Saving the Pumpkin!

I had a nice little pie pumpkin sitting on the counter getting sadder and sadder. I didn't want him to go to waste so this is what I came up with.

Pie Pumpkin with Sausage/Rice Stuffing

1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup water
1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
2 Tablespoons butter
1 green onion
1 garlic clove
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
small bunch of fresh kale

1 small pie pumpkin

Carefully cut the "lid" from the pumpkin and scoop out all of the seeds.

Bring 1 cup water to a boil, add the salt and stir in the rice. Cover. Place over low heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Make sure it doesn't run out of water. It is better to have a little extra and drain the rice than to not have enough to finish the cooking. Alternately, you can combine the water, rice and salt and allow to soak for 12 hours before cooking the rice.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a heavy skillet, brown the sausage, chopping it up. While it is cooking, dice the green onion and mince the garlic and add that to the skillet. Stir frequently.

Take the tough ribs out of the kale, chop and add to the skillet. Stir and cook until the kale is well wilted, then stir in the mozzarella. Remove from heat. Add the butter and the cooked hot rice and combine well.

Spoon the mixture into the pumpkin. Replace the "lid" and put the pumpkin in an oven-proof bowl or dish.

Bake until when you insert a sharp knife into the pumpkin flesh, it pierces all the way through easily. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve slices of pumpkin along with some of the filling. This will reheat nicely the next day, too.