If you haven’t experienced pumpkin overload quite yet then this appetizer is just for you! I was looking for a non-traditional twist on the ever traditional bruschetta when we got together for a “fall family bar-b-que” last weekend. Wanting to minimize the damage to my waist line without sacrificing taste, I turned to pumpkin. Pumpkin is naturally sweet (at least to me) but is packed with nutritional value. Those big orange things we traditionally associate with sweet treats and jack-o’-lanterns are full of the antioxidant beta-carotene which helps fight against certain cancers. It is also an excellent source or iron, potassium, and fiber. So, logically it was a no-brainer main ingredient. The rest came together with some ideas bouncing with mom. The end result? This tasty pumpkin brushetta… which was happily consumed by all!
PUMPKIN BRUSCHETTA
INGREDIENTS:
1. Bag of pre-chopped Sugar Pumpkin from Trader Joe’s
2. Cinnamon
3. 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
4. 5-7 springs of tarragon pulled off from the stem
5. 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds (I prefer Trader Joe’s version)
6. 1 cup of balsamic vinegar
STEPS:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400°. Sprinkle pumpkin with desired amount of salt, pepper, cinnamon, and tarragon. Place pumpkin in a baking dish and roast for 30 minutes, or until soft (so you can easily cut through with a knife).
2. While the pumpkin is roasting make a balsamic reduction. Place 1 cup of the balsamic in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once it boils move it down to a simmer and allow it to simmer until it thickens.
3. Once pumpkin is to desired thickness, remove it from the oven and half the pieces so that they will fit on crackers or bread.
4. Place the pumpkin in the bowl with the red onion and pumpkin seeds.
5. Pour the balsamic reduction in the same bowl and mix together. Start with a little bit and then add to desired taste.
6. Serve as you wish! We chose to serve it on slightly toasted pieces of bread. Yet, we also had pumpkin crackers from Trader Joe’s and they tasted equally as delicious!
Also, don’t forget that today is the last day for ShopBop’s friends and family sale!
