Gluten Freebird

There are two schools of thought for what you think of when you think Halloween. One is the school of candy, costumes, and witches. My school is that of pumpkin foods. Halloween means that it’s gourd season with pie, bread, pumpkin rolls and impending holidays.

My favorite savory pumpkin dish doesn’t use pumpkin as an ingredient, but rather as the cooking vessel. I always look at the giant patches of pumpkins wondering if any will have a fate that doesn’t involve carved mutilation. Though I have to tip my hat to the many nearby porches who dedicated their pumpkins to fun political messages and really creative animal carvings.

Of course I didn’t think to buy a cooking pumpkin until November 1st, so I had to impose on a friend for her extra pumpkin. If you have a spare uncarved pumpkin, make this dish. Otherwise, I saw pie pumpkins at the farmers market this morning.

This dish screams of childhood comforts. It’s creamy, hearty and so much fun. It’s basically a casserole in a pumpkin. You can carve out some of the pumpkin’s guts for a nice bit of extra beta carotene.

There’s some flexibility with what goes into the dish. Add broccoli if you like, or play with the ratio of mushrooms to beef.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

(Adapted from The Washington Post)

Makes 6 servings.

1 ½ cups wild rice
1 small to medium pumpkin (the size of a regular soccer ball)
1 to 2 tbs canola or olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cups finely chopped button mushrooms (may include stems)
1 lb lean ground beef
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs wheat-free tamari
2 tbs light or dark brown sugar
1 can (10 ¾ oz) low-fat cream of mushroom soup (I use Amy’s)
1 can (8 oz) water chestnut slices, drained and diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have ready a sturdy rimmed baking sheet.

Cook wild rice.

Cut off the top of the pumpkin (as you would if you were carving a jack-o’-lantern), to be used later as a lid, and set aside. Discard the pulp and seeds, making a clean, hollow space inside. Set the pumpkin on the baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for a few minutes to soften, then add the mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes to release juices. Add the meat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring to break up any clumps of beef, until no pink remains.

Add the wheat-free tamari, brown sugar and soup, stirring to combine. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the water chestnuts and 1 ½ cups cooked rice.

Transfer the mixture to the pumpkin; cover the top with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes or until the mixture inside has heated through and the pumpkin flesh is tender when pierced with a fork. Scoop out the stew and a bit of pumpkin, serve warm.