Sara Hohn – Food… Brooklyn & Beyond

Amid rumors of nepotism, bribery and unfit judges, Barryville, New York’s Annual Pumpkin Fest yielded one bright spot – my own third place finish in the sweet and savory pumpkin cookoff. This past Saturday, dozens of participants submitted fine autumnal dishes such as pumpkin poblano soup, pumpkin bread pudding and a savory pumpkin sausage pie, as well as gloppy Family Circle-esque offenses. The prizes: $100 cash, pumpkin-topped trophies, some ragtag purple ribbons and fifteen minutes of local recognition. My entry, an ice-cold pumpkin smoothie, likely had a competitive advantage thanks to the unseasonably warm weather. Nevertheless, we found some of the judges’ winning selections to be…let’s say… questionable. I’ll keep my post-game, obscenity-laden commentary confined to our car ride home. Suffice it to say, my culinarily standout group of friends and I will be back with a gourd-smashing vengeance next year.

You too can try my third place pumpkin smoothie. Please note, I freestyled this recipe together with a lingering wine hangover from our pre-Pumpkin Fest celebration, so measurements are (uncharacteristically for me) inexact. Where in doubt, add more orange juice.

Sara’s Third-Place-But-Should-Have-Been-First Pumpkin Smoothie

2 c cooked pumpkin
3/4 c milk
3/4 c vanilla yogurt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t vanilla
3 T peanut butter
3 T maple syrup
3/4 c orange juice
4 orange slices and 4 mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Transfer mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Serves 4