pumpkin challenged but this is something I am going to have to try. That said I am going to have to sign up for your Pumpkin 101 class, lol. I take it that the cheese pumpkin has a sweet – ish flesh, are there any others that actually sweet or is it more in a range of less to most bitter?
Sounds like you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving and already have the tree up, hmm, so if you have any free time on your hand I have a couple trees that need to go up before the week is out… Just a thought - gary
Hi Bill, You all must have had a great Thanksgiving... Wow---that dressing (in the pumpkin) must have been fabulous. I've never heard of that...
After getting home from our trip, we fixed a turkey breast. Since there are only two of us, the turkey breast is plenty for us...
Love your Christmas tree.
Betsy
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