Pumpkin has new autumn job: stew container

  • Martha Stewart Living Magazine
  • Wednesday, October 15, 2008 2:53pm
  • Life

Every year, I grow a great variety of pumpkins and squashes in my garden.

Most are used for autumnal decorating projects, of course, but some are also excellent for eating, and I love to save a few specimens of the extra-special culinary Cucurbita (the botanical name for the genus) for a cooking project or two.

Last autumn I harvested some very beautiful heirloom pumpkins known as “Long Island Cheese.” These pumpkins grow medium to large in size, have a flattened, moderately ribbed shape, and do actually resemble a wheel of cheese.

Its pinkish-tan skin holds up well during cooking. For that reason, I decided to use it as the “pot” for a delicious pumpkin stew.

The recipe, by Pierre Schaedelin, is a delicious mix of fall vegetables that are roasted and then combined with browned and roasted chicken pieces.

RECIPE: STUFFED PUMPKIN STEW

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

10Brussels sprouts, trimmed

6ounces green beans, trimmed

4ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed

1cheese pumpkin (about 10 pounds), seeded, top reserved

3/4cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

10chicken thighs and legs, skin-on

1cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

2tablespoons unsalted butter

3medium crisp baking apples (any type), cored and quartered

1jar (7 ounces) vacuum-packed whole peeled chestnuts

12ounces baby white potatoes, quartered

2leeks, halved, light-green and white parts only, rinsed well and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch-thick slices

5carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices

2turnips, cut into eighths

4parsnips, cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices

1/2medium butternut squash, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

2tablespoons thinly sliced garlic

1/2cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add Brussels sprouts and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to ice-water bath. Repeat with green beans and snap peas. Drain.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub inside of pumpkin and the cut side of its top with 3 tablespoons oil. Place pumpkin and top on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until they are tender but still holding shape, about 1 hour.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook chicken until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove excess fat from skillet. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding 1 tablespoon oil to skillet with each batch. Place chicken on a baking sheet. Add stock to skillet, and bring to a boil, scraping bottom. Pour stock into a small bowl.

Roast chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Reserve pan juices.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in chestnuts and remove from heat.

Combine potatoes, leeks, carrots, turnips, parsnips, squash and celery root in a large bowl. Toss with remaining 1/2 cup oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread vegetables in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until golden and tender, about 40 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts, green beans, snap peas, apple mixture and the garlic, and toss. Roast until garlic is golden brown and vegetables are heated through, about 10 minutes.

Combine chicken, vegetables, parsley, stock and 2 tablespoons reserved pan juices in a large bowl. Place mixture in pumpkin and roast until heated through, about 15 minutes. Slice pumpkin into wedges and serve with some stew.

Addressed to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd St., New York, NY 10036. E-mail to mslletters@marthastewart.com.

&Copy; 2008 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.

Talk to us

More in Life

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay walks into the Prohibition Grille along Hewitt Avenue in Everett Wednesday Dec. 5, 2012 while reportedly filming an episode of Kitchen Nightmares at the Everett restaurant. (Mark Mulligan / The Herald)
Even more films and TV shows filmed in Snohomish County

Readers point out projects previously missed in this series, from reality television to low-budget indie films.

Daniella Beccaria / for The Herald

15-month-old Kantu attempts to climb a pumpkin at Stocker Farms in Snohomish on Sunday, September 20th, 2015. Stocker Farms offers a U-pick patch, farm animals and a corn maze.
Best pumpkin patch in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied, here are the results.

Everett comedian Taylor Clark performs stand-up in 2023 at The Triple Door in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mike Bryk)
Comedian Taylor Clark to film first special Friday in Everett

The skateboarding funny-man will record an hour of his stand-up at the Historic Everett Theater.

Local musician Alex Johnston, whose newest album "Daylight Fooldream" pairs with short film he made with help from his partner Mikaela Henderson, sits with his morning coffee on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, at Narrative Coffee in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Folktronica musician shoots 37-minute visual album on iPhone in Everett

Alex Johnston, 31, describes his music as ”if Coldplay and Bon Iver had a love child.”

Death of parent with child. Piece of paper with parents and children is torn in half.
Helping children cope with the hard realities of divorce

I’s important to set aside one’s feelings and find a way to make this challenging transition as comfortable for children as you can.

In Belgium, each type of beer has its own glass – whether wide, tall, or fluted – to show off its distinct qualities.
Rick Steves’ Europe: Bruges brews lift a weary traveler’s spirits

The Belgian city is a mecca for beer lovers from around the world.

Children’s author Barbara Herkert to lead Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop, Friday September 29th, 9:30-10:00 am!
Author to read her new kids book at Edmonds bookstore

Author Barbara Herkert will read “This Old Madrone Tree” Friday at Edmonds Bookshop.

Flowering knotweed Persicaria amplexicaulis firetail in the morning light.
Save for one infamous variety, fleece flowers are easy to fall in love with

This long-blooming, easy-to-grow perennial comes in many desirable varieties. But watch out: One is an invasive knotweed.

A view of King Street Station in Seattle, Washington from an Amtrak Cascades train to Portland, Oregon from Everett, Washington on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Ride the rails on Amtrak Cascades from Everett to Portland

Make new friends and let Amtrak do the driving on this 5-hour trip past sea, city and forest.

Most Read