It's March & We Still Have Pumpkins

It is March and we still have pumpkins from this past fall.  We grew a bunch of pumpkins this year - three different varieties.  The other two varieties were processed and frozen, but we still had some Jack-Be-Little pumpkins in a basket. You know Jack-Be-Littles.  They are those little "decorative" pumpkins that everyone uses as a centerpiece or puts them in a basket on the counter to add to the whole 'fall' decor.

When fall turns to spring, most people just throw them out.

The Last of the Jack Be Little Pumpkins

But there's gotta be something that you can do with them other than just throw them away or compost them, right?  Of course there is.  Tricia found a very simple recipe HERE.  It was adapted from the Barefoot Contessa cook book.  These little pumpkins aren't only good to look at - they are good to eat!

First, preheat the oven to 350 and then cut off the caps and hang onto them.  We'll use them later. Scoop out all the seeds with a spoon.  Later on we'll roast those in the oven with some butter, salt and garlic powder.

Scooping out the seeds

What you have remaining is an empty pumpkin shell.  Sprinkle the inside of the pumpkin with kosher salt and black pepper.

Then fill each of the pumpkins with applesauce.  That looks festive, doesn't it?

Ready to Roast

Put the caps on the Jack-Be-Little Pumpkins and pop them in the preheated oven. Let them roast between 45 minutes and an hour.  You'll be able to tell that the pumpkin flesh is tender.

In the oven

Even though it is spring, when you pull them out of the oven and take the cap off, the whole kitchen fills with the smell of fall.

Ready to Eat!

Now if you'd like, you can sprinkle a little cinnamon on it.  Take your spoon and scrape the inside of the pumpkin to mix the pumpkin and applesauce.

Mixing it up

And now it is time to eat...

The first spoonful

Jack-Be-Little Pumpkins.  They're not just for decoration anymore!