Summer Pumpkin

Have you ever heard of a summer pumpkin? Me neither. Until this one.

It’s called, looking in the freezer and stumbling on two more packages of pumpkin puree from this fall. So not really growing pumpkins in June...

I processed 8 pumpkins, in all, for freezing. I thought we had used them all, but alas there was some left. Since it is too hot for pumpkin pie, I used it as a hidden vegetable in our Israeli Couscous. Israeli couscous is little pasta beads, gems of flavor. Yum. We get it in the bulk foods section at the Natural Food Co-Op in Sioux Falls. It is really easy to cook. Only takes a few minutes— mostly unattended— which is awesome. And yes, you’re kids will eat it...well mine do anyway!

Pumpkin Israeli Couscous

2 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
2 cups Israeli Couscous (sometimes called pearl couscous or maftoul)
1 tablespoon butter or 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup puree pumpkin (If using canned pumpkin use about 1/4 cup, it’s much more potent... Add more if you need it)
Shake of parsley
Shake of curry
Salt and pepper to taste

Sautee butter and garlic on medium, until garlic is fragrant, add couscous cook until brown about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, bring up to a boil, turn down to low simmer covered for 6-7 minutes. Stir in pumpkin puree, simmer covered for another 2-3 minutes. Take off heat, add parsley flakes, curry, salt and pepper. If your using chicken bullion, you won’t probably need much salt. You can serve this with a vegetable, salad, and it goes with almost any meat, fish or poultry.

Variation:
I make this without the pumpkin but with lots of fresh or frozen vegetables, thrown in at the same time as the couscous.

You can mix pumpkin into risotto too. I made this for New Years with a prime rib and lots of people. Yummy.