Stuffed baby pumpkins
Yield: 6 servings
• 6 mini pumpkins, preferably the white variety • » teaspoon salt, plus more for the shells
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, plus more for the
shells
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 scallions (about ⅓ cup), chopped
• 1 large garlic clover, finely chopped
• 4 cups baby kale or stemmed and roughly chopped lacinato (Tuscan) kale (about 4 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup white breadcrumbs, lightly toasted
• ª cup shredded Gruyère cheese
• » cup pine nuts, toasted
• » teaspoon ground nutmeg • » teaspoon red pepper flakes • » cup heavy cream
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash the pumpkins. With a small, sharp knife, remove the tops as if for a jack-o’-lantern. Scoop out the seeds and stringy insides with a spoon, leaving the flesh intact. Rinse, then rub with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
2. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat, add the scallions and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute or so, until fragrant. Add the kale and cook until it just wilts, about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice and transfer to a bowl.
3. Add the breadcrumbs, cheese, pine nuts, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Mix well, then stir in cream.
4. Divide the filling into the pumpkins and replace the tops. Line a baking dish with parchment paper (or brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil) and arrange the filled pumpkins in the dish.
5. Bake for 1 hour, watching to make sure the tops don’t brown too much. Test the pumpkins by piercing with a fork. If the skin doesn’t
pierce easily, remove the tops and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Replace the tops and serve hot.
Per serving: 313 calories; 23 g fat; 8 g saturated fat; 32 mg cholesterol; 10 g protein; 22 g carbohydrate; 5 g sugar; 4 g fiber; 290 mg sodium; 221 mg calcium
—Slightly adapted from a recipe by Kim Sverson in the New York Times