Recipe courtesy of Mary's Gone Crackers

Ingredients:

Pumpkin
1 4-5 lbs. pumpkin, top removed

2 tablespoons oil

Salt and ground black pepper

Quinoa
1 cup quinoa

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

Wild Rice
1 cup wild rice

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling
2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup onion, diced

1/4 cup carrots, diced

1/4 cup celery, diced

1/4 cup fennel bulb, diced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/4 cup dried currants

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 dash of ground cloves

2 teaspoons orange zest

Salt & ground black pepper

1 cup Mary's Gone Crackers Original Just the Crumbs

1/2 cup vegetable stock

Directions: 

Quinoa

1. Boil broth and salt, stir in quinoa and boil over medium heat until soft, takes about 20 minutes.

Wild Rice

1. Bring wild rice, broth and salt to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium and cook together until tender and most grains have popped or split open.  Cooking time is about 40 minutes.

Filling preparation and assembly

1.  Cut out the top of the pumpkin, 2”-3” from the edge of the stem all the way around.  Reserve the top and cut off the string insides. Set aside.

2.  Scoop out the seeds and pith from the pumpkin. Reserve the seeds and toast for garnish, if desired.

3.  Rub the inside of the pumpkin with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4.  Roast pumpkin and top at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour until slightly soft.

5.  Prepare quinoa and wild rice separately using the instructions above.

6.  Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat and add oil.

7.  Add diced onion, carrot and celery and cook until slightly soft, about 5 minutes.

8.  Add garlic and ginger; continue to cook until vegetables are soft, another 5 minutes.

9.  Remove from heat and add cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, salt and pepper.

10. Mix seasoned sautéed vegetables with prepared quinoa and wild rice.

11. Stir in dried fruit, pumpkin seeds (if desired) and Mary's Gone Crackers Original Just the Crumbs.

12. Add up to 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to moisten filling.

13. Load partially roasted pumpkin with filling and roast for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

14. Platter, serve and enjoy!

Published by WholeFoods Magazine Online, 6/25/2014