Smashing Pumpkin Dishes

Gourdeous

by Kelly White

It's a fruit. No, it's a veggie. Argue all you want, but the simply delicious ingredient works wonders in savory dishes. (For the record, it's technically a fruit.) Here, it's mixed with goat cheese, truffle honey, black olive oil and pecorino for a scrumptious appetizer. The proof is in the pudding — but the evidence is in the dumpling.

The Bean's homemade breads are moist and could easily win over a baking elite composed of nothing but shortening-savvy grandmothers. Luckily, you can grab a slice year-round, so the harvest is always just a coffee shop away.

Pumpkin pancakes at Sabrina's are one of the finer things about fall, but if you need to gorge on gourds without delay, we suggest hitting up Bump for brunch. When pumpkin meets graham cracker outside of a pie, there's absolutely no reason to wait until Thanksgiving.

If pumpkin were a currency, it'd be gold, so order up this dish for some seasonal sass. Fresh pumpkin and bell peppers are served in a golden yellow curry sauce, giving pumpkin "spice" a whole 'nother meaning — and a hot-hot-hot one at that.

If it's called Perfect Pumpkin Cheesecake, you expect it to be just that. This decadent dessert delivers, but don't feel guilty — the pulpy stuff is rich in nutrients like vitamin A and potassium. This is one treat capable of putting Entenmann's in its prepackaged place.