Pumpkin Bruschetta with Caramelized Shallots, Apricots, Goat Cheese & Cashews

So I have to admit, making a tasty and original dish with pumpkin is a challenge. It really needs to be imparted with flavor and beautifully complimented to make a great dish.

This very tasty Pumpkin Bruschetta with Caramelized Shallots, Apricots, Goat Cheese and Cashews takes its inspiration from an amazing dish prepared by T. for a Mom & Kids Swim party this summer. My daughter (1o) decided to be a vegetarian about a year ago and has inspired a number of her friends to adopt a vegetarian diet. T., a very cool mom who used this as an opportunity to expand her culinary expertise, made an phenomenal dish of goat cheese with caramelized onions, sweet peppers, and cashews that I found completely irresistible. This pumpkin bruschetta was inspired by that dish.

I caramelized shallots with a combo of olive oil and butter. Added some white wine as they began to brown and let them do their thing. At the end of cooking, added a few drops of balsamic.

I peeled and finely diced sweet pumpkin and sauteed it with olive oil and pressed garlic and cooked until tender. Added a generous pinch of sea salt to finish it off.

I toasted some olive whole wheat bread. Combined the sauteed pumpkin, caramelized shallots, chopped apricots, crumbled goat cheese and a drop of olive oil. Topped the toasted bread with the mixture and added a drop of balsamic vinegar at the end (post photo).

This is my favorite pumpkin recipe to date. I'm planning a pumpkin quesadilla for tomorrow. Stay tuned!