Market Meals is a collaboration between Boulder Reporting Lab and the Boulder County Farmers Markets, featuring weekly seasonal recipes built around ingredients from local growers, ranchers and food producers. Find it in Nibbles every Tuesday and on Boulder Reporting Lab. Sign up to get Nibbles in your inbox.
We’re reminded of the synchronicity of the seasons when, just as the mornings bring a chill to our bones and the aroma of warm spices wafts through our homes, winter squash begins to appear at the markets and farmstands. Potatoes poke their heads out, root vegetables color the booths, and onions overflow tables, rolling down the sidewalk.
Right when we’re ready for them, the hearty produce that begs for a 375-degree oven is being harvested. We begin turning butternut squash into soups, stuffing acorn squash, and roasting delicata.
Pumpkins are winter squash. In fact, most canned pumpkin is actually made from a variety of winter squash. We usually see pumpkins in canned form — or carved into jack-o’-lanterns. While it may take a few more steps in the kitchen, it would be a shame to miss out on the rich flavors of the delicious pie pumpkin varieties grown by local farmers.
We recommend making your own pumpkin purée, an ingredient at the heart of so many fall recipes from pumpkin pie to coffee drinks. Try this pumpkin coffee cake recipe and invite friends to enjoy the coziness of the season.
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Crumb topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold
Cake batter:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup pie pumpkin puree
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup milk
To make the pumpkin purée, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the halves cut side down on the baking sheet and bake for 40 to 60 minutes, until the flesh is soft. Let cool, then scoop out the flesh and blend until smooth. Set aside 1 cup for this recipe and refrigerate any extra.
In a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, oil, maple syrup and milk. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, mixing just until blended (the batter will be thick).
Spread the batter evenly into the pan. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter and gently press it in. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
What’s fresh this week? Farmers are bringing winter squash, beets, radishes, kohlrabi, greens, carrots, tatsoi, herbs, broccoli, cauliflower, fresh bouquets, meat, eggs and more to the Saturday Boulder Farmers Market and the Longmont Farmers Market this week.
Visiting the Markets
- 13th Street between Arapahoe Ave. and Canyon Blvd.
- 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturdays, April 4-Nov. 21
- More information
- Boulder County Fairgrounds
- 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, April 4-Nov. 21
- More information
Have a tip or suggestion? Send your comments, questions and ideas to nibbles@boulderreportinglab.org.
