Pumpkin stuffed with everything good

Only 3 more weeks of maternity leave, and I'm taking advantage of time at home by cooking all week. I've even got a menu planned out - let's see whether this works.

Last night was the only recipe I'm preparing this week that I've made before.

This is a favorite recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table. I love the name of the recipe, which describes it perfectly. It's pretty much a savory bread pudding baked inside a pumpkin and then carved like a pie, so that there's pumpkin in every bite. I love savory applications for winter squash. The pumpkin is such a great vessel, since it's hollow inside (once the seeds and strings are removed, which is the least pleasant part of preparing the dish).

Dorie gives lots of suggestions for modifying the 'everything good' - I didn't modify much this time because I like the ingredients in the basic recipe. Bread, cheese (Gruyere), bacon, chives. I added some parsley and apple. You mix them up, stuff your pumpkin, pour cream over the top, and bake for 2 hours. The exact recipe is available in the Around My French Table, which is chock full of awesome and mostly simple recipes.

As always, my photos don't do it justice. I'm better at baby photos.