Digest: Pumpkin centerpiece for one

Sometimes feasting is small. A celebration for one, or two. Sometimes these celebrations are the most wonderful. This recipe embodies that intimate spirit for whatever fall or winter occasion.

Serves 1 or two

Ingredients:

For smoked pumpkin

  • one small sugar pumpkin, sliced in half, insides removed (think the size of a salad plate)

  • handful woodchips or steel cut oats

  • wok with lid

  • aluminum foil

    For glaze

  • 3 TBS maple syrup

  • 3 TBS coconut aminos or soy sauce

  • 2 tsp sumac (I get mine from Curio Spice; this is optional)

  • 1 TBS ghee or oil

  • Salt to taste

    For decoration

  • pomegranate seeds

  • dried pineapple

    For green sauce

  • 1/2 cup rough chopped dill

  • 1/2 cup rough chopped cilantro

  • 1 clove garlic

  • 1 TBS red wine vinegar

  • 1 tsp date sugar

    For the stuffing:

  • one head of purple raddichio

Method

  1. Smoke pumpkin: Cut cross hatches across the skin of your pumpkin to open up vents for sauce and smoke. Line your wok with aluminum foil. Add small handful of smoking wood chips (maple are nice) or oats. Read more about this process here. Turn on extractor fan (don’t miss this step.. maybe open a window). Arrange a coil of foil or use a metal grate to lift both pumpkin off chips. Arrange pumpkin and close lid and put wok to high. Once smoke begins to be evident through lid set a timer for 7 minutes and turn heat to medium. After 7 minutes remove wok from heat and let rest for 10 minutes. Be aware when you lift the lid smoke will come out.

  2. Preheat oven to 400. Rub pumpkin with ghee or oil, sprinkle with salt. Half raddichio and put one half in each side of pumpkin. Put on baking sheet (I like to line with parchment for easy clean up) on medium rack of oven.

  3. Meanwhile, prepare glaze: combine all ingredients and whisk well together. If the glaze looks thin, microwave for 30 seconds to begin to caramelize sugars. Periodically brush the pumpkin as it roasts with the glaze until the pumpkin is soft. Approximately 40 minutes.

  4. As the pumpkin cooks, prepare green sauce: In a small food processor or by hand, finely chop herbs and garlic. Whiz in the vinegar and sugar and spoon on to plates.

  5. Place steaming pumpkin on plate. Decorate with pineapple and pomegranate seeds.

  6. Carve for yourself to profound delight. Extra glaze? Use as a dipping sauce. You won’t regret it.