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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 2011)
Page 6 The INDEPENDENT, November 2, 2011 Food for Thought Pumpkins can be used for much more than carving After the colonists came to America, they used pumpkin in side dishes, desserts, stews, soups, and even beer. They had a good idea when it came to baking with pumpkin, but many of us would choose a pumpkin spice latté over pumpkin ale (and save the ale for the stew). When it comes to baking with pumpkin, sugar pumpkins, also known as pie pumpkins, have the best flavor. While Jack-o-lantern pumpkins are grown for their large shell, sugar pumpkins are grown for their flavorful insides. With a thicker shell, these types of pumpkins are delicious when baked and have the tasty flavor of their squash relatives. When it comes to homemade soups and stews, sugar pumpkins also make de- licious, edible bowls. Whether you want to add extra vegetables to your diet or sim- ply want to add a decorative touch to your dinner table, add a few of these pump- kins to your shopping list. After baking just until the inside of the pumpkin is tender, each individual pump- kin can be served as its own serving bowl. The baked pumpkin adds delicious fla- vor to the other ingredients and can be eaten just as you would baked squash. As cute, edible decorations, you might find that children who otherwise wouldn’t eat squash as a side, will scoop out the roasted pumpkin with their stew or soup. The Pumpkin Stew recipe includes more specific directions for baking pumpkin serving bowls. PUMPKIN STEW Meanwhile, remove tops of pumpkins and set aside. Discard seeds and loose fibers from inside. Place pumpkins on a large cookie sheet. Scoop stew into pump- kins and replace the tops. Brush outside of pumpkins with remaining 2 T of oil. Bake for 1-1/2 hours or just until the inside of the pumpkins are tender (do not over-bake). Serve in bowls or on plates. Note: If you like extra broth, add an extra cup or two of water. Serves 6. THAI PUMPKIN SOUP It is unlikely that the Colonists used either curry paste or ginger in their soup, nevertheless, this soup is warm and soothing; the ginger gives it a little kick. 2 T vegetable oil 2 small onions, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 T finely grated fresh ginger 1 T Thai red curry paste 1 small pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed 1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk 3 cups chicken broth 2 tsp tomato paste 1 T freshly squeezed lime juice Coriander and chili pepper flakes for garnish (optional) Heat oil in a large pot. Saute onions until translucent. Add garlic, ginger and cur- ry paste and cook briefly. Add all remaining ingredients except lime juice, corian- der and chili pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Transfer to blender and purée until smooth. Add lime juice. Serve garnished with coriander and pepper flakes, if desired. Serves 4 to 5. 2 pounds beef stew meat 4 T olive oil, divided 6 cups water 4 beef bouillon cubes 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, not drained 4-6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 6 medium carrots, sliced 1 large sweet onion, diced 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp salt 6 sugar pumpkins PUMPKIN SHEET CAKE with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING This recipe serves 20-25 people and is great for a pot luck, or a large gathering of any sort Preheat oven to 350°F. In a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, brown meat in 2 T oil. Add water, bouillon, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, onion, pepper, and salt. Bring all ingredients to a boil. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Church Directory V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH F IRST B APTIST C HURCH Carl Pense, Pastor 850 Madison Avenue, Vernonia 503 429-1103 Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Children’s Sunday School Pastor John D. Murray 359 “A” Street, Vernonia 503 860-3860 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m. Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m. S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST Larry Gibson, Pastor 2nd Ave. and Nehalem St., Vernonia 503 429-8301 Morning Worship, 11:00 a.m. Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. A SSEMBLY OF G OD Wayne and Maureene Marr 662 Jefferson Ave., Vernonia, 503 429-0373 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH Rev. Luan Tran, Administrator 960 Missouri Avenue, Vernonia 503 429-8841 Mass Sunday 12:00 Noon Religious Educ. Sunday 10:30 a.m. V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY C HURCH Ralph Young, Pastor 957 State Avenue, Vernonia 503 429-6790 Sunday Bible Classes 9:00 a.m. Family Praise & Worship 10:30 a.m. Wednesday Prayer 6:30 p.m. Thursday Laadies Study 7:00 p.m. Nursery 10:15 a.m. Vernonia Community Preschool 2-1/4 cups pumpkin puree 3 cups sugar 1-1/2 cups oil 6 eggs, slightly beaten 3 cups flour 1 T baking soda 1 T ground cinnamon P IONEER B APTIST F ELLOWSHIP 1/2 tsp salt John Cahill, Pastor 939 Bridge Street, Vernonia 503-429-1161 www.pbfalive.com Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Thursday Prayer 7:00 p.m. N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH Gary Taylor, Pastor Grant & North Streets, Vernonia 503 429-5378 Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Nursery available Wednesday Service 7:00 p.m. V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST OF L ATTER D AY S AINTS Sam Hough, Minister 410 North Street, Vernonia 503 429-6522 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m. (meets in Youth & Family Center) Various Home Group Meetings Marc Farmer, Branch President 1350 E. Knott Street, Vernonia 503 429-7151 Sacrament Meeting, Sunday 10 a.m. Sunday School & Primary 11:20 a.m. Relief Society, Priesthood and Young Women, Sunday 12:10 p.m. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, and oil. Beat in eggs. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix just until blended. Pour batter into a greased 15 in. x 10 in. x 1 in. jelly roll pan. Bake 40 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool completely before frosting. Cream Cheese Frosting 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 5 cups confectioners’ sugar 3-4 T milk 1 tsp vanilla Beat together cream cheese, sugar, milk and vanilla. Spread over cake. HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE LATTÉ If you like pumpkin spice lattés and can’t afford to buy one every day, you might want to try the recipe below. Depending on the quality of your coffee and whether or not you grind it fresh, this pumpkin spice latté is quite tasty. Please see page 21