Jim Decker/Courtesy
Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017 | 2 a.m.
Tips on butchering a pumpkin
• Slice the pumpkin into segments like you would a melon.
• Cut out all of the interior strings and seeds and discard.
• Using a sharp knife or vegetable peeler, remove the skin.
• Save the seeds for roasting.
Varieties
You might be drawn to gargantuan pumpkins, but they’re stringy and taste watery. Cooking site The Kitchn suggests looking for those generically labeled “sugar pumpkins” or “pie pumpkins” that weigh 4-8 pounds.
Ripeness
Horticulturists advise that healthy pumpkins last 8-12 weeks after they’ve been picked, provided they’re kept in the ideal temperature window of 50-55 degrees.
Ripeness
Horticulturists advise that healthy pumpkins last 8-12 weeks after they’ve been picked, provided they’re kept in the ideal temperature window of 50-55 degrees.
Most people don’t eat the pumpkins they buy during the fall holidays. That’s a wise move when it comes to carved Halloween specimens that quickly rot, but the flesh of those left whole for decoration can be a wonderful ingredient for soups, muffins, pancakes and more.
La Cave’s culinary team balances the sweet and savory in its seasonal flatbread, with warm spices and a little sugar on one side and salty cured ham and peppery arugula on the other. While you’re welcome to make your own crust like the Wynn restaurant does, buying one premade makes this a lightning-fast appetizer.
For pumpkin purée
• 1 pumpkin, skinned, seeded and finely diced
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• water as needed
• salt as needed
• vegetable oil
1. Heat sauté pan to medium and add 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add diced pumpkin and sauté until lightly brown and tender. Add spices, sugar and cream. Add enough water to cover and cook until soft.
2. In a blender, add your pumpkin purée and blend until smooth. Add water if needed. Season lightly with salt.
Additional ingredients and directions
• 1 package prebaked pizza crust
• 3 oz mozzarella, shredded
• handful of arugula
• 2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• 2 oz sliced prosciutto, diced
1. Spoon pumpkin purée evenly over the crust, leaving a 1-inch border around edges. Top with mozzarella cheese.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake pizza directly on oven rack for 12 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with diced prosciutto, goat cheese and arugula. Cut and serve immediately.
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