Stuffed Miniature Pumpkins

I was wondering what to do with all those cute little pumpkins I had left over from Halloween, when I remembered that years ago, my friend Frieda had this idea to stuff miniature pumpkins for one of our PTA fundraiser cooking classes.  This dish makes such a beautiful presentation and I thought this updated combination of rice with mushrooms tasted great.  There are endless variations, using different kinds of rice, vegetables, nuts, herbs, or dried fruit.  I prefer to use those little round pumpkins rather then the flatter ones, since they have a larger cavity to stuff.

Leek and Ground Beef Patties

Kufte de Prassa

KUFTE DE PRASSA

Leek and Ground Beef Patties 

Somewhere between a meatball and patty is a kufte.  Made with ground beef, they are light and fluffy with a delicate crisp exterior, and redolent with the taste of autumn leeks.  Serve this recipe as one of the starters for a traditional Jewish New Years celebration.  They can be part of an appetizer buffet, or individually plated with a lemon wedge garnish and perhaps a dollop of hummus.
You can make the kufte that morning, refrigerate, and then reheat in a 350ºoven for 15 minutes before serving.  Kufte may also be made a week ahead and frozen in an airtight container.  Defrost in the refrigerator the night before and reheat as indicated.  Serve hot.
This makes about 48 kufte, two, or three per person.  Leftovers are delicious the next day.  Serve with rice and salad.