Start with recipe ideas that use what you have

If you buy too many cans of pumpkin puree in anticipation of Thanksgiving, don’t let them languish at the back of the cupboard. ``The bottom line is, pumpkin is a squash,’’ says Eve Felder, an associate dean at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. ``Whatever you do with squash, you can do with pumpkin.’’ Canned pureed pumpkin can be incorporated into recipes for soups, crepes, macaroni and cheese, chili, muffins and pancakes. ``A great thing to do is to turn canned pumpkin into a savory dish,’’ says Felder. She suggests making a pumpkin soup. Start by sauteing onions and garlic in a pot, then add canned pumpkin, a bit of sugar and some chicken stock until soupy. Puree it in a blender and season with salt and pepper. Another favorite is mashed potatoes mixed with a can of pumpkin and a bit of celery root. ``It’s fabulous with a beef burgundy and red wine,’’ says Felder. For pumpkin pancakes, make a typical pancake batter but reduce the amount of milk and substitute with an equivalent amount of canned pumpkin. ``It’s great with bacon and maple syrup,’’ says Felder. And a pumpkin smoothie is a perfect snack or start to the morning. But since canned pureed pumpkin isn’t seasoned or sweetened (don’t use canned pumpkin pie mix by mistake), don’t forget the nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar along with the vanilla yogurt or milk. With Christmas around the corner, Felder also recommends pumpkin eggnog. ``Buy the already made eggnog, add some pumpkin and then add some rum to give it an edge.’’