Pumpkins in their prime

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Anne Cuggino, chef of the Veritable Quandary restaurant, focuses on cooking with local, sustainable ingredients -- and right now that means pumpkins. She uses squashes and pumpkins as mainstays of fall menus, and the local farmers' market is full of them. For Cuggino, that's convincing evidence autumn has really arrived.

"When pumpkins start turning, it's the first sign of the harvest season," she says. "For cooks that means changing your entire menu, so it's an exciting time. Just like tomatoes and corn define a restaurant menu in summer, pumpkins are the foundation of a seasonal-based menu in the fall."

Cuggino makes regular trips to the market to see what varieties of pumpkin and squash are ripening, and lets the produce inspire her dishes.

"I think it's kind of a European philosophy of cooking," she says. "I really enjoy going to the farm, seeing all these crazy-looking pumpkins, then cooking them, tasting them and figuring out what dishes they will work best with."

Cuggino, 34, grew up in Green Lawn, on Long Island, N.Y., and arrived at her present job by way of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park., N.Y., and after working at a variety of restaurants around the country. She's been at the Veritable Quandary since 1995.

To make the most of pumpkins' versatility, Cuggino has put together a four-course meal with pumpkins used creatively in each course.

There's a first course of seared sea scallops; a salad of pumpkin flowers, a main dish of quail, and what Cuggino calls a "Real Pumpkin Pie."

All recipes except the pie make 2 servings, so cooks may wish to adjust quantities for the first three dishes according to the number of diners.

First course

The seared scallop dish includes a tasty romesco sauce, which often includes almonds. "Replacing the traditional ground almonds with ground pepitas (pumpkin seeds) gives this romesco a seasonal twist," Cuggino says. "The smokiness of the paprika is a delicious accent to the tartness of the apple and the sweet frites."

Seared Sea Scallops

with Purée of Pumpkin and Green Apple, Pepita Romesco and Crispy Pumpkin Frites

For pepita romesco:

4 red bell peppers, cut very fine julienne

3 medium onions, cut very fine julienne

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika (see note)

1 teaspoon cayenne

1/3 cup toasted ground pepitas (if you can't find pumpkin seeds, use almonds)

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

To make the romesco: Cook peppers and onions in olive oil over medium heat until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add garlic, paprika and cayenne, and cook for another 10 minutes. Add ground pepitas, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste; cook for 5 minutes.

For the Pumpkin and Green Apple Purée:

2 cups diced pumpkin

1 green apple, peeled, cored and chopped

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

To make the purée: In a saucepan with water to cover, boil the pumpkin and apple together until cooked through (test with a fork), about 20 minutes. Purée the mixture with the butter and honey in food processor or by hand. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the pumpkin frites:

1 Kabocha pumpkin (or other dense-fleshed pumpkin)

Canola oil

Salt and pepper to taste

To make the frites: Peel pumpkin and julienne until you have about 1 cup (use a mandoline if you have one). Fry the pumpkin in hot canola oil (350 degrees) about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain off excess oil into a paper towel.

For the sea scallops:

4 large sea scallops

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter

Pumpkin seed oil for garnish (if unavailable, olive oil is a good substitute)

To make the scallops: Season scallops to taste with salt and pepper. Sear scallops in a very hot pan at high heat with a little butter until brown and crisp on both sides (about 2 minutes per side). Be careful not to overcook the scallops; they should be slightly opaque in the center.

Place 2 scallops per serving on a bed of the Pumpkin and Apple Purée. Top each scallop with 1/2 tablespoon of romesco and about 1 tablespoon of the frites. Finish with a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil.

Makes 2 servings.

Note: Smoked paprika is available in some supermarkets, especially in Spanish-Latin food sections; you may substitute regular paprika if you cannot find smoked. Leftover romesco sauce can be used to accompany most meats and fish.

Salad course

Cuggino says her recipe for fried pumpkin flowers can be made with any type of pumpkin flower. "Harvest the male flowers early in the season," she says. "The female flower has a swollen stem and produces the squash later in the fall."

For the pesto: "Substituting the pumpkin seeds for pine nuts, and parsley for basil, is another way to give a classic menu item a fun, seasonal twist."

Cuggino uses sheep's milk ricotta, but regular ricotta works fine.

Fried Pumpkin Flowers

stuffed with ricotta over field greens with a pumpkin seed pesto vinaigrette

For the Fried Pumpkin Flowers:

3 tablespoons ricotta

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

2 pumpkin flowers, rinsed inside and out

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Combine ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. Fill flowers with cheese mixture, season with salt and pepper. Roll the stuffed flowers in flour and dip in a light beer batter (recipe follows). Fry in hot olive oil (350 degrees) for about 4 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

For light beer batter:

2/3 cup flour

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped basil

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 1/4 cups light-body beer

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together all dry ingredients; add buttermilk and beer and whisk until smooth.

For the pesto vinaigrette:

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

1/2 cup packed chopped Italian parsley

2 tablespoons toasted pepitas

4 tablespoons pumpkin seed oil (or substitute olive oil)

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

To make the pesto: Purée garlic, cheese, parsley, pepitas and 2 tablespoon pumpkin seed oil in a food processor. Add the vinegar, olive oil, remaining pumpkin seed oil and honey and whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the salad:

2 cups (10 ounces) mixed field greens, or mesclun

Garnish: Shavings of Parmesan cheese, crushed toasted pumpkin seeds

To make the salad: Dress the greens with the pesto vinaigrette and divide between two plates. Top greens with a fried pumpkin flower and a shaving or two of Parmesan cheese. Garnish with crushed pumpkin seeds.

Makes 2 servings.

Main course

Cuggino likes quail as an option for her roast dish because "quail is very rich in flavor, and I think it pairs very well with the smoke and spiciness of the chorizo." The chorizo sauté is a hearty side that would also go very well with chicken, if quail is unavailable, she adds.

Sage-roasted Quail

on a sauté of chorizo, pumpkin and Swiss chard

1 Red Kuri or Kabocha pumpkin, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch chunks, about 1 cup (see note)

A few sprigs of fresh thyme

Olive oil

1/4 cup finely sliced shallot

1/2 stick butter (3 1/2 ounces)

1/2 cup crumbled chorizo sausage

2 cups (about half a bunch, or 10 ounces) Swiss chard, preferably red chard, blanched for 2 minutes, chopped

3/4 cup chicken stock

4 semi-boned quail (6 to 8 ounces each), or 2 chicken breasts with leg attached

1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Roast pumpkin chunks in a pan with fresh thyme and a little olive oil at 400 degrees until soft and caramelized, about 1/2 hour. Sauté shallots in 1 tablespoon butter. Add chorizo and cook briefly. Add roast pumpkin and Swiss chard and sauté briefly, about 5 minutes.

Add chicken stock and remaining butter, season with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes until the stock has reduced to a nice saucy consistency, slightly viscous.

Meanwhile, rub the quail all over with sage, salt and pepper, and place remaining seasoning in body cavity. Quickly brown quail on all sides in a little oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place skillet in center rack of the oven with quail breast-sides up and roast for 8 to 10 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a fork into the leg; the juices should run clear.

Remove quail from oven and serve atop pumpkin sauté.

Makes 2 servings.

Note: Red Kuri is a Japanese variety of pumpkin, with a beautiful, deep-orange color, good flavor and semidry flesh.

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For her Real Pumpkin Pie, "I like to use an all-butter crust," Cuggino says. "I like the richness of flavor, and the crust will be sturdy enough to hold a wet filling."

Real Pumpkin Pie

For the crumbly topping:

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup, 1 stick, butter, cold

2 tablespoons minced candied ginger

3 tablespoons flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

Rub all ingredients together with your fingertips, to combine into crumbly mixture.

For the filling:

2 cups puréed, cooked pumpkin (see note)

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground clove

3 eggs

1 1/2 ounces bourbon

Prebaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell (see note)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour filling into a pre-baked, homemade 9-inch pie shell (use your favorite pie crust recipe). Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Top with crumb mixture and bake for a further 45 minutes, or until set in center. Allowing the pie to cool overnight before serving will enhance the flavor.

Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Note: To make puréed, cooked pumpkin: Cut pumpkin in half horizontally and place in a roasting pan in 1/4 inch of water. Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees until tender -- time will vary with pumpkin size and variety. Purée in a food processor. For the pie container, Cuggino says a standard 9-inch pie dish will work fine, but a deep pie dish will work better, as the filling is plentiful.

All recipes from Anne Cuggino, chef of the Veritable Quandary restaurant, Portland, Ore.

ENJOY PUMPKINS YEAR-ROUND

Anne Cuggino, chef of the Veritable Quandary restaurant, offers some tips about making the most of squashes and pumpkins year-round.Summer squash

Harvesting tips: If you have ever gone out of town for a few days when your squash have been fruiting, you know how quickly they can mature. Within days, a 4-inch long squash can turn into a 2-foot long monster. With this in mind, it is important to catch the squash when they are still young and immature. The rinds should still be soft at the time of harvest.

Storage tips: Summer squash does not store as well as some of the other squashes and should be eaten relatively soon after harvest. The best storage environment is at 45 to 60 degrees in a well-ventilated area with 50 to 70 percent humidity.Winter squash

Harvesting tips: Unlike summer squash, winter squash should be harvested when the fruit is fully mature and the rinds are hard. We like to use the "thumbnail test." Take your thumbnail and puncture the fruit. If it is very easy to puncture, then the squash is not ready. If there is resistance, then it is ready to harvest.

Cut the vine about 1 inch from the fruit when the vine starts to dry. Allow the fruits to air cure in the field for 7 to 10 days, making sure that the fruits are protected from heavy rains and frosts.

Storage tips: To avoid rot during storage, wipe the fruits with a solution of water and bleach at a 10-to-1 ratio. Store at 45 to 60 degrees in an area with good airflow and 50 to 70 percent humidity.Pumpkins and gourds

Harvesting tips: Pumpkins can be harvested after their rinds are hard and their skins have turned orange. Prolonged temperatures in the field of 50 degrees or less can result in chilling damage. When harvesting pumpkins, make sure to leave at least 3 to 4 inches of the vine attached to the fruit. This will allow for better storage ability. Gourds should be allowed to mature on the vine for as long as possible, keeping in mind that they will also succumb to chilling damage. One to two weeks of temperatures below 50 degrees is enough to damage the plants. To prevent gourds from rotting, wipe the fruits with a solution of water and bleach at a 10-to-1 ratio.

Storage tips: Both pumpkins and gourds should be stored at 55 to 70 degrees and at 70 percent relative humidity. When drying gourds, it is best to store them in a warm, dry location and make sure they are not touching each other. Rotate pumpkins that are being stored so that they do not flatten. Remember that some pumpkins get sweeter as they sit; the sugars need time to develop. A fresh pumpkin isn't always the sweetest.

--AP