RECIPE: Jamaican Pumpkin Rice

If you are like me, around this time of year you have, without even trying, accumulated a mass of pumpkins. My toddler comes home from preschool with one every other day. I dutifully add the glitter/sticker/paint covered orb to our ever expanding gourd menagerie that has somehow taken over our entryway. Never one to throw away perfectly good food, I have started poaching some for recipes. Since you have to peel pumpkin, a decorated one is fine to use, though I would suggest doing it out of sight of the pumpkin artiste. Two-year-olds tend to cry when you take a knife to their beloved creations. (Oh, relax. There will be another one tomorrow). I figure it is better to make good use of them instead of letting them slowly and sadly decay over the next several months until my husband has to scoop them up with a shovel. Savory recipes are less common, so I thought I'd share one.

INGREDIENTS:
2 T. oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T Jamaican allspice (regular allspice works, but the Jamaican has a different character that really makes it richer)
1 small pumpkin, seeded, peeled and diced
1.5 c. white rice
3 c. veggie or chicken stock
Large handful of fresh thyme (you can put this in whole, but remember to remove the stems before serving)
Salt and pepper to taste
* If you like spicy food, you can add some scotch bonnet pepper to this. I usually serve this with very spicy jerk chicken or curry goat, so I tend to leave it out of the rice.

In a medium pot, heat oil. Add onion. Cook until soft. Add garlic, allspice and pumpkin, some salt and pepper. Toss to coat pumpkin and cook for 1-2 more minutes, careful not to burn garlic.
Add rice, stock and thyme. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until stock is absorbed (about 25-30 min) and rice is cooked through (pumpkin will be cooked and falling apart). Stir thoroughly until pumpkin is in very small pieces and well distributed. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
Makes 4 servings.