Centerpiece Pumpkin with Pumpkin Seed Pilaf

Great and tasty addition to a family gathering especially in the fall. Simply combine the filling, stuff the pumpkins and roast.

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Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 2 small pie pumpkins
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 medium onions, minced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin kernels

Method

Wash pumpkins outer shells well. Cut tops of the pumpkins and scoop out seeds and membranes. Preheat oven to 350. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Saute onion until lightly brown. Add celery and carrots. Saute a few minutes more. Add salt and 1/2 cup of water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add rice, rosemary and roasted pumpkin kernels. Fill pumpkin cavities with rice mixture. Place in baking dish and cover with foil (pumpkin, dish and all). Bake for 1 1/2 hours until kitchen is filled with the aroma of baked pumpkin! (Pumpkin sides should be soft enough to eat, but not collapsing.)

Notes: When my sons were 2 and 4 years old, we visited a local pumpkin patch. Of course, we carved jack-o-lanterns out of the pumpkins we chose that day, but I also explained to the boys that the pumpkin bread they love so much is made out of these same pumpkins. They didn't believe me, I guess because they?d always seen me dump out the glop from a can of pumpkin puree! So I set out to teach my boys how a whole pumpkin could become food! The stuffed pumpkin made a beautiful addition to the dinner table at Thanksgiving and quickly became a family favorite.

Number of servings: 6

Submitted By: kk1000
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