Fall - Fresh Pumpkin Delights

Pumpkin Custard Pie

Step 1:   Mix well with a fork

1 ½ cups mashed fresh pumpkin

¾ cup sugar
1 ¼ teas cinnamon
1 teas ginger
½ teas nutmeg
½ teas cloves

Step 2:    Add and mix well

3 large eggs

12 oz can evaporated milk

 ¼ cup whole milk

Prepare a pie pan with a bottom pastry crust. Pour well mixed filling into the pie.

Bake 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted half way between center and outside comes out clean.  Cool on a rack. Serve breakfast, lunch, or dinner J

Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 12 muffins.  Great fun to make with kids!

Step 1:    In a bowl sift together:

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup sugar

2 teas baking powder

½ teas salt

½ teas nutmeg

Step 2:    In a separate bowl, mix well

1 large egg

½ cup milk

½ cup fresh mashed pumpkin

½ cup chopped pecans

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 teas grated orange rind

Step 3:     Add flour mixture to egg mixture. The batter will be lumpy. Spoon the batter into buttered or paper lined muffin tins. Dip 12 sugar cubes into ½ cup orange juice and press one cube into the center of the each muffin. Bake 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Fresh Mashed Pumpkin

Prepare a pumpkin as if you were going to carve it for Halloween. Cut the top off and scrape all the seeds and membranes off. Save this in a colander to make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (recipe follows). Line a cookie sheet with foil and place the pumpkin on it with the top placed back on top. Bake at 350 degrees until very soft and ready to be mashed. Timing depends on the size of the pumpkin. A very large pumpkin may take 3 hours and a small pumpkin may take 1 ½ hours.

Scoop the soft pumpkin flesh into a bowl and mash with a hand potato masher. Measure the desired amounts into plastic freezer bags and freeze for future use during the winter – 1 ½ cups for pie and ½ cup for muffins.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Rinse and clean off all pumpkin flesh and membranes from pumpkin seeds and put in a bowl. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and stir to coat well. Spread on a cookie sheet and salt lightly. Bake at 300 degrees, stirring every 10-15 minutes until lightly brown and crisp.

Summer Drinks II - Cocktails

Fresh Strawberry Daiquiri

Cut in quarters fresh strawberries to fill one half of a blender.  Add ¼ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, and 4 shots of rum. Puree in the blender. Add additional sugar to taste. Fill the blender with crushed ice to ¾ full and blend.

Arizona Style Whole Citrus Margaritas

(make 24 hours in advance)

Special equipment: Whole fruit juice machine such as a Juice Man.

Ingredients:

2 navel oranges, cut in half, half again, and half again for the juicer
1 lemon, cut in pieces the same size as the orange
1 lime, cut in pieces the same size as the orange
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons Cointreau orange liquor
¼ cup Triple Sec
¾ cup tequila – 100% agave-reposado
¼ cup superfine sugar
8 cups ice cubes

Process:

·         Cut the citrus in desired pieces for the juice machine.
·         Juice the citrus pieces.
·         Mix the citrus juice and the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate overnight.
·         Put citrus mixture and four cups of ice in a blender, pulse a few times and then blend on high until smooth.
·         Add the remaining four cups of ice and blend until smooth and can be poured into a glass.

 Garrett’s Boat Drink

½ cup passion fruit juice, chilled
1 ½ ounces Triple Sec
1 ½ ounces Rum

Mix together well and pour over ice.

Clear Chocolate Martinis

Melt white chocolate in a bowl in the microwave, starting at 30 seconds on high. Stir. Continue to melt at 15 second intervals until it is melted and is smooth when stirred. Dip the rim of a martini glass in the white chocolate and put in the freezer for an hour to firm the chocolate. Dip the pointed ends of large strawberries in the white chocolate to coat half way up the strawberry. Put the chocolate coated strawberries in the refrigerator, on a plate lined with wax paper, for an hour to firm the chocolate.

¼ cup vanilla Stoli (vodka)

¼ cup clear Godiva chocolate liquor or crème de cacao

Pour over ice in a cocktail shaker and shake until cold. Pour into the prepared martini glass. Make a slice in the large strawberry part way in half from the pointed end that was dipped in the white chocolate. Slide the cut strawberry onto the rim of the glass as a decoration. Enjoy!

Summer Drinks

Fresh Peppermint Iced Tea

(make 24 hours in advance)

3 green tea bags

1 quart boiling water

6 tablespoons sugar

½  lemon sliced thin

A large generous bunch of fresh peppermint

2 cups cold water

Steep the tea bags in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Add sugar and lemon and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the mint and cold water. Refrigerate overnight. Remove the mint and lemon.

Fresh Lemonade

(make 24 hours in advance)

Make the lemon syrup: Add to a medium size saucepan the rind of 2 lemons, 1 ¼ cups sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cool the syrup. Add the juice of five medium lemons, stir the syrup well and refrigerate overnight.
Make the lemonade: Use 2 tablespoons of the syrup to 5-6 ounces of cold water or to taste. Add ice as desired. Keeps in a closed jar in the refrigerator for two weeks.

My Orange Julius

1 cup orange juice, fresh if possible

½ cup non-fat dry milk powder

1 ½ tablespoon sugar

Few drops vanilla extract

½ cup crushed ice

Combine all ingredients except the ice in a blender and mix well. Add ice and mix until refined to drink.

Watermelon Lemonade

(make 24 hours in advance)

In a one gallon container steep overnight:

½ small watermelon cut in 1-2 inch cubes, a pint of raspberries, ¾ cup sugar, and 1 ½ lemons thinly sliced – stir and then refrigerate overnight.

Stir or shake. Add six cups of cold water and stir or shake again to mix well.