Ceremonial Stuffed Pumpkin

This recipe was inspired by Sarah Britton’s “Ceremonial Stuffed Pumpkin”, from her book Naturally Nourished: Healthy, Delicious Meals Made with Everyday Ingredients. We liked it with just a touch more spice, salt, figs, and lemon than she originally called for, but it is essentially her recipe, in all of its autumnal glory. The pumpkin is cooked well through, but the texture is different than we are used to; here the flesh is tender, but still firm, reminding us that there is more than one way to enjoy the fruits of fall. This is showy enough for a conversation piece, but easy enough to make on a weeknight. Hearty vegetarian fare that fills the belly and the heart, and lovely to look at, besides. Nourished, naturally.

Directions

Rinse the bulgur well and place it in the pot with 2 cups of water and 1/2 tsp salt.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the grains are tender but a little al dente, 25-35 minutes. Immediately stir in the minced garlic, olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice, while the bulgur is still hot. Cover to retain heat.

While the bulgur is cooking, prepare and roast the pumpkin. Preheat the oven to 400 °F.

Wash the outside of the pumpkin throughly, as you will be eating the skin as well as the flesh. Slice around the stem, including a good amount of the flesh; this will be your ‘lid’.
Scoop out the seeds, and rub the inside and outside with a little coconut oil.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt in the interior of the pumpkin, as well.

Place the pumpkin, with its lid fitted back in place, on a baking sheet in the oven. Roast the pumpkin for 30-40 minutes; it is cooked when a knife tip can be easily inserted into the flesh.

While the pumpkin is roasting, prepare the kale and the rest of the stuffing. In a large bowl, combine the kale, olive oil, another squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Using clean hands, massage the kale well, until the leaves are dark green and tender, about 2 minutes.

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pumpkin seeds until fragrant, 3-5 minutes.

Combine the bulgur, chickpeas, kale, chopped figs, onion, pumpkin seeds, pepper flakes, and feta. Toss to coat, and season with more salt, black or red pepper, or lemon juice, if desired.

To serve, stuff as much of the filling as possible into the roasted pumpkin. Place the lid on the pumpkin, or let the filling spill out onto the platter and serve the lid on the side.

Cut the pumpkin into wedges, and serve with the filling on top.

This filling recipe makes enough for 2 small stuffed pumpkins, or 1 pumpkin with plenty left over for use in other recipes. It makes a nice cold salad all by itself, too, the day after.

Over to You

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