Recipes bring out best

CHUNKY PUMPKIN CHOWDER

3 tablespoons margarine or butter

2⁄3 cup chopped onion

1⁄2 cup diced green pepper

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon pepper

2 cups mashed pumpkin (fresh cooked or 1-16 ounce can)

1 (16-ounce) can cream-style corn

3 cups skim milk (or 1 cup nonfat dry milk crystals plus two and 1⁄2 cups water)

Melt margarine or butter over low heat in large saucepan. Add onion and green pepper and cook slowly until softened. Add salt, pepper, pumpkin and cream-style corn. Cook 5 to 10 minutes on low heat. Stir often to keep from sticking. Add milk slowly while stirring. Cook just to boiling, stirring all the time. Serve hot. Makes 7 one cup servings.

FRIED PUMPKIN BLOSSOMS

24 pumpkin blossoms

1⁄2 cup milk

2 eggs

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper

2⁄3 cup cracker crumbs or cornmeal

Cut your pumpkin blossoms off where the pumpkin starts on; take the center out and wash well. Make a batter of the milk, eggs, salt and pepper, and dip the blossoms in the batter; then in cracker crumbs or cornmeal and fry until light brown. Serve hot.

— Heritage Farms Pumpkin Recipes

PUMPKIN SQUARES
Crust:

1 box yellow cake mix

1⁄2 cup melted margarine

1 egg

1⁄4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

1 large can pumpkin pie mix

3 eggs

2⁄3 cup evaporated milk

1⁄2 cup brown sugar

Topping:

Reserved cake mix

3⁄4 cup white sugar

4 tablespoons margarine

1⁄2 cup chopped pecans

Measure 1 cup of cake mix and set aside for topping. To the remaining cake mix add melted margarine and egg. Mix until crumbly. Press into 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Beat together ingredients for filling. Pour over baked crust. Mix together topping ingredients and sprinkle over pumpkin mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

SPICY PUMPKIN BREAD

31⁄2 cups flour

3 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

1⁄2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1⁄8 teaspoon dill

1⁄4 cup shortening

11⁄4 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup raisins

1⁄2 cup chopped nuts

1 cup milk

Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, ginger, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; add dill. Cream shortening with brown sugar. Beat in eggs, canned pumpkin, raisins and nuts. Add milk. Mix about 1 minute. Spoon into 2 loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until browned.

— Recipes from Herbal Fare: Holborn Herb Growers Guild, Youngstown.

PUMPKIN WAFFLES

1⁄2 cup egg substitute (or 2 eggs)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup evaporated skim milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons margarine, melted and cooled

11⁄2 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1⁄2 cup pumpkin puree

1⁄2 cup chopped apples

1⁄3 cup chopped walnuts

Beat egg substitute and sugar together in mixing bowl. Add milk and margarine and beat until blended. Mix dry ingredients together and add to egg mixture. Stir just until blended. Stir in pumpkin, then add apples and nuts. Cook in hot waffle iron that has been prepared with a non-stick spray. Makes 16.

— Recipe from Healthy Heart Cookbook, published by the St. Elizabeth Cardiac Health Center

PUMPKIN CHIFFON PIE

3 egg yolks

1⁄2 cup sugar

11⁄4 cup cooked or canned pumpkin

1⁄2 cup milk

1⁄2 teaspoon salt (optional)

1⁄2 teaspoon ginger

1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1⁄4 cup cold water

3 stiffly beaten egg whites

1⁄2 cup sugar

1 baked 9-inch pie shell

Beat egg yolks with 1⁄2 cup sugar until thick. Add pumpkin, salt and spices. Cook in double boiler until thick. Soften gelatin in cold water. Stir into hot mixture. Beat egg whites and 1⁄2 cup sugar until stiff. Add to pumpkin mixture. Pour into cooled pie shell and chill. If desired spread with Cool Whip or top with pecans.

Recipe from Sharing Our Best: Immaculate Heart of Mary Family and Friends Cookbook