Pumpkin is just as festive outside of pie

In New Hampshire, pumpkins are the law.

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That's because a group of civic-minded elementary school pupils this year led a successful campaign to make all those orange orbs the official state fruit.

Their inspiration? To learn how bills become laws. But the Harrisville, N.H., children probably couldn't help but be a bit influenced by their state's many pumpkin festivals, including the mother-of-them-all in Keene.

That festival (held last Saturday), began in 1991 and typically attracts 50,000 visitors to see the sometimes record-setting number (28,592 in 2003) of carved pumpkins that line Main Street.

Long before pumpkins were teaching children how to lobby lawmakers, the region's American Indians were teaching settlers how to eat them. From those efforts was born the pumpkin pie.

Pumpkins come in many shapes and sizes, but the smaller sugar or New England pie varieties are best suited for eating.

Dan Dumont, the executive chef at the Wentworth by the Sea resort in New Castle, N.H., likes to roast 2- to 3-pound sugar pumpkins, then pure the soft flesh and use it in gnocchi.

To make pumpkin pure, Mr. Dumont advises selecting a 2- to 4-pound pumpkin with no soft spots (it should yield about 1 cups of mashed pumpkin). To prepare the pumpkin, cut it in half and remove the stringy fibers and seeds.

The flesh then can be boiled or roasted. To boil, cut the pumpkin into chunks and place them in a pan. Cover the chunks with water, bring to a boil and cook until tender when pierced with a fork.

To roast, place the pumpkin halves cut-side down on an oiled baking sheet and roast for about 1 hours in a 350-degree oven.

Once the pumpkin is tender, remove the flesh and mash it with a potato masher. The pure will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator. It also freezes well.

PUMPKIN SAGE GNOCCHI

(Start to finish 45 minutes)

For the gnocchi:

1/2 cup pumpkin pure

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cups water

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

5 large or 6 medium eggs

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and white pepper, to taste

For the sauce:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

10 fresh sage leaves chopped

1/8 cup pine nuts

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and white pepper, to taste

Parmesan cheese, for garnish

In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin pure with the cinnamon and brown sugar. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the water, butter and salt over a medium heat until the butter has melted. Sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring until the dough pulls away from the sides.

Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the pumpkin pure and mix on low speed until blended. Add eggs one at a time with mixer on low, then add sage, chives, parsley, cheese, salt and pepper, mixing until just incorporated.

Transfer the mixture into either a piping bag, or large plastic zip-close with the corner snipped off. Squeeze the bag over the pot of boiling water. As the dough comes out, use a knife or scissors to cut off -inch lengths. Let the gnocchi fall into the water and cook until they float, about 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove gnocchi once they've cooked. Let cool on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper while preparing the sauce.

For the sauce, in a large skillet heat the butter until it melts and foams. Once it begins to brown, add the sage. When the sage begins to sizzle, add the pine nuts and juice of half a lemon. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the gnocchi and toss gently to coat. To serve, garnish with Parmesan shavings.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe from Dan Dumont, of Wentworth by the Sea resort in New Castle, N.H.

Spicy Pumpkin Cake

(Start to finish 1 hour)

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups light brown sugar

3/4 cups whole milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

15-ounce can pumpkin pure

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350. Grease one standard loaf pan or eight smaller, individual pans.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and soda, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Mix and set aside. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, milk, oil, eggs, pumpkin and walnuts.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the pumpkin mixture. Stir until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan or pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe from Perrie Purcell, the pastry chef at the Wentworth by the Sea resort in New Castle, N.H.