John Scheepers * Bantam, CT
There is nothing that I like more than to savor the goodness of homegrown vegetables and herbs through winter’s cold, dark months. Like serving my own pesto bubbling atop warm goat cheese with crackers. Or sneaking into the freezer for my choice of herbed butters. Or serving my pumpkin creme caramel on Thanksgiving.
Pumpkin Creme Caramel
Pour one cup of sugar into a heavy skillet. Slowly melt the sugar until it is a smooth, golden caramel. Pour the caramel into a 1 ½ quart soufflé dish, swirling it around to cover the bottom and 3” up the sides. Place the soufflé dish in a baking pan of cold water.
Combine the heavy cream, milk and vanilla paste in a saucepan. Heat to scalding and simmer for 8 minutes. In a large bowl, whip the eggs and egg yolks until frothy. Slowly add ½ cup sugar, blending well. Add the cooked pumpkin puree, beating until well incorporated and smooth. Add ever so small pinches of ground cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg if you like.
In steady stream, pour the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture while whisking. Pour the custard into the soufflé dish. Bake at 350 for one hour. Let it cool. Once cool, invert the creme caramel onto a larger plate with sides to catch the delicious caramel. Serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream sweetened with brown sugar and a hint of vanilla.
PS: To make cooked pumpkin puree, select a beautiful Rouge d’Etampes, Spookacular or Long Island Cheese pumpkin. Each pound produces about one cup of puree. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and fibers. Wipe the surface with a paper towel dipped in canola oil. Place the pumpkin halves on a baking sheet, fill with about an inch of water and cover with foil. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 60 to 90 minutes or until the pumpkin flesh is soft and tender when pierced with a knife.
