#5 Sweet dumpling squash (small, cream colored pumpkin shaped with green flecks) are mild and sweet.

#4 Carnival squash (patchy green, yellow, and orange) are buttery and smooth.

#3 Butternut squash (cream colored skin with bright orange fruit) are earthy and nutty.

#2 Gooseneck squash (white skin with pale yellow fruit) are mild and sweet.

#1 Field pumpkin (pale peach skin with meaty light orange fruit) are the most versatile from savory to sweet.

While butternut squash and gooseneck squash are a bit more common, numbers four and five are often used as accents for fall decorations but rarely given a second look in the kitchen.  Because of their small size, they make super fun vessels for whatever culinary treat you would like to stuff inside of them. From stuffing to chili, they can be partially baked and then stuffed and finished. While the petite squash are fun, my number one variety is really my favorite more out of function than anything else.  

In our area, a significant number of acres of pumpkins are grown for canning at the factory in Morton, Ill., and while the pumpkin harvest in our area is quite a feat to watch, it has already wrapped for this season. It just so happens that this year some of those pumpkins grew over into our field and were left behind among our cornstalks, which became the lucky home for the abandoned treats. Because the pumpkin overgrowth needs to be addressed before our harvest can take place, we loaded up the side-by-side with this wonderfully dense variety that will stay fresh in a cool basement for months into the winter. I love this variety because of its incredible capacity to span recipes from savory to sweet. From chili to dessert, it easily adds healthy weight to any dish while taking on the flavors of whatever you are serving. 

This weekend, I will be using my fall workhorse to make a traditional Bulgarian dish, Banitsa.  This flaky pastry is both savory and sweet and makes an excellent breakfast treat or afternoon appetizer, and like a lot of the dishes I make at home, I like to make a few modifications to the original recipe to add some creative flair. I recommend this dish with a glass of rich chardonnay or viognier while sitting on the porch in the sunshine while watching the leaves turn.  Happy fall ya’ll.

Pumpkin Banista 

Prepare Pumpkin

Peel ½ pound pumpkin and cube and place in baking dish

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cardamom
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar (optional)

Sprinkle with spices, and then bake for approximately 1 hour at 350 degrees. I like to cover the pumpkin for the first ½ hour and then remove the top for the remaining time so that the liquid evaporates. If needed strain the pumpkin from the remaining liquid and lightly smash. Optional: If you are wanting to make your pumpkin banitsa a bit more dessert-like, add 2/3 cups dark brown sugar to pumpkin before roasting.   

Make filling

• ½ lb sirene (Bulgarian cheese) or feta, coarsely crumbled
• ½ lb Bulgarian yogurt (preferably sheep’s milk yogurt); full fat Greek yogurt works too
• 4 whole eggs
• ½ tsp salt

In a small mixing bowl, beat the wholes eggs and mix the above ingredients.  

Assembly: Prepare the dough & pan

• 1 egg yolk beaten
• 1 stick butter (1/4th lb)
• 1 package phyllo dough
• 1 sheet parchment paper
• Non stick spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare two 8’ cake pans by lining the bottom with parchment paper and spraying with nonstick spray. Melt 1 stick butter, and brush each of 3 layers of phyllo dough all of the way to the edges. Stack layers of 3 phyllo sheets on top of one another, and on the prepared dough, spread a thin layer of filling and a dot roasted pumpkin – approximately 1 cup of each spread evenly. Then gently roll the dough into a tube. Repeat the process until all layers and filling has been used. Use the tubes to create rings of the concentric circles until both pans are filled. Brush tops with remaining butter and then brush with beaten egg yolk. The egg yolk will prevent the top of the phyllo from burning and should yield a beautiful, dark, golden brown pastry.

Bake at 400 for approximately 25-35 minutes. Fully cooking this pastry is very important so be sure your oven is fully heated and bake it until the top is a deep caramel color on top. While it is not necessary, I like to top the fully cooked Banitsa with toasted pecans and drizzle it with honey for a sweet and savory treat.