A week of…pumpkin

Good morning, and Happy weekend!

I was wondering what to cover in my ‘a week of…’ posts this week, and as I made a huge batch of pumpkin puree last week, I thought I would demonstrate how I used up the pumpkin.  It was in full flow with Thanksgiving in the week – even though we don’t celebrate in the UK, I made the effort to make a Thanksgiving themed dinner for Ben and I

So how else does a ‘girl from the UK’ use up pumpkin…read on to find out:

Now, I’ve not been brought up eating pumpkin.  Our jack o’lantern was never turned into soup or pie – it went in the bin (that was before everyone had a composter in their kitchen.

I never even ate butternut squash or sweet potato until I went to University aged 19 (I worked for a year to pay my way). So most of what I’ve learned has come from blogs and recipe books.

So I started my week with pumpkin stirred into my porridge with a drizzle of pumpkin and maple syrup topping

Monday pumpkin porridge

Sorry about the photo, but I took it at work – pumpkin soup, made with haricot beans and carrots and of course, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.  Topped with a blob of redcurrant jelly – yum!

Tuesday pumpkin soup

I stuffed and baked a mini-pumpkin – full of tinned tuna, home-dried cranberries, finely chopped sprout tops and a little cheese for melting.  I served it cold for lunch on Wednesday

Wednesday stuffed munchkin

Thursday was Thanksgiving and I started the day with a healthy pumpkin pie – It was porridge, baked to make a ‘crust’ and topped with a yogurt and pumpkin mixture – thickened with a little xanthan gum.  Topped with toasted peacans and a drizzle of maple syrup

Thursday pumpkin pie breakfast

To round out the week, I made the most amazing protein hot chocolate with pumpkin puree and banana – I go the idea from Kristy at Keepin’ It Kind, and it really was oh so good – so much so that I might make a pumpkin latte now…

Friday pumpkin hot chocolate

Farmer’s Market

Don’t read on if you are squeamish…

I went to the Farmer’s Market again this week, and bought some things I am really excited about:

Farmer’s Market

A sprout top, pheasant burgers, a cheese and chive bread roll, a rabbit (sorry if you’re squeamish), herbs – sage and thyme –  sprouts and a couple more golden beetroot.

How do you eat pumpkin?  Do you use up an ingredient all week, or do you like to spread it out?  Have you ever jointed a rabbit?

Tagged: breakfast, Farmer's market, Halloween, Jack O'Lantern, Lunch, maple syrup, Pumpkin, Pumpkin and Squash, Pumpkin pie, Soup, Thanksgiving