By Nancy Hoover
On a recent hunt to find the most unique pumpkins grown in Paso Robles, I stopped in for a visit at Jack Creek Farms located just off of Highway 46 West. Jack Creek Farms is a true treat for families, couples and groups that seek a unique fall experience filled with farm activities, including a u-pick pumpkin patch, bakery and bistro, dummy steer and lasso, hay stack and much more! To my delight, I pulled up just when a throng of smiling kindergartners was loading their school bus with their perfectly round pumpkins ready to be transformed into Jack-o-Lanterns. I perused the children’s findings and discovered we weren’t hunting the same pumpkin. I was on the hunt for less conventional pumpkins. My pumpkins needed be unusual shades of orange, blue, or green, abnormal in shape, and the more scars, scratches and warts, the better.
I found exactly what I wanted at Jack Creek Farms. I loved the turquoise green pumpkin I found for a nice fall display on my front porch, and to my surprise the bright tangerine pumpkin that I purchased is also great for any recipe that calls for pumpkin. Jack Creek Farms also has an incredible inventory of squash and gourds too, perfect for fall decorating or baking! Thinking of the possibilities made me excited, especially the thought of homemade pumpkin ravioli – yummy!! I plan to use the below pasta dough recipe from Chef Andre Averseng for my raviolis.
Joy Barlogio who owns Jack Creek Farms and Jack Creek Winery with her husband Tim shared a few recipes with me that will be perfect for Thanksgiving when my pumpkins retire from display. She explained the best way to prepare pumpkin for any recipe is to simply chop the pumpkin into big chunks and cook in the oven at 350 degrees F until tender. Once tender, you then mash the pumpkin to create a paste similar to the consistency of mashed potatoes that can be used in muffins, pie, cheesecake, you name it! You can freeze the paste to store it, and then thaw it out when a recipe calls for pumpkin. Check out the great recipes from Jack Creek Farms below.
Whether you plan to use your pumpkins for cooking, decorating or carving, Jack Creek Farms has a great selection of ordinary and not so ordinary pumpkins for children and adults.
Becky’s Easy Pumpkin Soup
1 ½ Tbsp melted butter
½ onion, finely chopped
1 ½ Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup cream
1 cup pumpkin, cooked and mashed
½ red bell pepper finely chipped
½ tsp salt
Dash of pepper and/or cumin
Instructions: Melt butter in saucepan. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Whisk in flour and stir constantly 1 to 2 minutes until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Add chicken broth slowly, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil and add cream, pumpkin and bell pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes to bring out the flavors. Season with salt, pepper and cumin to taste.
Farmhouse Honey Pumpkin Pie
1 ½ cups mashed cooked pumpkin
¾ cup yellow star thistle honey
Pinch of baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 ½ cups evaporated milk
¼ cup melted butter
1 unbaked 10” pie shell
Instructions: Mix pumpkin, honey, baking soda, salt and spices and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, milk and butter. Mix thoroughly and pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees F for 1 hour or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Top will be glossy, be careful not to over bake!
Chef Andre’s Pasta Dough Recipe
1 pound all purpose flour
4-6 medium eggs
1-2 ounces water
Pinch of salt
½ ounce olive oil
Intructions: Mix by hand until desired consistency of dry pasta dough that isn’t too wet, but integrated. Knead the dough by hand, let it rest at room temperature, then roll out to cut pasta of choice.
Photos courtesy of Jack Creek Farms
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