This is my first post for my Almost Vintage Holiday Recipes theme. I’m looking through my old Martha Stewart Living and Gourmet magazines from November and December to populate these posts. I’m going to focus more on appetizers and entrees (not full blown holiday meals) with perhaps a few desserts thrown in. We will see.

When I opened up Martha Stewart Living, November 2001, I was amazed at its girth (292 pages) and the ads. The advertising dominated the pages and the items were mostly luxury brands. There really didn’t seem like there were that many recipes. (There actually were over 75 but they were hidden in the back. They really weren’t highlighted within the pages.) A lot of the recipes were actually in the “Program Guide” section of the magazine and allowed you to cook with Martha from both “Martha Stewart Living” and “Martha Stewart’s Kitchen.” Guests included Peter Berley, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, François Rahier, and Bryant Gumbel. (There was also a guide for “Martha Stewart Home” and how to customize your bookshelves.)

There was a whole Omnimedia Guide so one could find the local station that aired her many shows and what radio stations carried “Ask Martha.” At the end of the magazine, an eight page spread was devoted to the Martha Stewart Everyday brand at K-Mart. Really seems like a bygone era.

Like I said, I did struggle a bit finding a recipe. To start, let’s try a Pumpkin Dip that was featured on a table in a glossy photo spread of a “Thanksgiving Open House in Brooklyn.”

Martha’s original recipe called for three (2 lb) sugar pumpkins and went through the whole roasting process and serving the dip in a reserved roasted pumpkin. I had to guess a bit on the amount of puree that a sugar pumpkin yields and I adjusted the amounts. The original recipe makes 4 cups which I thought was a LOT of dip. Here’s what I came up with .

Roasted Pumpkin-Rosemary Dip

Based on a recipe from “Thanksgiving Open House in Brooklyn.” Martha Stewart Living, November 2001, 184-193. 

Ingredients

• 2 T. olive oil, divided
• 1/4 c. onion, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 1 T. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 c. roasted pumpkin puree* 
• 1 t. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 T. grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions

1. Heat 1 T. olive oil in a small skillet. Sauté onion for 3 minutes or until soft. Do not brown. Add the garlic and rosemary and sauté for 1 minute more. Cool.
2. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth (including the remaining 1 T. of olive oil). Taste and season more with salt and pepper if needed.
3. Serve warm or room temperature with crudités, bread and crackers.

*If using frozen and it seems too watery after defrosting, place the puree in a strainer and allow liquid to drain for 20-30 minutes. This is true if you feel your freshly roasted pumpkin seems too watery.

I have totally streamlined this recipe because I usually have roasted pumpkin puree in the freezer. Feel free to roast up your leftover Halloween decorations. I also added the sautéed onions and increased the amount of cheese. If you do want to roast your pumpkins, I like Martha’s instructions to place a sprig of rosemary and a garlic clove in the cavity of the pumpkin, drizzle with olive oil and roast in a 425 F oven for 30-40 minutes.

The only other pumpkin dip I have ever eaten was a super sweet concoction that was served with ginger snaps. Honestly, I like this one better. I will tell you that when I make it again, I will add a bit more onion and more parmesan. This also might be better served hot with some seasoned and buttered bread crumbs on top. It’s a work in progress.

The great thing about this dip is that if you have leftovers, you can always turn it into soup, pasta sauce and even a ravioli filling. (These are my tips, not Martha’s.)

This has me thinking back to 2001 when I totally would have slaved over this dip, roasting the pumpkins, trying to save one whole pumpkin and the top for serving the dip and stressing over my Thanksgiving spread.

Not me now. Let’s find the easiest way (like defrosting frozen pumpkin) and serve this up. Sometimes less is more.

Has anyone tried just a totally appetizer Thanksgiving? I see the ease and fun in that.