Distinctly Montana Magazine

THE BITE Ginger Tea Pumpkin Custard Adding THis infusion gives this custard a beautiful subtle flavor Article and Photo by Rhonda Adkins Is there anything more quintessentially fall than pumpkins? While I look forward to picking out pumpkins for carving, I am even more excited to start cooking with them, especially after I tried a new technique that made baking and harvesting the moist flesh easy. First, you need to select the proper pumpkin. The larger more mature pumpkins, while great for carving, have a tough stringy flesh; a small pumpkin gives you a sweeter creamier flesh. To select a good cooking pumpkin look for small to medium ones that have firm skin and stems. They should seem heavy for their weight and should not have a "hollow" sound. To prepare: preheat oven to 350°F. Place pumpkin(s) on a baking sheet and bake for approximately one hour (baking time may vary according to the size of your pumpkins). Let the pumpkins cool, split them open and scoop out the flesh, discarding the skin and the seeds (the seeds can be washed and roasted if desired). For the creamiest texture place cooked flesh in a blender or food processor and puree — one small pumpkin yields approximately one cup of puree. 1 cup organic whole milk 1 ginger tea bag 1 cinnamon stick 1 star anise 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2/3 cup raw sugar pinch of salt hot water Preheat oven to 350 °F. Heat milk with ginger tea, cinnamon, and anise in a small saucepan over medium heat. When bubbles form on the edges, turn off, and let tea steep for five minutes or longer until the desired flavor profile is attained. Strain and dispose of the tea bag, cinnamon, and anise. In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, sugar and salt. Slowly whisk in infused milk until homogeneous. Pour into four (10 ounce) greased ramekins. Place ramekins in a 13 x 9 inch pan and fill the pan with one inch of hot water (being very cautious not to let the water spill into any of the ramekins). Bake on center rack for 20 to 25 minutes or until solid and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool. Serve with whipped cream or maple syrup. After retiring from a 22-year Air Force career, Rhonda Adkins is now following her passion as a professional food photographer, recipe developer, cooking instructor, freelance writer and food blogger. For more of her recipes and ramblings visit her site at www. thekitchenwitchblog.com. FALL | 2 0 1 3 16 DISTINCTLY MONTANA Gal

• Cover