I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion. Henry David Thoreau
Autumn arrived a couple of weeks ago with a seasonal cool spell in my area. We even turned on the fireplace for a bit, but we may have left a window or two open. Just as quickly as autumn came for a visit, summer decided to hang around for a little bit longer.
That’s the way it works in Arkansas. Don’t like the weather? Just hang around for a little while and it will change. I hear the Farmers Almanac is predicting an October snow as a way of putting out the welcome mat for a looonnnng winter. But who knows?
The temps may not be heralding Fall, but it has arrived in the way of pumpkins bursting with multiple hues and warts. The leaves are beginning to change color, acorns are dropping their bing-bang greetings on our roof, and our resident mallard, Frack, is in his pre-winter stage of raggedy molting.
I just love, love the change of the seasons and can’t imagine living where that does not occur. Even the beach, and you know how much I love the beach.
So I’ve pulled up the summer annuals and sweet potato vine, which by the way threatened to take over our house (Hubs calls it my “kudzu” vine, and have a truck load of pansies to plant in their place. The front door wreath has been switched to its autumn cousin, mums have replaced geraniums, and pumpkins of all sorts, shapes and sizes abound on the front steps.
It may be 90 degrees outside, but I’m determined to stage an open house for fall.
This Roasted Pumpkin with Browned Butter and Sage just says autumn to me. It’s naturally sweet but not too much. The sage, browned butter and shallots just add extra depth and nuance of flavor that you are sure to enjoy.
- 1 medium sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into large chunks
- 1/2 cup browned butter*
- 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, shredded
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil (or sage olive oil)**
- 3 shallots, peeled and quartered
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with some of the olive oil.
- Spread the pumpkin, sage leaves, shallots and remainder of the olive oil on the baking sheet.
- Brush with browned butter and bake for approximately 45 minutes until the pumpkin is tender; brush with browned butter about half way through the roasting.
- Brush again with the browned butter when the pumpkin is removed from the oven.
- *To make 1/2 cup browned butter: Start with 1 cup unsalted butter. Melt butter over low heat in a stainless steel pan (not nonstick) until it has become liquefied. Turn the heat up to medium to brown the butter. Watch carefully to prevent the butter from burning. When it stops sputtering, strain the browned butter through cheesecloth or a coffee filter to remove any sediment. Allow to cool.
- **To make sage oil: Heat 2 cups of extra virgin olive oil and 1 cup of sage leaves until the leaves begin to sizzle. Remove from the heat; cover and allow to cool completely. Using a coffee filter and sieve, strain the oil into a sealable container and store in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature or microwave for a few seconds before using.
For another taste of autumn, give this Pumpkin Spice Latte a try. I’ll be sharing some more ideas for pumpkin and its relatives throughout the month; I never tire of it. You can catch me on THV11 on October 28 where I’ll be sharing some pumpkin favs. Here are some of ours:
Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies
Caramel Glazed Pumpkin-Pear Hand Pies
Spiced Pumpkin Biscoff Cheesecake
Pumpkin-Cranberry Custard {Slow Cooker}
How about you? What are some of your favorite pumpkin dishes?
I’m with you on needing to live where there are definite changes in the weather. I’m also ready for cooler temperature, but I hope that almanac is wrong!
Oh heavens, me too! One good snow a year is all I care to have:)
It was 101 degrees in Dallas yesterday. Happy to be living in Fayetteville now! Your dish looks amazing. I bet the same recipe would be delish made with butternut squash too. Oh yum.
It absolutely would work. I’ve done that as well. Hooray for Fayetteville, but I do miss Central Market:(
Pumpkin is my favorite. I can’t wait to try this.
Just wait til you get a look at what’s coming up soon. I’m working up ideas for my 3 minutes of fame on Ch 11 on the 28th–all pumpkin.